The collection of deeds is an important part of the commercial register. Its task is to store all important documents related to the establishment and further functioning of business and other entities registered in the register. What is required by law to be published and what are the penalties for violation? In the following paragraphs you will find out all the essentials.
The Commercial Register and the Collection of Deeds are administered by the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic. However, the maintenance of the lists is entrusted to independent registry courts, i.e. regional courts with local jurisdiction over the registered office of the company or other entity. All the requirements are regulated by the Act on Public Registers of Legal and Natural Persons. This Act also clearly stipulates which documents must not be missing from the collection of documents.
Depending on the date when the documents were deposited in the collection, they can be divided into two categories. The first category of documents must be submitted at the time of registration of the entity in the Commercial Register, because without their documentation it is impossible to register the entity. The second category consists of all other documents that are continuously deposited in the collection.
Examples of documents that need to be published in the collection of documents:
An available attorney advises, “In addition to the collection of deeds for Czech legal entities registered in the Commercial Register, the Register Act also regulates the collection of deeds for foreign entities – its scope is significantly narrower with respect to the mandatory documentation. As a rule, for foreign companies, documents proving their existence and authorization to do business in the Czech Republic are published (e.g. extract from the home commercial register, powers of attorney to act in the Czech Republic, etc.).”
Tip: How is it entered into the commercial register and what happens after filing? We have compiled the answers in an article.
Do you need to prepare detailed documents for a change in the register or are you dealing with the storage of important documents in the collection of documents? We will be happy to help you with the preparation and provide you with precise instructions on how to record important changes.
I want to help with the enrollment
We will stop for a moment with the financial statements and their disclosure. This is an area where many businesses make mistakes and forget about disclosure or deliberately avoid it. Disclosure is obligatory under the Accounting Act for all entities registered in the Commercial Register and for all those that are required to do so by a special regulation. In addition to companies, foundations, associations and unit owners’ associations are also obliged to publish their financial statements.
The financial statements are normally included in the annual report, but this is not a requirement. The documents are sent only in electronic form in PDF format, have precisely defined requirements, which are regulated in detail by the Accountancy Act, and must always contain the following information:
It is the last point that many companies forget, but it is an absolutely crucial detail. An unsigned document is not a valid financial statement and submitting it without correction may result in a fine. From 2021, it is possible to use the automatic receipt of the financial statements from the tax administration portal (if they have been submitted as an attachment to the tax return)
The documents must be deposited in the collection of documents as soon as possible after the occurrence of the event in question, with all their particulars. For some documents, the law even directly stipulates the time limit within which the documents must be published. If the document in question is the result of a court decision, the registry court is responsible for depositing it, but in all other cases the company or other registered entity is responsible for depositing the document .
Late disclosure, incompleteness, such as a missing signature on the financial statements, or the complete absence of mandatory documents in the collection of documents may, in extreme cases, lead to the imposition of a fine or even to the dissolution of the company (in fact, a formal “maximum penalty”). In the event of non-compliance and subsequent disobedience of the summons, the registry court may impose a fine of up to CZK 100,000. Should such a situation recur or should the failure to file documents in the collection of documents have serious consequences for third parties, the registry court may decide and initiate proceedings to dissolve the registered person with liquidation. This is, of course, preceded by a notice from the registry court and the granting of a reasonable period of time to remedy the deficiencies. As of 1 January 2025, the rules on penalties for failure to submit financial statements have been clarified, whereby the registry court must now initiate penalty proceedings ex officio 3 months after the expiry of the publication deadline.
In the event of non-compliance with the obligations related to the deposit of the financial statements, the tax authority may also intervene. In most cases, it resolves such cases by agreement and warning, but has the power to impose a fine of up to 3% of the total value of assets.
An available solicitor advises, “By failing to comply with your legal obligations, you may be committing a criminal offence of misrepresentation of accounts and assets. In practice, this happens in a minimum of cases where the rights of business partners, creditors, customers or employees are seriously threatened. Individuals are then liable to imprisonment for up to 2 years or a ban on their activities. Companies may be fined according to their financial circumstances.”
The law provides that the Commercial Register and the Collection of Deeds are public lists. It follows that the information entered in them is accessible to everyone. Both lists can be consulted online on the Justice.cz website. To search, enter the name of the entity, the identification number or the file mark. You can then click directly on the collection of documents in the details section, where you can find all the published documents and download them in digital form.
Hint: We have already discussed accessing the Commercial Register in a previous article.
Don’t risk heavy fines or the inconvenience of correcting erroneous entries in the commercial register and the collection of deeds. We will be happy to help you with the preparation of the documents and the subsequent entry in the lists . We can handle everything online and tailor it to your case.
The collection of documents of the Commercial Register is used to store important documents of legal entities and entrepreneurs that must be disclosed to ensure transparency of business. Among the documents that must be stored are incorporation documents, financial statements, changes to the statutory bodies or decisions to dissolve a company. Failure to comply with this obligation may result in fines of up to CZK 100,000 or even the dissolution of the company. From 2025, the rules on penalties for failure to submit financial statements have become stricter, highlighting the importance of compliance with this obligation. The documents are publicly available online via the Commercial Register on Justice.cz.
We will enter the Commercial Register or arrange any changes for you. With us, you can be sure that the registration will go smoothly and on the first try. We act quickly, professionally and at upfront prices. You can only pay after the service has been provided.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
In person and online. Just choose the appropriate service or opt for an independent consultation when you are unsure.
