The presence of an individual seal for most companies is a mandatory attribute that allows you to protect business documents from forgery and creates an original image. The stamp is used both when working on contracts and to confirm invoices and other documentation. In some cases, the type of imprint indicates the legal status of the company; for example, Russian legislation clearly defines the requirements for the appearance of stamps for limited liability organizations. In this material we will talk about the parameters acceptable for the production of seals of individual entrepreneurs.
What does an individual entrepreneur need to know about stamps?
According to the law of the Russian Federation, a stamp is not a mandatory attribute for individual entrepreneurs, despite the fact that concluding transactions without a stamp is quite rare. Documents without a stamp look undignified and can cause concern among partners. Despite the fact that an entrepreneur is authorized to certify any documents with a personal signature, most individual entrepreneurs still acquire a personal stamp. This measure allows, for example, to make settlements with large firms and enterprises using a simplified scheme.
Due to the lack of requirements for the presence of a seal, the legislation does not provide for strict rules for its design. At the same time, there are a number of restrictions that prohibit the use of symbols of state power and other registered symbols in the design of an individual entrepreneur’s seal.
Design elements for IP stamps
In most cases, seals developed for individual entrepreneurs contain the following information:
Personal information about the entrepreneur, that is, his registered name, patronymic and surname;
Name of the district or locality in which the individual entrepreneur was registered;
- in some cases, the entire address of the entrepreneur;
An indication of the type of activity, that is, the seal must include the abbreviation IP;
Individual taxpayer number;
Registration number - OGRNIP.
There are no exact guidelines for the size and type of font used, but it is in the entrepreneur's interests to ensure that it is legible and readable.
The same requirements apply to the size and shape of the stamp product of an individual entrepreneur as to seals for limited liability organizations, that is, the diameter of the stamp should not be more than 4 cm and be round without any type of flaws.
additional information
The legislation allows an individual entrepreneur to have several seals for various purposes, but one of them must be the main one.
To produce stamps, the entrepreneur must present certificates of registration with the tax service, state registration, as well as copies of these documents certified by a notary.
The seal of an individual entrepreneur is considered his face, which obliges the entrepreneur to protect it and store it in a place protected from theft. In cases where the stamp is lost, a special application is filled out to the registration departments.
Often, beginning entrepreneurs have a question that many cannot answer unambiguously, namely: does the individual entrepreneur have a seal, should the individual entrepreneur have a seal, and most importantly, is a seal necessary for the individual entrepreneur to operate? Answer: An individual entrepreneur can work without a seal. The obligation of an individual entrepreneur to purchase and use a seal when carrying out his activities is not provided for by the current tax legislation. However, after registering as an individual entrepreneur, you have the right to make your own individual entrepreneur stamp. Both a seal and a bank account will be necessary for concluding civil contracts with other entrepreneurs or organizations, as well as for conducting non-cash payments.
The clarifications of the Federal Tax Service of Russia for the city of Moscow (Letter of the Federal Tax Service of February 28, 2006 N 28-10/15239) states that the obligation of an individual entrepreneur to purchase and use a seal when carrying out his activities is not provided for by the current tax legislation. And the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Far Eastern District, in Resolution No. F03-A51/08-2/3390 dated September 12, 2008, came to the conclusion that the presence of a seal remains at the discretion of the individual entrepreneur himself. Thus, an individual entrepreneur has the right, but is not required, to have a seal, and can get by with a signature.
Registration of an individual entrepreneur's seal is not required and is not provided for by law. There is no need to certify or register the individual entrepreneur’s seal with the tax office, so an individual entrepreneur can have as many seals as he wants and make them whenever he wants.
You can get an individual entrepreneur stamp at any company that produces stamps in your city. To produce a seal, individual entrepreneurs usually provide a copy of the certificate of state registration of an individual as an individual entrepreneur.
The cost of producing a seal for an individual entrepreneur varies from 300 to 1,500 rubles, depending on the type and manufacturer of the equipment, as well as the greed of the manufacturer. Conventional printing on manual equipment made of plastic will cost you less, but printing on automatic equipment is much more convenient and practical to use.
The seal of an individual entrepreneur, if produced, must contain:
FULL NAME. individual entrepreneur;
Location;
Phrase: “Individual entrepreneur”;
Registration number indicated in the certificate of state registration (OGRNIP).
A sample of the IP seal is shown in the figure.
Leave your comments and suggestions for improving this article in the comments.
Hello, Elena!
Clause 3 art. 23 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation states that the rules of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, which regulate the activities of legal entities that are commercial organizations, are applied to the entrepreneurial activities of citizens carried out without forming a legal entity, unless otherwise follows from the law, other legal acts or the essence of the legal relationship.
