Printing for individual entrepreneurs: is it needed and in what cases is it better to use it. Should an individual entrepreneur have a seal?

We will tell you in what cases an individual entrepreneur needs a seal: we will list the “pros” and “cons” of its use

Individual entrepreneurs are not required to have a seal. Such a requirement is not provided for by law and this is confirmed by the Federal Tax Service for Moscow in letter dated February 28, 2006 No. 28-10/15239. If an entrepreneur believes that a personal imprint is not useful in his work, he has every right to do without it. To certify an individual entrepreneur's documents, only a personal signature is sufficient. Sometimes some authorities require you to write “b/p” and put your signature.

But if the individual entrepreneur does not have a personal seal, he needs to be prepared for the fact that counterparties will demand a letter about the absence of a stamp. Since the signature is easy to forge, and subsequently the document can be invalidated. And a letter about the absence of a seal in such a situation provides additional insurance to the counterparty.

The letter does not have a unified form; it is enough to provide it in free form indicating the following data:

OGRNIP;
Signature.

Having a seal for an individual entrepreneur: “pros” and “cons”

Expanding the range of possible counterparties (at the expense of large and state-owned companies).
If the tax system allows, you can refuse cash registers.
Increasing the status of an entrepreneur.
Reducing the chance of forging bank and other documents.

"Cons":

Manufacturing and repair costs.
Risk of loss or theft.
The need to always have a seal at hand (for example, it is not allowed to put a seal in one case, and in a situation convenient for you, refer to the lack of a seal).

Situations when an individual entrepreneur is required to have a seal

The entrepreneur will have to order a stamp:

If there are hired employees. Sign up for work book without the employer's stamp will be considered invalid.
When issuing waybills and cash receipts.
If the individual entrepreneur deals with forms strict reporting(sales receipts, invoices). Their signing must be accompanied by a seal. Therefore, an entrepreneur who accepts payments from citizens, but does not have cash register equipment, will definitely have to acquire a stamp.
Some banks require a stamp to open a current account. Not all banks make such a requirement, since it is based solely on their internal rules. But it is important to know that working with checkbooks is always possible only with printing.
For participation of individual entrepreneurs in government orders (the application will not be accepted without a stamp).

Mandatory printing requirements for individual entrepreneurs

Despite the wide variety of printing options, individual entrepreneurs must consider the following requirements when ordering:

Shape: circle, square or rectangle.

Size 38-42 mm, diameter for round or side length for triangular.
Sizes 35-50 mm and 70-100 mm, side length for rectangular.

Symbols used: any symbols of the enterprise that do not contain the state emblem, municipal symbols, or logos of other companies.
Posted data: full name, legal form ( individual entrepreneur), INN, OGRNIP, city.
Type of printing: manual or automatic.

Registration of seal with government agencies

There is no need to notify government authorities that you have a seal. But if you wish, you can register it with the following authorities:

Tax: she does not maintain her own register of stamps, but upon request the individual entrepreneur can record the necessary data;
ATS (in countries such as Belarus and Kazakhstan it is mandatory to register a seal, individual entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation can do this at their own request);
Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
Manufacturer's register (many companies conduct this automatically).

An important point: if you nevertheless notified the authorities, then in the event of loss or theft of the seal, you must also notify these authorities.

An individual entrepreneur, like legal entities, carries out commercial activities. One of the established customs of document flow between business entities is the use of printing. Previously, the presence of a seal for legal entities was a mandatory condition, but now it is a thing of the past. The entrepreneur was not required to have a seal. And at present, the seal of an individual entrepreneur is his personal prerogative. He has the right to have it or not to have it at his own discretion.

How to register an individual entrepreneur with the tax office, is a stamp required?

According to Art. 23 Civil Code of the Russian Federation and Art. 11 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, a citizen is registered as an individual entrepreneur in the prescribed manner and after that has the right to engage in the corresponding commercial activities.

Civil legislation does not directly answer the question of whether an individual entrepreneur registered in the prescribed manner should have a seal, i.e., it does not contain rules either obliging or prohibiting having a seal.

