Shareholder Services for Lithuanian Companies
AT A GLANCE
- Shareholder services provide the corporate governance administration that a Lithuanian company needs throughout its life — annual meetings, shareholder register maintenance, dividend declarations, share transfers, and the compliance filings that keep the company in good standing.
- For foreign shareholders managing their Lithuanian company from abroad, shareholder services ensure that Lithuanian corporate governance obligations are met without requiring travel to Lithuania for routine matters.
- The annual general meeting cycle — approving financial statements, deciding on profit distribution, and confirming the company’s governance — is the most important recurring obligation; it must be completed within 4 months of the financial year end.
- Dividends from a Lithuanian company require a shareholder resolution before they can be paid; withholding tax must be correctly calculated and deducted; and the distribution must be documented for VMI and the accounting records.
- We provide shareholder services as a standalone engagement or as part of the corporate services package — handling the full annual governance cycle, share register maintenance, and all shareholder-level decisions.
Shareholder services cover the administrative and governance functions that belong to the shareholder level of a Lithuanian company — as distinct from the director level. These include: preparing and managing the annual general meeting, maintaining the share register, administering dividend distributions with correct withholding tax treatment, managing share transfers, preparing power of attorney documents for foreign shareholders, and providing the corporate secretary function that ensures Lithuanian corporate governance obligations are met throughout the year. All services are available in English, with Lithuanian versions where required.
What Shareholder Services Cover
Lithuanian company law creates a clear hierarchy between the shareholder level and the director level of a company. Shareholders own the company and make the fundamental decisions about its direction, capital, and governance. Directors manage the company’s operations within the framework the shareholders set. Shareholder services are the administrative infrastructure that allows the shareholder level of the company to function correctly under Lithuanian law.
Why foreign shareholders need dedicated support
A Lithuanian shareholder based in Vilnius can attend a shareholder meeting in person, sign a document at the notary the same afternoon, and respond to a corporate governance question the same day. A foreign shareholder based in London, Dubai, or Tel Aviv operates in a different time zone, cannot attend in person without travel, and may be unfamiliar with the specific procedural requirements of Lithuanian company law. Shareholder services bridge this gap — providing the procedural knowledge, the document preparation, and the practical execution capacity that makes Lithuanian corporate governance work for remote shareholders.
The annual obligation cycle
Every Lithuanian UAB has a recurring annual obligation cycle at the shareholder level. The most important elements are:
- Annual general meeting — held within 4 months of the financial year end (i.e., by 30 April for a December year-end); approves the annual financial statements and decides on profit distribution
- Financial statements approval — the shareholder resolution approving the annual accounts prepared by the accountant is a legal prerequisite for filing the statements with the Centre of Registers
- JAR corporate data maintenance — ensuring that the company’s registered information remains accurate and submitting changes to the Register of Legal Entities within the applicable statutory deadlines. Lithuanian companies are not subject to a universal annual obligation to reconfirm unchanged JAR information.
- JADIS and JANGIS compliance — maintaining accurate shareholder information in JADIS and ultimate beneficial ownership information in JANGIS, and submitting changes within the applicable statutory deadlines. JANGIS is the beneficial ownership subsystem of JADIS. Lithuanian law does not impose a universal annual confirmation requirement for unchanged beneficial ownership information.
- Profit distribution decision — whether to declare a dividend, retain profits, or transfer profits to reserves; a shareholder decision with accounting and tax consequences
Under the Lithuanian Law on Companies, the annual general meeting must be held within 4 months of the end of the financial year. For the standard January–December financial year, this means the AGM must be held by 30 April. Under the Lithuanian Law on Companies, the annual general meeting must generally be held within four months after the end of the financial year. For companies with a calendar financial year, this means by 30 April. Approved annual financial statements must be submitted to the Register of Legal Entities (JAR) within 30 days following their approval, rather than necessarily by 30 April. The preparation, approval and filing of financial statements are separate statutory stages with different requirements. Missing this deadline means the company is technically in breach of the Law on Companies. We initiate the AGM process in March each year for all shareholder services clients, ensuring the April deadline is comfortably met.
Shareholder Services We Provide
Annual General Meeting Management
The AGM is the most important recurring corporate event for a Lithuanian company — the moment when the shareholders formally approve the past year’s performance and set the direction for the next. For a UAB, the AGM can be held as a written resolution rather than a physical meeting in most cases, which makes it straightforward to manage for remote foreign shareholders.