The general norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on commercial organizations also do not contain provisions requiring a commercial organization to have a seal. The corresponding requirements are contained only in special laws regulating the activities of legal entities of the corresponding organizational and legal form (see, for example, paragraph 5 of Article 2 of the Federal Law of February 8, 1998 N 14-FZ “On Limited Liability Companies”, paragraph 7 Article 2 of the Federal Law of December 26, 1995 N 208-FZ “On Joint Stock Companies”).
Placing a stamp on the forms of primary accounting documents should be considered mandatory only if this is expressly provided for in the form itself or in the instructions for filling it out.
That is, the issue of the need to produce a seal is decided by the individual entrepreneur independently.
NATIONAL STANDARD OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION “MASTIC IDENTIFICATION SEALS”
Shape, dimensions and technical requirements."
The project was developed on the basis of the notification of the State Standard of the Russian Federation dated November 28, 2003
That is, in seals with the coat of arms it is allowed to enclose supporting information in a separate ring line at the bottom or top All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Printing organization standard STO 02426447.1-2005 REGULATORY DOCUMENT ON STANDARDIZATION FOR THE VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION SYSTEM “PrintCert”"Regulations on the use of product quality management systems in the manufacture of mastic seals"3. Technical requirements for mastic identification seals
3.1. The cliches of the mastic identification seal are made in a round shape (Figure 1, 2). The minimum diameter of the printing cliche is 40 mm, the maximum diameter is 50_1 mm.
3.2. Along the outer ring, the seal cliche is limited by a rim with a thickness of 1.3+0.1 mm, on which microtext is located in a negative outline (white text on a black background) with information about the seal manufacturer. Microtext consists of a repeating entry that includes the word certificate indicating its number, as well as the year and month the seal was made.
The certificate must confirm that the seal manufacturer has the technical and technological capabilities to produce the specified type of product at the proper quality level.
3.3.2. The central field of a seal cliche with the coat of arms of the Russian Federation or with other symbols of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and positive microtext or containing the name, logo, emblem of a commercial enterprise is distinguished by a circle with a line thickness of no more than 0.08 mm.
3.3.3. In the lower part of the central field of the seal, along the annular line counterclockwise, symmetrically relative to the vertical axis of the seal cliche, the following auxiliary information about the identification seal is placed:
- seal number (if the identification seal for a given legal entity is not made in a single copy), indicated in Arabic numerals, starting with number 2 for the second seal. In Figure 2, the entry “2” means that the print was made by the second copy of the seal;
- to seal a duplicate, in place of a lost one, put the letter D with the serial number of the duplicate written through a hyphen, starting with the Roman numeral I for the first duplicate seal.
- it is allowed to enclose auxiliary information about printing in a separate ring line in the lower or upper part of the central field (for example, “for invoices”, “for invoices”, etc.).
That is, standard for the organization of stamp manufacturers STO 02426447.1-2005, according to which At the request of the customer, additional information about the customer’s enterprise can be located in the circles of the information field: KP codes Thus, when making a seal, you have the right to put some designation on yourself (for example, “Cube-Print”).This standard is focused on the management of enterprises engaged in the production of mastic seals in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Laws “On State Registration of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs” and “On Technical Regulation”, taking into account the requirements of GOST R 51511-2001 and the provisions of the “Temporary Procedure for Certification of Production, Taking into account requirements of GOST R ISO 9001-2001".
5.4.2 For commercial organizations and entrepreneurs, the tax identification number should be located in the information field clockwise after the name of the enterprise and OGRN ( INN XXXXXXXXXXX). At the request of the customer, additional information about the customer’s enterprise can be located in the circles of the information field: checkpoint codes. OKVED. state registration number of the record of state registration of changes made to the constituent documents, or location of the enterprise - city, region, etc.
I can provide a letter writing service. clarifications, as well as provide advice on how to successfully resolve the issue.
Sincerely, F. Tamara
For individual entrepreneurs never prescribed mandatory use of seal. The decision whether to use a print in an activity or not is made independently by the individual conducting the business. Even for organizations and companies (legal entities) in 2015, abolition of the mandatory use of a seal imprint on documents.
In 2018, no changes were introduced in this regard. However, if the entrepreneur has registered the seal, it is no longer possible to cancel the decision. Despite the fact that a seal is not a mandatory attribute of the professional activities of entrepreneurs, many events in economic life are certified in this way.
Legislative acts
The legal basis for the activities of individual entrepreneurs is established by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. However, in the article devoted to the activities of individual entrepreneurs, the mandatory use of a seal is not mentioned.
