Trading prohibition

A trading prohibition means that you are not allowed to run a business, be a partner in a partnership or a member of the board of a limited company, nor sign for a company. Neither are you allowed to work in a business owned by a relative or a person closely connected with you.

Put simply, a trading prohibition means that you immediately have to cease all business activity. You have to step down from any appointments and you may not begin any new activity. This applies even if the trading prohibition is temporary.

Who issues trading prohibitions and what is our role?

Trading prohibitions are issued by a court. We monitor that a person with a trading prohibition does not breach it. If they do, we have to report it to a public prosecutor. A person who breaches a trading prohibition or a temporary trading prohibition may be sentenced for violation of a trading prohibition.

The most common case is for a court to issue a trading prohibition when a person is sentenced for serious economic crime. Trading prohibitions can also be issued against a person who has seriously neglected their obligations in their business activity by not paying taxes or charges, or by running a business that has been declared bankrupt.

How do you find out if a person has a trading prohibition?

If you want to know whether a person has a trading prohibition you should first of all contact the Swedish Companies Registration Office. They keep a register of trading prohibitions and temporary prohibitions.