In order to turn from an ordinary individual into an individual entrepreneur, a citizen should submit an application (form N P21001 - Appendix No. 13 to the Order of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated January 25, 2012 N ММВ-7-6/25@) and others necessary documents to the registration authority - the Federal Tax Service of Russia (Article 22.1 of the Federal Law of 08.08.2001 N 129-FZ, hereinafter referred to as Law No. 129-FZ).

Tax authorities within three days carry out procedures for registering the appropriate status and issue a document confirming its existence. In these procedures, the seal of an individual entrepreneur is not required.

The document confirming the status of an individual entrepreneur is the Entry Sheet of the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs in Form N P60009 (hereinafter referred to as Form No. 60009).

Form No. P60009 contains all the same information as the certificate, including:

Full name of the entrepreneur;
date of issue;
name of the Federal Tax Service;
date of entry in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs;
OGRNIP.

After registration, information that an individual has the status of an individual entrepreneur is entered into a special register (USRIP). Any interested person who wishes to check whether a citizen has the appropriate status can obtain information about this from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs.

However, an individual entrepreneur without a seal is not only registered, but also has the right to continue activities, because the legislation does not impose corresponding requirements on it.

However, as noted above, there is also no ban on the presence of a seal. Consequently, deciding whether an entrepreneur needs to have a seal is his personal prerogative.

There are often cases when an entrepreneur still has a seal. Registration of such an individual entrepreneur’s seal with the tax office or any other government agency is not required.

Seal of an individual entrepreneur and certain legal requirements

In practice, situations are possible when, for example, an employee is employed by an entrepreneur for the first time. In this case, the individual entrepreneur will have to create a work record book for such an employee.

Instructions for filling out work books dated October 10, 2003 N 69 (hereinafter referred to as the Instructions) were previously drawn up in such a way that an individual entrepreneur without a seal could encounter problems with its application.

This Instruction requires that it contain the seal of the organization in which the work book was opened. The specifics of maintaining work books for individual entrepreneurs were not taken into account in this legal document, because Previously (during the adoption of the Instructions) they did not keep work books.

In 2016, changes were made to the Instructions, which oblige the stamp to be affixed only if it is available. This also applies to entrepreneurs.

Therefore, if the individual entrepreneur has a seal, it is affixed to the employee’s work book. If there is no seal, this requirement does not apply to the entrepreneur.

Individual entrepreneur without a seal - on the basis of what law is this possible?

Having a seal is not a prerequisite for legally conducting business as an individual entrepreneur, since none of the current regulations states that it is mandatory to obtain one.

The same point of view is shared by the tax service authorized to register individuals as entrepreneurs (see letter of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation for Moscow dated February 28, 2006 No. 28-10/15239).

And yet, despite the fact that the legislator provides an entrepreneur with an exemption from the obligation to use a seal, there are situations in which it cannot be avoided.

So, it may be required by an individual entrepreneur in the following cases:

If there are employees on staff. The record of the dismissal of an employee, in accordance with clause 35 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On Labor...” dated April 16, 2003 No. 225, must be certified by the signature and seal of the employer.
You can read about the need to use a seal when applying for a job in the article “Is a seal placed on an employment contract?” .
When preparing strict reporting forms (sales receipts, invoices, etc.). According to sub. “and” clause 3 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On the procedure...” dated 05/06/2008 No. 359, any documents that serve as an alternative to cash receipts (vouchers, subscriptions, receipts, etc.) must have the seal of the entrepreneur.
When opening a current account. The regulations of some banking organizations provide for mandatory certification of the service agreement with the seal of the entrepreneur.

If the data contained in a seal impression changes, it must be destroyed and a new one made in its place - with up-to-date information. It is also necessary to get rid of it upon liquidation of the individual entrepreneur or if for some reason a decision was made to abandon its use. After the destruction of the seal, it is necessary to draw up a report.

Advantages and disadvantages of working with printing

To understand whether an individual entrepreneur needs printing to operate, it is important to understand all the pros and cons of its use.

The advantages of having a seal are:

possibility of cooperation with large companies(including government ones);
the right to hire employees and make entries in their work books;
reducing the risk of forgery of contracts and other documents endorsed by the entrepreneur.

