Editing S.A. (corporation)

{{short description|Type of corporation in countries that mostly employ civil law}}
{{redirect|Société Anonyme|the art organisation|Société Anonyme (art)}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009|December=sagi}}
{{Corporate law|other}}
[[File:Banque de Montreux 1900.jpg|thumb|right|Share of the [[Banque de Montreux]], issued 20 November 1900. ''Sociétés anonymes'' were common in Switzerland at this time.]]

The abbreviation '''S.A.''' or '''SA'''{{efn|Depending on language, SA can mean '''anonymous company''', '''anonymous partnership''', '''share company''', or '''[[joint-stock company]]'''. See [[#In different countries|§ In different countries]].}} designates a type of [[limited company]] in certain countries, most of which have a [[Romance languages|Romance language]] as their official language and operate a derivative of the 1804, Napoleonic, [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Société Anonyme (S.A.): Definition, Examples, Requirements |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/socit-anonyme.asp |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Investopedia |language=en |archive-date=2024-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228015209/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/socit-anonyme.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> Originally, [[shareholder]]s could be anonymous and collect [[dividend]]s by surrendering [[coupon (finance)|coupon]]s attached to their [[stock certificate|share certificates]]. Dividends were paid to whomever held the certificate. Since share certificates could be transferred privately, corporate management would not necessarily know who owned its shares &ndash; nor did anyone but the holders.

As with [[bearer bond]]s, anonymous unregistered share ownership and dividend collection enabled [[money laundering]], [[tax evasion]], and concealed business transactions in general, so governments passed laws to audit the practice. Nowadays, shareholders of S.A.s are not anonymous, though shares can still be held by a [[holding company]] to obscure the beneficiary.

==Variations==
===Abbreviation===
S.A. can be an abbreviation of:
* {{Lang|gl|Sociedade Anónima}} in [[Galician language|Galician]] and [[European Portuguese]] (used in [[Portugal]], [[Timor Leste]], [[Macao]], and [[Lusophone Africa]])
** Equivalent as {{lang|zh-mo|股份有限公司}} in Chinese for Macau<ref name="mo">{{cite web|title=公司的種類及股東的責任|url=https://myeic.com.mo/support-tw/%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E7%9A%84%E7%A8%AE%E9%A1%9E%E5%8F%8A%E8%82%A1%E6%9D%B1%E7%9A%84%E8%B2%AC%E4%BB%BB/|publisher=澳門青年創業孵化中心|language=zh|access-date=2023-02-06|archive-date=2023-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919172136/https://myeic.com.mo/support-tw/%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E7%9A%84%E7%A8%AE%E9%A1%9E%E5%8F%8A%E8%82%A1%E6%9D%B1%E7%9A%84%E8%B2%AC%E4%BB%BB/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Lang|pt|Sociedade Anônima}} in [[Brazilian Portuguese]] (used in [[Brazil]])
* {{Lang|ast|Sociedá Anónima}} in [[Asturian language|Asturian]] and [[Leonese language|Leonese]]
* {{Lang|ca|Societat Anònima}} in [[Catalan language|Catalan]]
* {{Lang|fr|Société anonyme}} in [[French language|French]] (as used in [[Francophonie|French-speaking countries]] such as [[France]] (including [[French Polynesia]], and [[New Caledonia]]) and [[Monaco]]; also in partially Francophone countries and/or nations with French as one of their official languages like [[Belgium]] (where it is equivalent to a {{Lang|nl|[[naamloze vennootschap]]}}), [[Luxembourg]] (also identifiable in [[Luxembourgish]] as {{lang|lb|Aktiegesellschaft}}), [[Switzerland]] (where it is equivalent to an {{lang|de|[[Aktiengesellschaft]]}} or a {{lang|it|Società Anonima}}), as well as [[Haiti]], [[Lebanon]], and such African countries as [[Egypt]], [[Tunisia]], [[Morocco]],<ref>{{cite web |date=6 January 2021 |title=Note de synthèse – Fonctionnement de la SA |url=https://www.upsilon-consulting.com/societe-anonyme-au-maroc/ |language=es |access-date=11 March 2024 |archive-date=11 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311011334/https://www.upsilon-consulting.com/societe-anonyme-au-maroc/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mauritania]], [[Senegal]], [[Ivory Coast]], and [[Algeria]])
* {{lang|fr|Société par actions}} in [[Canadian French]]
* {{Lang|it|Società Anonima}} in [[Swiss Italian]] (in Italy replaced by {{Lang|it|[[Società per azioni]]}}, S.p.A., since 1942)
* {{Lang|es|Sociedad Anónima}} or {{Lang|es|Sociedad por Acciones}} in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
** [[Mexico|Mexican]] law also takes into account the variability of the corporate stock, resulting in most S.A. turning into {{Lang|es|Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable}} (S.A. de C.V.), or {{Lang|es|Sociedad Anónima Bursátil de Capital Variable}} (S.A.B. de C.V.) for [[Public company|publicly traded companies]].
** Mexico also has {{Lang|es|Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable (S. de R.L. de C.V.)}}, which is analogous to the [[limited liability company]].
* {{Lang|pl|Spółka Akcyjna}} in [[Polish language|Polish]]
* {{Lang|ro|Societate pe Acțiuni}} in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]