In addition to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the activities of citizens conducting business activities are regulated by No. 129-FZ of 08.08.2001 “On state registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.” But this document does not oblige citizens to use a seal impression.
The procedure for registering a seal is carried out at the tax authority at the place of registration of the individual entrepreneur. To do this you should submit following documents:
- Identity document of a businessman.
- Statement.
- Document confirming registration as an entrepreneur (OGRNIP).
- Seal impression.
When registering a seal for a businessman, a registry case, which will reflect all subsequent changes, and the seal will be assigned a serial number.
In practice, cases of lost or stolen seals often occur. In this case, you should immediately notify law enforcement agencies about the incident and only after that you can order a duplicate stamp. Thus, in the event of illegal actions carried out by the kidnappers, you will relieve yourself of the need to answer for this in court.
Advantages and disadvantages
Undoubtedly, when producing a seal, an individual entrepreneur incurs some costs.
Since the presence of a seal is not a prerequisite for carrying out activities in most cases, it can be distinguished as advantages, so flaws its use. This will allow businessmen to decide whether to use the seal or not.
TO positive aspects can be attributed:
- additional protection of documents from copying, because it is much more difficult to forge a document certified by a seal than one that only has the signature of the manager;
- availability of trust from major business representatives.
Every entrepreneur cherishes the dream of developing his company and territorial expansion. If you have to do business with major business players, you should take care of your credibility. The presence of a seal on the documents of an individual entrepreneur inspires confidence among counterparties.
TO disadvantages of using Seal imprint in the activities of the entrepreneur can include the costs incurred for the production of the seal, although they are small.
Obviously, there are still more advantages than disadvantages, which is why most individual entrepreneurs use a seal imprint in their activities.
Logo use
The law does not establish any specific requirements for the image of a seal. However, in most cases, it contains the following information:
- logo;
- OGRNIP;
- city of operation;
Despite the fact that Russian legislation does not provide a direct indication of the mandatory use of a seal by an individual entrepreneur, most businessmen still use a seal in their activities. This reduces the risk of unauthorized use of a name to carry out fraudulent activities, and also allows you to look more reputable in the eyes of counterparties.
In any case, the decision to use a seal imprint is made by each entrepreneur on a voluntary basis.
There is even more information about printing as an individual entrepreneur in this video.
At the first stages of entrepreneurial activity, many beginners run their own business without thinking about having a seal. Current legislation allows small businesses to use a personal signature to certify documents . If you use only a signature, the risk of document falsification increases many times over. It should also be noted that many large organizations refuse to cooperate with companies that do not have a personal imprint. At a certain stage of business expansion, an entrepreneur is faced with the need to obtain a brand cliche. In this article, we propose to examine the question of what should be on the seal of an individual entrepreneur.
Individual entrepreneurs have never been required to use a sealAppearance requirements
To date, there are no standards for the appearance of the IP seal. This means that each entrepreneur has the right to independently choose the shape and size of his own stamp. The rights of the organization do not depend on the appearance of the office work tool in question, which allows the entrepreneur to choose between different types of print design.
Also in the current law there is no regulation obliging individual entrepreneurs to register personal stamps. Thanks to this factor, an entrepreneur can use several stamp options. It is important to note that there are a number of situations in which it is impossible to conduct business without a seal. One example of such a situation is opening a current account at a financial institution. Most banks ask individual entrepreneurs to provide not only financial documentation, but also a special form with a sample company imprint.
A seal may be required when maintaining financial records and filling out work books for hired employees.
Many entrepreneurs use several seals in their activities. Square and rectangular prints are used to certify local acts and internal documentation. During document flow with counterparties and regulatory agencies, as a rule, a round seal is used. It is important to pay attention to the fact that there are a certain number of requirements for this tool:
- The diameter of the round seal should be no more than forty-two millimeters.
- The stamp must be clear.
- All details indicated in the print must be easy to read.
The product itself must reflect certain information that conveys information about the individual entrepreneur. It is very important that this information is informative and concise. A personal seal is one of the easiest ways to identify an individual entrepreneur. This tool is also used as an additional guarantor of document protection from possible forgery. Recently, it has become quite fashionable to put a coat of arms on a personal cliche. IN It is important to note that the application of such drawings is not prohibited by law. However, the coat of arms applied to the company stamp should not coincide with the coat of arms of different countries or government agencies. It is also prohibited to use logos of third-party organizations on personal plates.
For the purpose of recognition, it is advisable to include in the imprint the unique registration information of the entrepreneur and the territory of his residence What to indicate in the stamp
One of the important points associated with IP printing is the information indicated on the print. As a rule, entrepreneurs indicate their last name and initials, as well as the company address. This information is among the required details. This category also includes information about the registration number of the entrepreneur. One of the mandatory requirements for a personal stamp is the presence of the “Individual Entrepreneur” mark.