The disadvantages may be:

the risk of its loss or theft;
additional costs for its manufacture and repair.

In addition, if there is a seal, she will have to certify each signed document.

Printing for individual entrepreneurs - 2019 requirements

The current legislation does not establish requirements for an individual entrepreneur’s seal, so it can be of any type: the entrepreneur can independently choose its size, shape and color of the ink used. However, they usually do not experiment with such things, since it is easier and clearer for contractors to work with a businessman who adheres to the established rules of document preparation in a business society. That is why stamps of standard shape (round) and standard size(38 mm), as well as black or blue ink.

The number of seals that can be used by an entrepreneur at the same time is also not regulated. Accordingly, an individual entrepreneur can have seals with imprints “For documents”, “For contracts”, etc., thus providing additional protection different types papers

Individual entrepreneur works without a seal - how to document it

When working without a seal, the individual entrepreneur simply signs the documents - the signature in the passport is used as an example - with his own hand, which is quite enough to give them legal force in that case.

A facsimile is not equivalent to a citizen’s signature, so it cannot be used to sign documents.

However, future partners may request from the entrepreneur documentary evidence that he does not have a seal. In this case, you will need to write a letter stating that the individual entrepreneur really works without it. The form of the letter is free, you just need to confirm it with the signature of the entrepreneur.

How to register an individual entrepreneur's stamp with the tax office

Is registration with the tax office required for printing an individual entrepreneur? own business. Not a single article of this legal act contains any indication of such a need, therefore the entrepreneur has the right to use the seal without notifying the Federal Tax Service of the fact of its availability. However, for security reasons, it is still better to register it, since providing information about the type of imprint to the tax service will minimize the risk of its imitation being used by third parties for the purpose of concluding contracts on behalf of the entrepreneur.

To register a seal with the Federal Tax Service, you must submit the following package of documents to the territorial tax office:

registration application;
a copy of the applicant’s passport (entrepreneur or his representative, subject to the presence of a notarized power of attorney to perform such actions);
a copy of the document confirming the fact of registration of the entrepreneur as an individual entrepreneur;
seal impression.

Next, the Federal Tax Service employee records the received application in the registration journal and assigns a registration number to the imprint. From this moment on, the seal is considered registered, and the entrepreneur can use it to certify documents.

What information should be on the IP seal

Taking into account the current practice of document flow, we can conclude that the seal impression should contain the following information:

full name of the entrepreneur of the type “Individual entrepreneur F.I.O.”;
his TIN and Ognip;
indication of location.

In addition, the use of additional graphic elements is allowed (for example, a logo used by an individual entrepreneur for business development). At the same time, it is worth applying them in such a way that the readability of the text part does not deteriorate.

It is not allowed to place on the IP seal symbols containing:

The symbolism of state signs (the coat of arms of Russia or its regions) or their elements. The provisions of Art. 4 of the Law “On the State Emblem...” of December 25, 2000 No. 2-FKZ established a list of organizations that have the right to use seals with the image state emblem, - and individual entrepreneurs not vested with the powers of the body state power, are not included in this list.
Logos (or parts thereof) registered by third parties as trademarks.

The legislator does not establish requirements for the package of documents that a businessman must submit to a company engaged in the production of stamps.

Practice shows that manufacturers usually request:

copies of all pages of the passport;
OGRNIP;
copy of TIN;
document on registration of a trademark (if the entrepreneur wishes to place his own logo on the seal).

So, the answer to the question of whether a seal is mandatory for an individual entrepreneur is clear: not a single law contains such a requirement. It is up to the entrepreneur himself to decide whether an individual entrepreneur’s seal is needed for work. For beginning businessmen who have no employees or large organizations or government customers among their partners, this option is the most acceptable. Entrepreneurs who have reached a relatively serious level should think about purchasing a seal, since its presence will reduce the time spent on paperwork, easily prepare strict reporting forms, and also enter into contracts with reputable companies.