"SA" is part of the name of lots of corporations named after an [[acronym]]: some examples are [[Cepsa]], originally {{lang|es-ES|Compañía Española de Petróleos, Sociedad Anónima}}, "Spanish petroleum company, S.A.";<ref name="Escolar">{{cite news |last1=Escolar |first1=Arsenio |title=El petróleo ahora mancha incluso las marcas y la reputación |url=https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/petroleo-ahora-mancha-marcas-reputacion_129_11796827.html |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=elDiario.es |date=6 November 2024 |language=es-ES}}</ref> [[Sabena]], originally {{lang|fr-BE|Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne}}, "Belgian S.A. of exploitation of air navigation".

===Literal meaning===
It is equivalent in literal meaning and function to:
* {{Lang|nl|[[Naamloze vennootschap]]}} (N.V.) in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
* {{Lang|id|Perseroan Terbatas Terbuka}} (P.T. Tbk.) in [[Indonesia]]
* {{Lang|ms|Berhad}} (Bhd.) in [[Malaysia]]
* {{Lang|tr|Anonim Şirket}} (A.Ş.) or ''Anonim Ortaklık'' (A.O.) in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]
* {{Lang|es|Corporación anónima}} (C.A.) in [[Ecuador]] 
* {{Lang|es|Compañía anónima}} (C.A.) in [[Venezuela]] 

* {{Lang|el-Latn|Anonymi Etaireia}} ({{Lang|el|Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία}}, A.E.) in [[Greek language|Greek]] is usually translated into S.A. in English and foreign languages.

