All types of legal entities are divided into commercial organizations and non-profit.
Commercial organizations set the main goal of the activity to profit from the results of work. Non-profit organizations do not pursue profit-making goals or distribute profits among participants. The concept and types of legal entities are determined precisely by their goals.
Commercial organizations according to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation can only be created in the organizational forms provided for by it. Such forms are business companies and partnerships; state and municipal unitary enterprises; production cooperatives.
The classification and types of legal entities are as follows.
Business partnerships distinguish between full and limited partnerships, as well as companies with additional or limited liability.
A full partnership is characterized by the fact that participants have the right to do business on behalf of the organization, liability for obligations is guaranteed by their property (including personal).
A limited partnership may have two types of participants: full partners and limited partners (depositors) who do not participate in the activities of the enterprise and bear the risk of losses only within the limits of their contributions to the partnership.
A joint-stock company is characterized by the division of capital into shares. Shareholders bear the risk of losses to the extent of the value of their shares. Types of legal entities of joint stock companies are open and closed.
Subsidiaries and affiliates are not liable for the debts of the main organizations.
A limited liability company is established by one or more persons, the authorized capital is divided into shares. Responsibility for the activities of the company participants are solely the property invested in the company.
A company with additional (subsidiary) liability is characterized by the fact that its participants are responsible for the affairs of the company with their property in a multiple of their contributions.
Production cooperative is an association of citizens on a membership basis for joint economic activity, which is based on personal participation and the pooling of unit property contributions. Profits are usually distributed in accordance with the personal labor contribution.
State and municipal unitary enterprises are endowed with property rights to the property assigned to them. The actual owner of the property is the state or municipality. They transfer property to the enterprise either on the basis of economic management or operational management.
Non-profit organizations have the right to be created both in the forms provided for by the code, poppy and in others that are provided by law. Types of legal entities of this group include funds; religious and public associations; consumer cooperatives; institutions; organizations of united legal entities (associations and unions), including those consisting of commercial organizations, but not setting goals for profit. Types of legal entities of this group are characterized by such features.
A consumer cooperative includes consumer, garden, housing, summer cottages, apartment owners' associations after privatization (condominiums), etc. They are voluntary associations in order to meet the material needs of the needs of their members. For this, participants combine contributions (units).
Public organizations and religious unions are created to satisfy spiritual needs. They are based on common interests.
Funds began to form in Russia recently. They can be established by citizens and legal entities for various purposes: charitable, cultural, social, educational, etc. (Children's Fund, Peace Fund). The property fund is formed by the founders.
Institutions - such organizations that are created by owners to perform managerial and socio-cultural functions of a non-profit orientation. Funded by the owner.