Bolivia

Financial Reporting Obligations for Companies in Bolivia

1. Registry for Submitting Financial Statements

In Bolivia, companies are required to submit their financial statements (annual reports) to the Registro de Comercio de Bolivia (Commercial Registry of Bolivia), managed by the Fundempresa (https://www.fundempresa.org.bo/). Financial statements must be submitted electronically through the Fundempresa’s online portal.

Public Access to Financial Statements:

In Bolivia, financial statements of listed companies are publicly available through the Bolsa Boliviana de Valores (BBV) (https://www.bbv.com.bo/).

However, financial reports of private companies (SRL, S.A. and other non-listed entities) are not publicly accessible. Such reports are filed with regulators but are not disclosed to the general public.

2. Legal Forms Obliged to Publish Financial Statements

Legal forms in Bolivia that are required to submit and publish their financial statements (annual reports) to the Registro de Comercio de Bolivia include:

  • Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.)
    Translation: Limited Liability Company
    Notes: Must submit annual financial statements to the Commercial Registry. Audits are required if thresholds are exceeded.
  • Sociedad Anónima (S.A.)
    Translation: Joint Stock Company
    Notes: Obliged to submit annual financial statements and undergo mandatory audits regardless of size.
  • Sociedad Colectiva
    Translation: General Partnership
    Notes: Required to submit annual financial statements. Audit is mandatory if thresholds are exceeded.
  • Sociedad en Comandita Simple (S. en C.)
    Translation: Limited Partnership
    Notes: Must submit annual financial statements. Audit is required if thresholds are exceeded.
  • Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones (S.C.A.)
    Translation: Partnership Limited by Shares
    Notes: Obliged to submit annual financial statements and mandatory audits apply.
  • Empresa Pública
    Translation: Public Company
    Notes: Required to submit annual financial statements as per Bolivian law and subject to mandatory audits.
  • Cooperativa
    Translation: Cooperative
    Notes: Must submit annual financial statements. Audits are required if economic activity exceeds thresholds.
  • Asociación Civil
    Translation: Civil Association
    Notes: Required to submit annual financial statements if it engages in significant economic activities.
  • Fundación
    Translation: Foundation
    Notes: Must submit financial statements if it engages in economic activities.
  • Sucursal de Sociedad Extranjera
    Translation: Branch of a Foreign Company
    Notes: Must submit financial statements in line with Bolivian and parent company regulations.

Legal Forms Not Obliged to Publish Financial Statements

  • Empresa Unipersonal
    Translation: Sole Proprietorship
    Notes: Exempt from publishing financial statements unless turnover exceeds specified thresholds.
  • Microempresa
    Translation: Microenterprise
    Notes: Exempt from publishing financial statements but must maintain financial records for tax purposes.
  • Empresa Familiar
    Translation: Family Business
    Notes: Exempt from publishing financial statements but required to keep financial records for tax purposes.
  • Obreros Individuales
    Translation: Individual Workers
    Notes: Not required to publish financial statements but must maintain records for tax purposes.
  • Pequeñas Unidades Productivas (PUPs)
    Translation: Small Productive Units
    Notes: Not required to publish financial statements unless they engage in economic activities above certain thresholds.
  • Comunidad Campesina o Indígena
    Translation: Indigenous or Peasant Community
    Notes: Exempt from publishing financial statements but must maintain records for community activities.
  • Personas Naturales que Realizan Actividades Económicas
    Translation: Natural Persons Engaged in Economic Activities
    Notes: Exempt from publishing financial statements but required to keep records for tax purposes.

Notes:

  • Non-profit organizations such as asociaciones civiles and fundaciones have reporting obligations but may only need to submit simplified financial reports unless they engage in significant economic activities.

3. Companies Requiring Audited Financial Statements

In Bolivia, companies must have their financial statements audited if they meet specific conditions as governed by the Ley de Auditoría y Contabilidad (Auditors Activities Act) (https://www.lexivox.org/norms/BO-L-1999-249.xhtml). Companies are generally required to undergo audits if they meet at least two out of three criteria: turnover, total assets, and number of employees.

Legal Form

Audit Rule

Criteria (must meet at least two of the three)

Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.)
(Limited Liability Company)

Mandatory audit if thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Sociedad Anónima (S.A.)
(Joint Stock Company)

Audit always required

No minimum thresholds; audit is always mandatory for joint stock companies.

Sociedad Colectiva
(General Partnership)

Audit required if thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Sociedad en Comandita Simple (S. en C.)
(Limited Partnership)

Audit required if thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones (S.C.A.)
(Partnership Limited by Shares)

Audit required if thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Cooperativa
(Cooperative)

Audit required if thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Empresa Pública
(Public Company)

Audit always required

Public companies are always subject to audit regardless of thresholds.

Asociación Civil
(Civil Association)

Audit required if economic activity is high

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Fundación
(Foundation)

Audit required if economic activity is high

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Sucursal de Sociedad Extranjera
(Branch of a Foreign Company)

Audit depends on parent company obligations

Follows parent company rules but may also be subject to Bolivian audit requirements based on local thresholds.

Empresa Unipersonal
(Sole Proprietorship)

Generally exempt, unless thresholds are exceeded

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

Microempresa
(Microenterprise)

Generally exempt, unless engaging in economic activity

- Turnover (more than) BOB 30 million
- Total assets (more than) BOB 15 million
- More than 50 employees

4. Local Stock Exchange and Financial Statements Publication

  • Bolsa Boliviana de Valores (BBV) (https://www.bbv.com.bo/): Companies listed must publish their financial statements in accordance with exchange regulations.

5. Deadline for Submitting Financial Statements

The deadline to submit financial statements to the Commercial Registry is typically within three months after the end of the fiscal year for most legal forms. For listed companies, stricter deadlines apply as per the Bolivian Stock Exchange regulations.

6. Companies Submitting Partial Financial Statements

Certain smaller legal entities with lower turnover or total assets (below BOB 4 million) may submit simplified financial statements.

7. Consequences for Late Submission of Financial Statements

Failure to submit financial statements on time can result in various penalties, including fines and potential legal actions. Fines range between BOB 2,000 and BOB 20,000.

8. Requirements for Foreign-Owned Branches and Newly Established Companies

Foreign-owned branches operating in Bolivia must submit financial statements in line with both Bolivian law and the regulations of their parent company. Newly established companies have until the end of their first fiscal year to submit their initial financial statements.

Sources

Source Link
Registro de Comercio de Bolivia (Fundempresa) https://www.fundempresa.org.bo/
Ley de Auditoría y Contabilidad (Auditors Activities Act) https://www.lexivox.org/norms/BO-L-1999-249.xhtml
Bolsa Boliviana de Valores (BBV) https://www.bbv.com.bo/
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