Georgia · Guide
A Georgian company has no annual registration fee and, for most small companies, no audit. What it has is a monthly tax rhythm with the Revenue Service and one annual filing with the accounting regulator, both of which are easy to keep and expensive to forget.
This guide sets out the calendar, the size categories that decide what you file, the VAT trigger, and the fines.
Two authorities, two rhythms
| Authority | What it receives | Rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Service (rs.ge) | Tax returns and payments: profit tax on distributions, salary withholding, VAT if registered | Monthly, by the 15th |
| SARAS, the accounting regulator | Annual financial statements, plus a management report or audit report for larger companies | Yearly, by 1 October |
| National Agency of Public Registry | Changes to the company's registered data | Only when something changes |
There is no annual return to the registry and no renewal fee. Guides that mention a GEL 50 "annual registration" before 1 April are describing the American state of Georgia, whose rules dominate English search results.
The size category decides what you file
The Law on Accounting, Reporting and Audit sorts every company into one of four categories. A company belongs to a category when it meets at least two of three criteria at year end.
| Category | Total assets | Revenue | Average staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (smallest) | up to GEL 1 million | up to GEL 2 million | up to 10 |
| 3 | up to GEL 10 million | up to GEL 20 million | up to 50 |
| 2 and 1 | above those levels | above those levels | above those levels |
A company changes category only after failing the criteria for two consecutive reporting periods. Almost every new foreign-owned company starts and stays in category 4 for years.
| What the category decides | Category 4 | Category 3 | Categories 1 and 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting standard | SARAS standards for category 4, or IFRS for SMEs or full IFRS by choice | Set by the law for the category | Set by the law for the category |
| Audit of financial statements | Not required | Not required | Required |
| Management report | No | No | Yes |
| Statements published by SARAS | No, available on request | Yes | Yes |
Where the guides disagree on the thresholds
Some advisers quote category 4 limits of GEL 200,000 of assets and GEL 400,000 of revenue. The regulator's own translation of the law, updated in September 2025, gives GEL 1 million of assets, GEL 2 million of revenue and 10 employees. This page follows the regulator. The category also matters beyond accounting: under the 2026 labour migration rules, a director of a category 4 company working in Georgia needs the right to work, as explained in the non-resident guide.
Cost comparison
Is there a cheaper jurisdiction for you?Three questions, then the jurisdictions where your company would cost less, and by how much.
Monthly: the Revenue Service
Georgian tax runs on a monthly cycle. Returns and payments are due by the 15th of the following month, and a deadline that falls on a non-working day moves to the next business day.
- Profit tax in the month a dividend or other taxable object arises, under the distribution model described in the corporate tax guide.
- Withholding on salaries, dividends and payments to non-residents.
- VAT, once registered: the accounting period is the calendar month, and the return and payment are due by the 15th (Tax Code, Articles 167 and 168).
- 15th, every monthReturns and payments for the previous month
- Any 12 monthsWatch the GEL 100,000 VAT line
- 31 DecemberFinancial year closes
- 1 October, next yearFinancial statements filed with SARAS
VAT: the GEL 100,000 trigger
VAT in Georgia is 18% (Article 166). Registration is not a choice once the line is crossed.
- The test: VAT-taxable supplies of goods and services above GEL 100,000 in any 12 consecutive months.
- The deadline: apply for registration within 2 business days of crossing it (Article 165(1)).
- The rhythm: a monthly return and payment by the 15th.
- Deregistration: possible once the last 12 months are back under GEL 100,000 and a year has passed since registration (Article 165-1).
Services supplied to foreign clients may fall outside Georgian VAT depending on the place of supply. Have your accountant classify your sales before you count them toward the line.
Yearly: the financial statements
Every company files its financial statements with SARAS no later than 1 October of the following year, or nine months after year end if its financial year is not the calendar year (Article 9). Advisers report that a company with no activity still files.
- 1Missed 1 OctoberWritten warning or GEL 500 for category 4
- 2Warning ignoredFine imposed after at least one month
- 3Fine ignoredFine may be doubled
- 4Two years not filedUp to five times the category fine
| Category | Base fine for not filing |
|---|---|
| 4 | GEL 500 |
| 3 | GEL 1,000 |
| 2 | GEL 5,000 |
| 1 and public interest entities | GEL 10,000 |
Events that need a registry filing
The NAPR only needs to hear from you when the company changes.