- AGM preparation — confirming the agenda items required under the Law on Companies and any additional matters specific to the company
- Shareholder meeting notice — preparing and issuing the statutory notice (or confirming it is waived where all shareholders agree to proceed without notice)
- AGM materials — financial statements pack, draft resolutions for each agenda item, and explanatory notes in English
- Written resolution alternative — for UABs where all shareholders participate, preparing the written resolution that replaces a physical meeting; signed by all shareholders electronically or by original
- AGM minutes — formal minutes of the meeting (or written resolution record) in the statutory format; English and Lithuanian versions
- Financial statements approval resolution — the specific shareholder resolution approving the annual accounts; required before they can be filed
- Dividend resolution — if profit distribution is decided, the specific resolution declaring the dividend amount and payment date
- Post-AGM filings — filing the approved annual financial statements with the Centre of Registers
Share Register Maintenance
The share register is the company’s internal record of all shareholders and their holdings. It must be kept accurate and up to date at all times — it is the authoritative record of who owns the company. The share register is separate from the JAR public record but must be consistent with it. Lithuanian UABs must maintain appropriate records of their shares and shareholders in accordance with the Law on Companies and the applicable securities accounting requirements. Shareholder information is also submitted to JADIS, while certain shareholder-related particulars, including information concerning a sole shareholder where applicable, may be recorded in JAR. These systems have different functions and access rules. JADIS shareholder information must not be described as universally identical to publicly available JAR information.
- Maintaining the share register in the format required by the Law on Companies
- Updating the share register on every share transfer — effective from the date of the transfer deed
- Recording share capital changes — new share issuances, capital reductions, and conversions
- Shareholder notification — confirming shareholding details to shareholders on request
- Share register reconciliation — confirming that the internal share register is consistent with the JAR public register on an annual basis
- Providing share register extracts — certified copies for use in bank account applications, due diligence, and regulatory submissions
Dividend Administration
Paying a dividend from a Lithuanian company is not simply a bank transfer — it requires a shareholder resolution, a withholding tax calculation, a VMI notification where applicable, and correct accounting entries. For foreign shareholders, the applicable treaty rate must be confirmed and the residency documentation obtained before the distribution is made.
- Dividend declaration resolution — shareholder resolution specifying the dividend per share, the total distribution amount, and the payment date
- Withholding tax calculation — applying the standard Lithuanian rate (15%) or the applicable double taxation treaty rate for the specific shareholder
- Treaty rate documentation — confirming the residency certificate and other documentation required to apply a reduced treaty rate
- VMI notification — filing the required notification with VMI for each dividend distribution
- Payment coordination — preparing the bank payment instruction; advising on the net amount after withholding
- Accounting documentation — providing the entries for the accounting team to record the distribution correctly
- Annual withholding tax reconciliation — the summary of all distributions and withholding during the year for inclusion in the annual CIT return
Share Transfer Administration
Transfers of shares in a Lithuanian UAB must comply with the applicable contractual, corporate and securities accounting requirements. Under Article 1.74 of the Lithuanian Civil Code, a share purchase agreement generally requires notarial certification where 25% or more of the company’s shares are sold or the transaction price exceeds EUR 14,500, subject to statutory exceptions. Shareholder information must be updated in JADIS, and changes must be registered in JAR where legally required. Any changes affecting ultimate beneficial ownership must also be reflected in JANGIS. The complete share transfer process has multiple steps that must be completed in the correct sequence. We manage the complete process from instruction to completion.
- Share purchase agreement — the contract for the sale and transfer of shares; standard or negotiated versions
- Pre-emption right compliance — confirming that the articles’ pre-emption provisions have been followed before the transfer proceeds
- Notarisation coordination — scheduling and preparing for the notarial certification of the share transfer (where required by the articles)
- Share register update — updating the internal share register with effect from the date of the transfer deed
- Shareholder information update — submitting changes concerning UAB shareholders to JADIS within the applicable statutory deadline and notifying JAR separately where a reportable change occurs, including changes concerning the company’s sole shareholder. JAR is not the universal register for every UAB shareholder transfer.
- JADIS and JANGIS updates — recording changes in the company’s shareholders through JADIS and separately updating ultimate beneficial ownership information through JANGIS where the transfer affects the persons who ultimately own or control the company.
- Share transfer tax and transaction cost advisory — assessing potential capital gains taxation, related-party pricing requirements, notarial fees and other transaction costs where applicable. Lithuania does not impose a general stamp duty on the consideration paid for an ordinary transfer of UAB shares.
- Post-transfer documentation — confirming completion to both parties; providing updated share register extract
Power of Attorney and Representation
Foreign shareholders who cannot attend Lithuanian notary appointments, shareholder meetings, or authority meetings in person need a power of attorney authorising a Lithuanian representative to act on their behalf. We prepare PoA documents, coordinate their execution abroad, and act as the authorised representative in Lithuania.
