Company Liquidation in Liechtenstein: Winding Up Your Entity

No. The Tax Administration can apply for dissolution by office when public charges stay unpaid despite repeated demands (PGR Art. 971(1) no. 4), the Amt für Justiz can set a period of at least two months (HRV Art. 114(4)), and the Amt für Justiz may delete by office an entity without realisable assets (Art. 971(2)).

Only if at least one liquidator meets the qualification test. By default the managing and representing members are the liquidators (PGR Art. 132(1)), but at least one must meet Art. 180a or be a legal person with a TrHG Art. 13 licence (Art. 132(1a)). Otherwise the licensed trustee is appointed. ABB is not that person.

The rule is statutory: at least one liquidator must meet PGR Art. 180a or be a legal person licensed under TrHG Art. 13 (Art. 132(1a)), and a trust company needs an FMA licence. Board mandates for third parties are a trustee activity (TrHG Art. 2(b)). ABB prepares and coordinates; the licensed trustee acts.

Persons charged with administration and liquidation are jointly liable for tax debt up to the net assets or the liquidation result, with a due-care defence (SteG Art. 111(3)(a)). For VAT they are liable up to the liquidation result for claims arising or falling due during their management, unless they show due care (MWSTG Art. 15(1)(e), (2)). This states the law.

As a rule the company is deleted only after the Tax Administration has told the Amt für Justiz that all taxes owed are paid (SteG Art. 133a), and VAT must be paid or secured (MWSTG Art. 85). Exceptions exist, deletion by office among them. ABB prepares the clearance file; the licensed trustee acts.

If assets do not cover liabilities to third parties, the liquidators must stop their work and apply for insolvency proceedings (PGR Art. 130(4)). The route is then insolvency, not a voluntary liquidation. Legal advice on insolvency is reserved to lawyers (RAG Art. 8(1)(a)), so ABB gives none.

The law fixes no overall duration. It sets a half-year block on distribution from the publication of the dissolution (PGR Art. 138(2)), which the Amt für Justiz can relax, and the Amt für Justiz publishes no processing times for its steps. We therefore state no number of months and promise no date.

Distribution may not take place before half a year has passed from the publication of the dissolution with the call to register claims (PGR Art. 138(2)). The Amt für Justiz may permit an earlier distribution when any danger to creditors is entirely excluded (Art. 138(3)), and deletion may precede the end of the block (Art. 138(5)).

The liquidators draw up a liquidation balance sheet on taking office (PGR Art. 135(1)). Known creditors receive a special notice; the Amt für Justiz calls unknown creditors by publication in the official gazette (Art. 135(2)). Distribution waits for the half-year block (Art. 138(2)). If assets fall short, the liquidators apply for insolvency proceedings (Art. 130(4)).

Liquidators settle debts in the ranking order of insolvency law (PGR Art. 136(1)); this page does not set that ranking out. What is set out: known creditors receive a special notice, unknown creditors are called by publication (PGR Art. 135(2)), and the liquidators apply for insolvency proceedings if assets do not cover third-party liabilities (Art. 130(4)).

Sometimes, but it is the authority's decision. The Amt für Justiz may order deletion by office for an entity without realisable assets (PGR Art. 971(2)). First it asks the board by registered letter for its reasoned interest within 30 days (HRV Art. 116(1)) and calls third parties once by publication (Art. 116(2)).

The statutes or the foundation deed govern how these forms are dissolved, and this page does not set out their mechanics. A dissolution other than by bankruptcy leads to liquidation for a legal person generally (PGR Art. 130(1)). The pages on the Anstalt and the foundation cover each form in turn.

Yes. If further assets subject to distribution appear after the deletion has been entered in the commercial register, a supplementary liquidation can follow on request of members or creditors (PGR Art. 139(1)). A claim against an entity that is already deleted is met by a court-appointed curator (Art. 141(1)).

The entity carries the addition "in Liquidation", "in Liq." or "i.L." in its name (PGR Art. 131(1)). Letterhead, order forms and websites of an AG, KGaA or GmbH must show the liquidation status where applicable (Art. 120a(1)(3)). The name addition runs until the liquidation is completed (Art. 131(1)).

ABB and partner fees are quoted on request; this page shows no price list. One fixed official amount is CHF 150, the public-deed fee for the dissolution resolution of an AG, SE, GmbH or KGaA (GbHr-GebV Annex 2 F gg, version of 1 August 2024). The register entry fees are not stated here.