- New director or change of powers.
- Transfer of shares or a new shareholder.
- New legal address.
- Amendments to the charter.
- Liquidation or reorganisation.
Changes to identification data are free at standard speed. If you are buying an existing company, check it aligned its data with the 2021 Law on Entrepreneurs by the 1 April 2026 deadline, as explained in how to register a company in Georgia.
A practical checklist
- Appoint an accountant before the first month ends, even with no revenue.
- Track the VAT line monthly on a rolling 12-month basis.
- Document every related-party payment, since off-market prices are taxed as distributions.
- Close the year early and file before 1 October rather than on it.
- Keep the legal address valid, since registry notices are served there.
- Record changes with the registry as they happen.
The bottom line
For a small Georgian company the rules are light: no renewal fee, no audit, statements not published. The discipline is in the rhythm: something to file with the Revenue Service by the 15th whenever there is payroll, a distribution or VAT, a VAT registration within two business days of crossing GEL 100,000, and financial statements with SARAS by 1 October. Missing the last one costs GEL 500 to start with, and more each time it is ignored.
corpsec sets up the company and its registered office; ongoing bookkeeping is handled by an accountant in Georgia. See the Georgia formation service, or check the full first-year cost.
Frequently asked questions
What are the annual filing requirements for a Georgian LLC?
Financial statements to SARAS by 1 October of the following year, and monthly returns and payments to the Revenue Service by the 15th whenever there is a taxable event such as payroll, a distribution or VAT. There is no annual registry return.
Does a small Georgian company need an audit?
No. Companies in categories 3 and 4 are released from the obligation to audit their financial statements, unless another law requires it. Most foreign-owned small companies are in category 4.
What is a category 4 company in Georgia?
A company that meets at least two of three criteria at year end: assets up to GEL 1 million, revenue up to GEL 2 million, and up to 10 employees on average, according to the regulator's translation of the law.
When must a Georgian company register for VAT?
Within 2 business days of exceeding GEL 100,000 of VAT-taxable supplies in any 12 consecutive months. VAT is then declared and paid monthly by the 15th, at 18%.
What is the fine for not filing financial statements in Georgia?
GEL 500 for a category 4 company, GEL 1,000 for category 3, GEL 5,000 for category 2 and GEL 10,000 for category 1. The fine can be doubled if ignored, and multiplied by five after two years without filing.
Is there an annual fee to keep a Georgian company registered?
No. The National Agency of Public Registry charges no annual registration or renewal fee. Annual costs come from accounting and the legal address.
Are the financial statements of a small Georgian company public?
Not automatically. SARAS publishes the statements of larger companies, but those of category 4 companies are available only on request.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on Accounting, Reporting and Audit, informal translation by SARAS updated 17 September 2025: size categories (Article 2(1)(s) to (v)), audit exemption for categories 3 and 4 (Article 6(3)), filing by 1 October (Article 9), fines (Article 26)
- Tax Code of Georgia, Articles 165 to 168, consolidated version of 15 October 2026: VAT registration within 2 business days above GEL 100,000, 18% rate, monthly period, return and payment by the 15th
- Gegidze, Georgia tax deadlines 2026: monthly declarations and payments on rs.ge by the 15th of the following month, deadlines moved to the next business day
- National Agency of Public Registry, Fees and terms: no annual registration fee for companies
Official or regulator-published, read on 26 October 2026: the Law on Accounting, Reporting and Audit in the informal English translation published by the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision (SARAS), updated 17 September 2025; the Tax Code of Georgia, Articles 165 to 168, consolidated on 15 October 2026; the NAPR fee schedule. Practice reported by advisers: the monthly rhythm of declarations other than VAT, and the shifting of deadlines that fall on non-working days. Some guides give category 4 thresholds of GEL 200,000 and GEL 400,000; the regulator's translation of the law gives GEL 1 million of assets and GEL 2 million of revenue, which this page follows. Check the Revenue Service calendar each January. This is not legal or tax advice.