===Function===
It is equivalent in function to:
* {{Lang|sq|Shoqëri Aksionare (Sh.a.)}} in [[Albanian language|Albanian]]
* {{Lang|ar|شركة مساهمة عامة ذات مسؤولية محدودة ش.ذ.م.م|rtl=yes}}, {{Lang|ar-Latn|Sharikah musāhamah ʿāmmah dhāt mas'ūliyyah maḥdūdah}} ({{literal translation|Public share company with limited liability}}) in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]
* {{Lang|hr|Dioničko društvo}} (d.d.) in [[Croatian language|Croatian]] and [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]]
* {{Lang|bg|Акционерно дружество}}, {{lang|bg-Latn|Aktsionerno druzhestvo}} (АД) in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]
* {{lang|mk|Акционерско друштво}}, {{lang|mk-Latn|Akcionersko društvo}} (АД) in [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]
* {{Lang|cs|Akciová společnost}} (a.s.) in [[Czech language|Czech]]
* {{lang|da|[[Aktieselskab]]}} (A/S) in [[Danish language|Danish]]
* {{Lang|fr|Société anonyme égyptienne}} (S.A.E.) or {{Lang|arz|شركة مساهمة مصرية|rtl=yes}} ({{Lang|arz-Latn|Sherka mosahama Maṣreyya}}, {{literal translation|Egyptian share company}}, abbreviated {{lang|arz|ش.م.م}}) in [[Egypt]]
* {{lang|fi|[[Osakeyhtiö]]}} (Oy) in [[Finnish language|Finnish]]
* {{Lang|et|Aktsiaselts}} (AS) in [[Estonian language|Estonian]]
* {{Lang|de|[[Aktiengesellschaft]]}} (AG) in [[German language|German]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/301.7701-2 |website=Legal Information Institute |title=26 CFR 301.7701-2 – Business entities; definitions. {{!}} US Law {{!}} LII / Legal Information Institute |quote=(v)Multilingual countries. Different linguistic renderings of the name of an entity listed in paragraph (b)(8)(i) of this section shall be disregarded. For example, an entity formed under the laws of Switzerland as a {{lang|fr|Societe Anonyme}} will be a corporation and treated in the same manner as an {{lang|de|Aktiengesellschaft}}. |access-date=2018-03-05 |archive-date=2020-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107044545/https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/301.7701-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{lang|hu|Részvénytársaság}} (Rt) in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
* {{Lang|is|Hlutafélag}} (Hf) in [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]]
* Private Limited (Pvt. Ltd.) in [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]
* [[Public limited company]] (plc) in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Malta]], and several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries
* {{Lang|ja-Latn|[[Kabushiki gaisha]]}} (K.K.) or {{Lang|ja|株式会社}} in [[Japan]]
* {{Lang|ko-Latn|Jusighoesa}} (J) or {{Lang|ko|주식회사}} in [[Korea]]{{clarify|date=December 2018}}
* {{Lang|fr|Société anonyme laotienne (S.A.L.)}} in [[Laos]]
* {{Lang|lt|Akcinė bendrovė}} (AB) in [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]
* {{Lang|lv|[[Akciju sabiedrība]]}} (AS) in [[Latvian language|Latvian]]
* {{lang|no|[[Aksjeselskap]]}} (AS) in [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]
* {{Lang|pl|Spółka Akcyjna}} (SA) in [[Polish language|Polish]]
* {{Lang|ru|Акционерное общество}}, {{lang|ru-Latn|Aktsionernoye obshchestvo}} (AO) in [[Russian language|Russian]]
* {{Lang|sr|Деоничарско друштво}}, {{lang|sr-Latn|Deoničarsko društvo}} (d.d.), or {{Lang|sr|Акционарско друштво}}, {{lang|sr-Latn|Akcionarsko društvo}} (a.d.) in [[Serbian language|Serbian]]
* Private Limited (Pte. Ltd.) in [[Singapore]]
* {{Lang|sk|Akciová spoločnosť}} (a.s.) in [[Slovak language|Slovak]]
* {{Lang|sl|Delniška družba}} (d.d.) in [[Slovenian language|Slovene]]{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
* {{lang|sv|[[Aktiebolag]]}} (AB) in [[Swedish language|Swedish]]
* [[Corporation|Incorporated]] in the [[Philippines]] (formerly used Spanish S.A., corporate structures were Americanized during the [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|US colonial period]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=G.R. No. L-37331 |url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1933/mar1933/gr_l-37331_1933.html |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Lawphil Project |language=en}}</ref>
* {{Lang|uk|Акціонерне товариство}}, {{lang|uk-Latn|Aktsionerne tovarystvo}} (AT) in [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]
* [[Publicly traded company]] ("public company") or [[Corporation|Incorporated]] (Inc.) in the United States, though the former term does not appear in the names of business entities
* {{Lang|es|Compañía Anónima}} (C.A.) in [[Andorra]]
* {{Lang|km|ក.អ(ក្រុមហ៊ុនអនាមិក)}} or {{Lang|fr|Société anonyme cambodgienne}} (S.A.C.; {{literal translation|Cambodian share company}}) in [[Cambodia]]
* {{lang|vi|Công ti cổ phần}} in [[Vietnam]]
* {{lang|cmn|股份有限公司}} in [[Standard Chinese|Chinese]]<ref name="mo"/>

== See also ==
* [[Président-directeur général (France)]]
* [[Aktiengesellschaft|AG]]
* {{annotated link|Sociedad Anónima Deportiva}}
** {{annotated link|Sociedade Anónima Desportiva}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
* [[Global Witness]] on [http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/corruption/anonymous-companies Anonymous Companies]

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[[Category:Types of business entity]]
[[Category:Types of companies of France]]