Business Documents of a business

Verified 07 August 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

In a business, several business documents need to be developed. These documents shall include mandatory information. They have to be kept between 5 and 10 years depending on the nature of the document.

A number of documents relating to the commercial relationship between the business and its customers need to be prepared.

Examples include the following business documents:

The particulars which must appear on commercial documents depend on the nature of your activity:

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Business activity

He is customary include the following information on business documents:

These commercial documents (order form, mail, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. In particular, it must include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren)
  • Mention to SCR: titleContent
  • Place of registered office
  • Name of company with legal form (examples: LOCK: titleContent, SARL: titleContent, SA: titleContent)
  • In the case of a management leasing, it must be specified whether the business is a lessee-manager or a manager-agent
  • If the business has received a contract in support of the company project for the creation or resumption of an economic activity, the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number shall be mentioned
  • If the business is a SARL: titleContent or a share business, the amount of the share capital

Artisan

He is customary include the following information on business documents:

Certain commercial documents (purchase orders, letters, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. In particular, it must include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren)
  • Entry in the national company register (NCR)
  • Place of registered office
  • Name of company with legal form (examples: LOCK: titleContent, SARL: titleContent, SA: titleContent)
  • In case of management leasing, it must be specified whether the business is a lessee-manager or a manager-agent
  • If the business has been company project support contract for the creation or resumption of economic activity, the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number must be mentioned
  • If the business is a SARL: titleContent or a share business, the amount of the share capital

Liberal

He is customary Include the following information on your business documents:

  • Contact details: address, phone number, email address and website

Certain commercial documents (purchase orders, letters, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. It has to include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren)
  • Mention to SCR: titleContent
  • Place of registered office
  • Name of company with legal form (examples:SCM: titleContent, SELARL: titleContent,PCS: titleContent)
  • If the business has been company project support contract for the creation or resumption of economic activity, the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number must be specified
  • If the business is a  SELARL: titleContent or a share business, the amount of the share capital

FYI  

All the information concerning the mandatory particulars to be indicated on your invoices is present on the topic-specific data sheet.

If the business does not indicate the mandatory particulars on its commercial documents, it shall be subject to a fine up to €3,750.

The length of time commercial documents are kept varies depending on the nature of the document:

  • If it is a accounting document (purchase order, invoice, delivery note...), it must be kept 10 years
  • If it is a contract entered into in the course of a commercial relationship or commercial correspondence, the document must be retained 5 years