- General power of attorney — authorising a named Lithuanian representative for all company-related matters
- Specific power of attorney — for a single defined act (attending a specific notary appointment, signing a specific document)
- PoA drafting in English and Lithuanian — the document is prepared in both languages; the Lithuanian version is used in Lithuania
- Apostille coordination — coordinating notarisation and apostille of the PoA in the shareholder’s country
- Acting as PoA holder — our representative attends notarial appointments and official meetings as the foreign shareholder’s authorised representative
- PoA revocation — managing the formal revocation of a PoA when it is no longer needed
Corporate Secretary Function
The corporate secretary function provides the ongoing administrative infrastructure that keeps a company’s governance in good order throughout the year — not just at the annual meeting. For foreign-owned Lithuanian companies, the corporate secretary ensures that the company never misses a statutory deadline, that all decisions are correctly documented, and that the share register and JAR data are always consistent.
- Calendar of statutory deadlines — tracking all annual governance obligations and initiating each process in advance
- Decision documentation — preparing resolutions and minutes for all shareholder and board-level decisions throughout the year
- Correspondence management — drafting and filing corporate correspondence with JAR, VMI, and other authorities
- Governance compliance monitoring — identifying changes in Lithuanian company law that affect the company’s governance obligations
- Annual compliance report — a written summary of all governance activities completed during the year and the upcoming obligations for the next year
- Liaison with the accounting and legal team — ensuring that shareholder decisions are correctly reflected in the accounting records and legal documentation
The Annual Governance Calendar for a Lithuanian UAB
The table below maps the recurring annual governance obligations for a Lithuanian UAB with a December financial year end — the most common year-end. Obligations with a fixed statutory deadline are marked accordingly.
| Month | Obligation | Who Acts | Statutory Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throughout the year | JADIS and JANGIS information review and legally required updates | Director or authorised representative | Within the statutory deadlines following relevant changes; no universal annual January confirmation requirement. |
| Throughout the year | JAR corporate information maintenance | Director or authorised representative | Within the applicable deadlines following reportable changes; no universal annual January confirmation requirement. |
| January–March | Annual financial statements prepared by accountant | Accountant | Before AGM |
| March–April | AGM notice issued to shareholders | Director (on shareholder instruction) | At least 21 days before AGM for AB; UAB can waive |
| By 30 April | Annual general meeting — approve accounts + decide profit distribution | Shareholders | 30 April for December year-end (4 months) |
| Within 30 days after approval | Approved annual financial statements filed with the Centre of Registers | Director or authorised representative | Within 30 days following approval of the annual financial statements; for a calendar-year UAB, approval must generally take place by 30 April. |
| April–May | Dividend payment (if declared at AGM) | Director + Accountant | As specified in the dividend resolution |
| Following dividend payment | Applicable withholding tax declaration and payment | Accountant or authorised representative | Deadline and declaration form depend on whether the shareholder is an individual or legal entity. For taxable corporate dividends reported on Form FR0640, the deadline is generally the 15th day of the following month. |
| Throughout year | Share transfers — JAR notification within 5 days | Director | Within 5 business days of transfer |
| Throughout year | Shareholder changes reported through JADIS and beneficial ownership changes through JANGIS | Director or authorised representative | Within the applicable statutory deadlines for each information system. Changes to the company’s shareholders and its ultimate beneficial owners are separate reporting obligations. |
| Throughout year | Director changes — JAR notification within 5 days | Director | Within 5 business days of change |
| October–December | AGM for companies with non-December year-end; renewal planning | Shareholders + Director | Varies by year-end date |
Dividends: From Declaration to Payment
The dividend process is one of the most commercially important shareholder-level activities for foreign-owned companies — it is the mechanism through which the company’s profits reach the foreign investor. The process has several steps that must be followed in order, and the tax treatment must be correct before any payment is made.
| Shareholder Type | Standard Rate | Treaty Rate (typical) | Documentation Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual — EU resident | 15% | 10% | Tax residency certificate; holding period confirmation |
| Individual — UK resident | 15% | 10% | UK HMRC residency certificate |
| Individual — UAE resident | 15% | 5% | UAE tax residency certificate (if applicable) |
| Corporate — qualifying EU parent company | Generally 17% before exemption | 0% where the applicable participation exemption conditions are satisfied | Generally at least 10% of voting shares held continuously for at least 12 months, subject to the statutory requirements, anti-abuse provisions and applicable EU rules. |
| Corporate — non-EU parent | 15% | 5–15% | Tax residency certificate; minimum holding % per treaty |
| Lithuanian resident individual | 15% | N/A — domestic rate applies | No certificate needed |
Written Resolutions: How Foreign Shareholders Make Decisions
For most Lithuanian UABs with foreign shareholders, written resolutions — rather than physical meetings — are the standard and most practical way to make shareholder decisions. Lithuanian company law (Article 34 of the Law on Companies) permits UABs to pass all shareholder decisions by written resolution without holding a physical meeting, provided all shareholders participate in the resolution process.