There is an ongoing discussion online about whether a seal is mandatory for an individual entrepreneur and whether an individual entrepreneur can work without a seal. This article discusses not only these issues, but also provides recommendations on the use of the seal of an individual entrepreneur, lists the requirements for the seal of an individual entrepreneur, and also presents a sample of a seal of an individual entrepreneur with an image and the necessary attributes.

Do I need an IP seal?

Let us answer right away that there is no law that would oblige an individual entrepreneur to make a seal. There is no information about her. There are even official clarifications from 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), which emphasize that the obligation of an individual entrepreneur to purchase and use a seal when carrying out his activities is not provided. Therefore, no inspector government agency cannot make a claim against you in the absence of a seal solely on the basis that you are an individual entrepreneur.

But, as often happens, good intentions at the level of the legislator are broken by the bitter truth at the level of the implementer. Too often in practice there are situations when the law does not allow an individual entrepreneur to do without a seal.
Here are some examples:

The individual entrepreneur is engaged in trading activities, and suppliers need to certify invoices and other documents with a seal;
Individual entrepreneur provides household services without cash register, and making cash payments in this case requires the presence of an individual entrepreneur’s seal in accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2008 N 359;
The entrepreneur has hired workers, and the individual entrepreneur must certify the entries in their work books with a seal (Resolution No. 225 of April 16, 2003);
The individual entrepreneur is engaged in transportation or otherwise deals with waybills, which means that their registration requires the individual entrepreneur to have a seal (Resolution of the State Statistics Committee No. 78);
An individual entrepreneur opens a current account in the bank where the presence of a seal on the individual entrepreneur is a necessary condition cooperation.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of situations when an individual entrepreneur needs a seal. Therefore, for most entrepreneurs, we recommend that you still acquire a seal, especially since a seal for individual entrepreneurs is also additional protection from fraudsters who forge signatures on documents.

Is it necessary to register an individual entrepreneur's seal?

The answer is clear: no, you do not need to register an individual entrepreneur seal. However, if you think about the question of who gets more harm or benefit from the fact of registering a seal, the answer will surprise many. Registration of an individual entrepreneur's seal is beneficial to him! If we assume that an individual entrepreneur has become a victim of fraudulent transactions, and there are forged documents with a seal in the case, then it is much easier to prove one’s innocence if there is an officially registered seal impression, which allows experts to easily detect a forgery.

If our arguments seem weighty to you, then you can register the IP seal with the Federal Tax Service, the registration chamber, the Department of Internal Affairs, or in the register of the manufacturer.

Requirements for IP printing

Compared to legal entities, individual entrepreneurs have less strict requirements for seals, and there are more opportunities for creativity. But some rules must nevertheless be followed.

What should be on the IP seal:

the phrase “Individual entrepreneur”;
last name, first name and patronymic of the individual entrepreneur;
location (city or region);
TIN and/or OGRNIP.

What else can be placed on the IP seal:

The name of your business, for example, “Beauty salon of Vasilisa the Beautiful”;
logo;
address;
print security elements (for example, an ornament, which not only provides additional protection against counterfeiting, but also gives the print an original, beautiful look)

What cannot be placed on the IP seal:

state symbols (coat of arms of the Russian Federation, coats of arms of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation);
other people's registered trademarks and logos;

As for the use of state symbols of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, let us clarify that in this issue There is no single regulatory act; everything is decided at the level of city or regional legislation.

Example of IP printing (sample with image)

Making such a seal today is not difficult at all. You can contact your nearest printing house and ask:

Is it possible to order an individual entrepreneur stamp;
how much does hand printing cost?
how much does printing with automatic equipment cost?
what is the print production time?
what documents need to be submitted to place an order for the production of a seal.

In conclusion, we note that if you still have questions on the topic of using seals for individual entrepreneurs, we suggest leaving them in the comments to the article. You can also make the site more interesting if you tell us about cases known to you related to the need to have a seal for an individual entrepreneur or, conversely, about the successful work of an individual entrepreneur without a seal.

Printing for individual entrepreneurs: 2018 requirements updated: November 30, 2018 by: Everything for individual entrepreneurs

Quite a lot of questions arise. Even something as simple as receiving a seal can cause some difficulties for an uninformed person. Today we will answer all your questions regarding the acquisition and use of printing in your activities.