In addition, you can provide additional information. Additional information may include production symbols and logos, as well as additional information about the company. This information is the basic information contained in the company stamp. Organizations involved in the production of branded stamps can offer various design options for this tool that comply with all established norms and rules.
It is important to pay attention to the fact that the entrepreneur’s initials are indicated in the center of the imprint. The remaining required details are placed around the initials. In the event that the company’s coat of arms or other symbols related to a specific company are applied to the seal, it is placed exactly in the middle of the seal, under the initials of the manager. It is important to note that there are a number of recommendations regarding the details that are indicated on the IP stamp. Below are the basic requirements for printing for individual entrepreneurs:
- The exact name of the company corresponding to the registration certificate.
- The presence of a mark on the legal form of the company (in this case, individual entrepreneur).
- Location of the company (city or region).
- OGRN code (a unique sequence of numbers indicated in the registration certificate).
Printing for individual entrepreneurs is one of the important attributes of office work. The presence of this tool confirms the seriousness of the intentions of the head of the company and is the key to reliable labor cooperation. It is important to note that current legislation allows the use of several cliche options in the office work process.
In business, a seal impression is used to confirm the authenticity of documents and give them legal force. Types of printing
In most cases, during external document flow, round-shaped stamps are used. Regulatory authorities require organizations to have a round cliche in stock. It is important to note that this requirement applies exclusively to legal entities. There are also triangular, square and rectangular types of stamps. Such cliches are used during the certification of local acts and forms used in internal document flow. Despite the fact that this rule applies only to legal entities, individual entrepreneurs also prefer to use round stamps. Such a tool is a kind of business card of the company, clearly demonstrating the degree of reliability of the individual entrepreneur.
There are many varieties of design for the instrument in question. All design options can be divided into two main groups: automatic and manual stamps. In addition, there is a self-typing cliche, the use of which allows you to change the text of the seal. There are also many different methods of protecting the seal itself. Applying special marks and engravings minimizes the risk of forgery of certified documents.
In addition, an entrepreneur can contact the regulatory authorities to register a sample of a personal seal. This optional procedure allows you to protect the entrepreneur from possible illegal actions on the part of counterparties. The seal sample can be registered both with the tax service and with the chamber of commerce and industry. When registering a seal, it is necessary to record its sample in the company’s internal registers.
It is important to note that indicating the exact address is not the main requirement on the part of the inspection authorities. It is allowed to indicate a specific region or city where business activities are carried out. In addition, the OGRNIP code indicated on the cliche also contains all the necessary information for counterparties or the Federal Tax Service.
In what situations is printing needed?
A seal for an individual entrepreneur may be required when recruiting employees, as well as at the time of filling out financial reports. It is important to note that regulatory authorities impose a number of rules on private entrepreneurs that must be complied with. It should also be said that many large organizations may refuse to cooperate with small businesses that do not have a personal imprint. Based on the above, we can conclude that the instrument in question is a guarantor of the integrity of business relations and demonstrates the high status of individual entrepreneurs.
As a rule, the need to obtain a seal arises when additional workers are hired. Work books containing entries certified only by the signature of the employer do not have proper legal force. The regulations established by current legislation state that entries in work books must be certified with the stamp of the manager.
The seal accompanies the signature of an individual entrepreneur and serves as an additional means of identification A company stamp may also be required when filling out forms from the “strict reporting documents” category. Such documents include cash papers, waybills and other acts. The absence of cliches may cause refusal to cooperate with organizations involved in freight transportation and government agencies. In addition, financial institutions have every right to refuse to open a current account for an entrepreneur who does not have his own account. For bank employees, a corporate cliché is a guarantee of legal transparency and financial integrity of the entrepreneur.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is important to note that from the legal side, having your own seal as an individual entrepreneur has a number of advantages. The business owner receives a high status in the eyes of partners and contractors. The presence of a company stamp on the contract demonstrates the entrepreneur’s desire to comply with all the terms of the transaction. In order to receive this tool you will only need to spend one day. Below is a sample of an IP seal, which can be ordered at any specialized center.
In order to obtain a stamp, you will need to provide the stamp manufacturing company with a standard package of documents. Next, the entrepreneur will only need to choose the appearance and design of the future product. In this matter, it is very important that the chosen cliche meets all the requirements of regulatory institutions. Since this stamp will be used to certify all documentation, you should choose those models that will be more convenient to use. Most experts recommend choosing more compact models with small dimensions, since printing will often be used during “on-site” negotiations and conclusion of transactions.
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