What can be decided by written resolution
All standard shareholder decisions can be made by written resolution in a UAB: approving the annual financial statements, declaring a dividend, appointing and removing directors, amending the articles of association (subject to notarisation of the resulting amendment), approving major transactions, and all other matters reserved to shareholders under the articles and the Law on Companies. The only exception is where the articles of association specifically require a physical meeting for certain decisions — we review the articles when assessing the appropriate process for each decision.
The written resolution process
We prepare the written resolution document — covering the agenda item, the proposed resolution text, and the signature blocks. The document is sent to all shareholders for signature. Shareholder decisions must be adopted in accordance with the Lithuanian Law on Companies and the company’s articles of association. Shareholders may exercise their voting rights through legally recognised written voting procedures or electronic communication methods where the statutory requirements are satisfied. A decision does not universally require every shareholder’s signature to be valid. The applicable voting majority, quorum and procedural requirements depend on the nature of the decision. A sole shareholder may document decisions through a written sole shareholder resolution. Signatures can be made by: handwritten wet ink signature on a printed document; qualified electronic signature (QES) recognised under eIDAS; or — in some cases — advanced electronic signature where the parties agree. We recommend QES for all written resolutions to ensure they meet the highest evidentiary standard. The signed resolution is retained in the company’s records.
Notice periods — waiving the requirement
For a physical AGM, the Law on Companies requires at least 21 days’ notice to shareholders (for ABs — for UABs the minimum period is shorter or can be waived). For written resolutions, the notice requirement can typically be waived where all shareholders agree to proceed without prior notice — which is standard practice for UABs where the foreign shareholder is engaged in the governance process. We include a notice waiver in our written resolution templates as standard.
Shareholder Services Pricing
All shareholder services are priced at fixed fees. The annual corporate secretary retainer covers the full recurring governance cycle — the most cost-efficient option for companies that want the complete shareholder governance function managed professionally.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Annual general meeting — full package Notice, agenda, financial statements approval resolution, profit distribution decision, minutes — English + Lithuanian |
€900 |
| Written shareholder resolution (standard) Single-agenda resolution — dividend declaration, director appointment, articles amendment instruction, etc. |
€350 |
| Extraordinary shareholder meeting (physical or written) Multi-agenda meeting outside the annual cycle; full package including notice, materials, and minutes |
€600 |
| Sole shareholder decision Written decision by a single-shareholder company on any matter |
€300 |
| Share register maintenance — annual Keeping the share register current; annual reconciliation with JAR; extracts on request |
€550/year |
| Certified share register extract Certified copy of current share register for bank, due diligence, or regulatory use |
€800 |
| Dividend declaration package Declaration resolution, withholding tax calculation, treaty rate confirmation, VMI notification, payment instructions |
€600 |
| Double taxation treaty rate application Residency certificate coordination, VMI submission, reduced rate confirmation for a single shareholder/distribution type |
€550 |
| Annual WHT reconciliation summary Annual summary of all distributions and withholding for inclusion in the CIT return |
€520 |
| Share transfer — standard (SPA + deed + JAR + JADIS) Full share transfer process from instruction to JAR and JADIS update |
€850 |
| Share transfer — complex (warranties, conditions, earn-out) Full SPA with representations and conditions; quoted individually for very complex transactions |
€1,800 |
| Pre-emption right process management Managing the pre-emption notification, response period, and waiver documentation |
€600 |
| Power of attorney — general English + Lithuanian; apostille coordination in shareholder’s country; broad corporate authority |
€750 |
| Power of attorney — specific Single-purpose PoA for a defined act; per PoA |
€600 |
| Corporate secretary — annual retainer Full annual governance cycle: AGM, JADIS confirmation, JAR confirmation, share register, all decisions — unlimited resolutions |
From €600/year |
| Corporate secretary — monthly retainer Ongoing governance support; all decisions, filings, and shareholder administration throughout the year |
From €80/month |
The corporate secretary annual retainer, starting from EUR 600 per year, may include annual general meeting documentation, preparation of shareholder decisions, maintenance of corporate and shareholder records, periodic review of JAR, JADIS and JANGIS information, and coordination of legally required filings. There is no universal annual confirmation requirement for unchanged JAR or JADIS information. The number of included resolutions, dividend administration services and other deliverables is determined by the agreed service package. Additional services (complex share transfers, treaty rate documentation, PoA preparation) are available at the fixed fees above. This retainer is the most cost-efficient option for foreign-owned companies that want all shareholder-level governance managed without ad hoc engagement fees.