Page content

To begin with, let us clarify that the law does not oblige individual entrepreneurs to have a seal. However, practice shows that it is still needed. Therefore, when opening your own business, we advise you to immediately prepare for the fact that all work will be carried out using printing.

Why do you need an IP seal?

If, for the purchase and maintenance of which additional costs must be incurred, the individual entrepreneur has the right to use. However, in this case, he is required by law to have a seal;
For convenient financial transactions, many banks require a seal;
The seal serves as additional protection for your documentation;
If you hire employees, you must make an appropriate entry in his work book. In turn, a stamp must be placed in the work book upon dismissal of an employee. This is required by law;
Having a seal will save you from additional questions from customers and clients, who are often surprised when a check or receipt is certified only by a signature;
This attribute gives some solidity and reliability to your business, increasing your authority in the eyes of customers.

IMPORTANT: if you start using a seal, it must be placed on all documents. If the individual entrepreneur has a seal, a document with only his signature has no legal force.

Requirements for IP seals in 2016

To order a print, you must first decide on its appearance and other paraphernalia.
There are two types of printing:

The stamp is the main one and certifies all documents;
stamp is additional element, which helps to organize work within an organization if it is large. For example, stamps with the words “approved” and “executed” are used in the internal circulation of documents.

IMPORTANT: the word “stamp” does not mean that the seal must have a coat of arms.

Seals are also classified according to the shape of the cliche:

triangular print;
round seal;
rectangular print.

The standard IP print size is 38 – 40 mm.

When ordering you need to select the following attributes:

Ordinary or automatic. Of course, the second type is more convenient to use and more expensive.
Printing equipment: plastic, wood or metal. As a rule, metal equipment is chosen for solidity;
Tool shape: round or rectangular;
Print drawing. This point has some legal requirements, which we will look at below. However, apart from mandatory elements, you have the right to depict and write whatever you want on it. You can even order a custom design;
Print protection. There are many types of seal protection against counterfeiting. If you wish, you can order it for your own stamp, which will slightly increase the cost of production.

Documents for making a seal

To order a seal you need to collect the following package of documents:

This article talks about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is individual. If you want to find out how to solve your particular problem, contact our consultant absolutely FREE!

(original and one copy);
Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (USRIP) certificate, which indicates that you are included in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (original and one copy);
Passport (you will need to take the finished stamp with it);
Order form (this will contain sketches and other details). This document must be certified by the customer’s signature.

It is important to know that the state has certain requirements for the sketch of the seal imprint. The law stipulates that the following inscriptions must be present on the seal of an individual entrepreneur:

OGRNIP ( state number individual entrepreneur);

Where can I order a print and how much does it cost?

To order an individual entrepreneur stamp, just contact any commercial company in your city. They are usually called Stamp Seals and offer a full range of stamp making services.

The average cost is from 200 to 1000 rubles, depending on the region. The simplest standard printing without various additions will cost an individual entrepreneur 200 rubles.

In general, the final cost of printing is determined by the following factors:

cliche shape and print size;
equipment (metal is more expensive than plastic);
manual printing about 300 rubles, automatic printing about 400 – 500 rubles;
layout development (300 rubles);
protection against counterfeiting (price depends on the level of complexity of the work);
production time (usually the print is made in 1 day, but if desired, it can be done in 4 hours or 1.5 hours, adding about 300 - 400 rubles to the cost for urgency).

IMPORTANT: every few years you need to change the stamp pad - the element of the seal on which the ink is located. The frequency of changes depends on the frequency of use of the seal.

By the way, the seals are made of special odorless rubber by laser engraving. Various fonts are used during the work process.

As you can see, ordering a print is not difficult. Most often, companies offering such a service provide the opportunity to select an option from available models, which greatly simplifies the task for the customer. However, if you are a creative person and want your company to have an individual, unique style, you can develop your own design and purchase a seal from the most modern materials meeting the latest fashion and style requirements.

ATTENTION: after receiving the seal, you do not need to register it anywhere. She's ready to go.