Company Liquidation

Final accounts, tax and VAT deregistration — the accounting side of formally winding down an Albanian company.

Closing a Company Properly, Not Just Walking Away

A company that’s no longer needed doesn’t simply disappear when you stop invoicing through it. Left unliquidated, it keeps accruing filing obligations — an annual report still comes due, VAT returns are still expected if you’re registered, and a company quietly going dormant without formal closure tends to surface later as a compliance problem for its administrator, sometimes years after anyone stopped paying attention to it.

Liquidation properly done runs on two tracks that need to stay coordinated: the legal side — the formal dissolution decision, creditor process and QKB deregistration, which our Corporate Law team handles — and the accounting and tax side covered on this page: final financial statements, tax and VAT deregistration, and closing out payroll if you had staff. Most clients need both; we coordinate the two so nothing falls into the gap between them.

LIQUIDATION — ACCOUNTING & TAX CLOSURE

From 600 EUR
fixed fee

PACKAGE OF LIQUIDATION ACCOUNTING & TAX CLOSURE INCLUDES:

  • Final bookkeeping reconciliation up to the liquidation start date
  • Preparation of final (liquidation) financial statements
  • Corporate tax deregistration with the tax authority
  • VAT deregistration, if VAT-registered
  • Final payroll and severance accounting, if you had employees
  • Financial reporting during the liquidation period
  • Closing tax return covering the final trading period
  • Confirmation of tax clearance and no outstanding liabilities
Fixed fee for the accounting and tax closure of a small, straightforward company with no outstanding disputes. Legal dissolution and QKB deregistration are handled separately by our Corporate Law team — see the fee schedule below for combined pricing.

Accounting vs. Legal Liquidation Work

Both tracks are usually needed to fully close a company; we coordinate between the two so nothing is left half-done:

What It Covers
Accounting & Tax (this page) Final financial statements, corporate tax and VAT deregistration, closing tax return, final payroll accounting, tax clearance confirmation
Legal (Corporate Law) Formal dissolution decision, creditor notification process, QKB deregistration filing

Many clients engage both together; see our Corporate Law page for the legal dissolution service, or ask about combined pricing below.

The Liquidation Timeline

  • Decision to liquidate — a formal shareholder decision to dissolve the company, handled as part of the legal process.
  • Liquidation period — a statutory period during which creditors can raise claims against the company before it’s finally closed; the exact length depends on current company law.
  • Final accounts & tax closure — the work covered by this page, completed during or at the end of the liquidation period.
  • Deregistration — once accounts are closed and creditor claims addressed, the company is deregistered with the QKB and tax authority.
⚠ Fact-check note — for internal review

The statutory liquidation period length should be verified against current Albanian company law, as it affects the realistic overall timeline for closing a company.

What Happens to Outstanding Tax Obligations

  • Any unpaid taxes must generally be settled before the tax authority will confirm clearance for deregistration.
  • VAT registration must be formally closed, with a final VAT position reconciled — outstanding VAT liabilities don’t simply lapse because the company stops trading.
  • Liquidating companies can attract closer scrutiny from the tax authority than an ordinary annual filing, since it’s the last opportunity to review the company’s affairs.
  • If you had employees, final payroll, severance and any outstanding social/health contributions need to be settled and properly reported before closure.

Liquidation, Step by Step

  1. Initial consultation — we confirm the liquidation decision alongside our Corporate Law team and scope the accounting work needed.
  2. Final bookkeeping reconciliation — all records are brought up to date to the liquidation start date.
  3. Liquidation financial statements prepared — a formal closing set of accounts is drawn up.
  4. Tax & VAT deregistration filed — the closing tax return is submitted and VAT registration formally closed.
  5. Tax authority clearance obtained — confirmation that no outstanding liabilities remain.
  6. Final closure confirmed — records are retained per statutory requirements, and you receive confirmation the company’s tax affairs are closed.

What We Need From You

  • Your company’s registration certificate, NIPT and current VAT status.
  • Complete bookkeeping records up to the point you stopped (or plan to stop) trading.
  • Details of any outstanding debts, contracts, or employee obligations.
  • Confirmation of the shareholder decision to liquidate, once made.
  • Bank statements and any outstanding loans or receivables to be resolved.

Fee Schedule — Additional & Ongoing Services

Beyond the fixed package above, the following services are priced individually. Your adviser confirms an exact quotation once your structure, nationality and banking preference are known.

Service Indicative Fee
Liquidation — accounting & tax closure (as above) From €600 fixed fee
Legal dissolution & QKB deregistration (see Corporate Law page) from €600
Combined legal + accounting liquidation (bundled) quoted individually, typically discounted vs. separate
Final payroll & severance processing (per employee) from €50 / employee
Tax audit representation during liquidation (if triggered) quoted individually, typically hourly
Liquidator’s periodic financial reporting (per report, if period extends) from €150
Record retention & archiving service from €100
⚠ Practical note

Simply stopping — no more invoices, no more filings, no formal closure — doesn’t end a company’s obligations, and it doesn’t end the administrator’s exposure either. Filing obligations keep accruing on a company that technically still exists, and an administrator can remain personally answerable for a company left in limbo rather than properly closed. If a company is no longer needed, formal liquidation is the only way to actually stop the clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page covers the accounting and tax side — final financial statements, tax and VAT deregistration, closing the tax return. Corporate Law handles the legal side — the formal dissolution decision, creditor notification and QKB deregistration. Most liquidations need both, coordinated together.

It depends on the statutory liquidation period (during which creditors can raise claims) plus the time needed to finalise accounts and obtain tax clearance. We give a case-specific estimate once we understand the company’s situation, since outstanding obligations or disputes can extend the timeline.

The company continues to exist and continues to accrue filing obligations — an annual report is still due, and any VAT registration remains active. Left unaddressed, this creates growing penalties and can leave the administrator personally exposed for a company that was never properly closed.

Generally, yes — creditor claims need to be addressed as part of the legal liquidation process, and outstanding tax liabilities must be settled before the tax authority will confirm clearance for deregistration.

Employment relationships need to be formally ended, with final payroll, any severance entitlements, and outstanding social/health contributions settled and reported before the company closes. We handle this as part of the accounting closure.

Much of the accounting and tax closure work can be, and the legal dissolution process can often be handled under power of attorney as well. Some steps may still require the administrator’s involvement depending on the specifics — we confirm this once we understand your situation.

Losses are reflected in the final financial statements and closing tax return the same way profits would be — there’s no additional obstacle to liquidating a loss-making company, and in some cases accumulated losses may have tax implications worth discussing with your adviser.

Yes. Clients needing both the legal dissolution and the accounting/tax closure typically get combined, discounted pricing rather than paying for each separately — ask for a combined quotation once you’re ready to proceed.