Insights for Sri Lankan decision makers

Business setup guides for Sri Lanka

Name: WinCore
Address: 411/5, Havelock Road, Colombo 06, Western Province, 00500, LK
Telephone: +94777470904

How to register a company, sole proprietorship or partnership, file on eROC, budget the ROC fees and handle the first year.

View professional services

Optional feed linksSecondary

RSS feed

JSON feed

Flow of incorporation on eROC, steps 3 to 8, from Incorporate through payment

Business SetupJune 15, 202613 min read

How to Register a Company in Sri Lanka (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Registering a private limited company in Sri Lanka in 2026: structure, name approval, the eROC filing with BO 1 and BO 5, the TIN and the first year.

Read article

Explore Company Registration

Continue learning

Need tailored guidance?

Book a call with WinCore consultants to apply these insights to your finance or compliance roadmap.

Speak with a consultant

Latest articles

Gazette 2213/35, page 1 and the share permission in paragraph 1(1) of Part I A, marked

Business Setup13 min read

Gazette 2213/35: foreign ownership bands, as amended to 2026

What Regulations No. 2 of 2021 actually say about non-resident shares, the four amending gazettes, the IIA and three-month rules, and the penalties.

May 22, 2026Company Registration

Gazette 2213/35 heading B with the representative office rule, the branch USD 200,000 rule and the representative office funding rule highlighted

Business Setup12 min read

Subsidiary vs branch in Sri Lanka, rep office or Port City

Four ways a foreign company can enter Sri Lanka, set side by side: what each may do, the money each needs, how each is taxed, and what is still open.

May 12, 2026Company Registration

Companies Act section 171(1) and (2), balance sheet date each calendar year and fifteen month first period, marked

Business Setup11 min read

First financial year 15 months Sri Lanka: the section 171 test

A new company's first year end, counted from incorporation: when the Companies Act allows a long first period, and why the tax year does not stretch.

May 11, 2026Company Registration

Diagram of the Form 15 workflow on eROC, steps 1 to 5

Business Setup8 min read

How to file Form 15 in Sri Lanka: 30 working days and eROC steps

Treat Form 15 as a live governance filing: the 30-working-day clock from the AGM, the BO 4 that goes with it, the fee, and the controls that keep it on time.

March 12, 2026Company Registration

Blue calculator, spreadsheet grid and bar-chart illustration for setting up sole-trader accounts.

Business Setup9 min read

How to register a sole proprietorship in Sri Lanka

Registering a sole proprietorship in Sri Lanka: the business name at the Divisional Secretariat, the TIN certificate, income tax, VAT, SSCL and EPF.

March 12, 2026Company Registration

Companies Act section 2(1), body corporate, highlighted

Business Setup11 min read

Separate companies for each business in Sri Lanka: when it pays

One company with departments, or one company per venture? How liability, tax losses, related-company loans, director interests and VAT work in Sri Lanka.

February 25, 2026Company Registration

Land (Restrictions on Alienation) Act 2014 section 2 with the transfer ban and the twenty year rule highlighted

Business Setup13 min read

Can foreigners buy land in Sri Lanka? The 50 percent rule and leases

A company 50 percent or more foreign-owned cannot take title to land in Sri Lanka without an exemption. What it can lease, and the twenty-year rule.

January 21, 2026Company Registration

Directions No. 15 of 2021, paragraph 2 eligible persons and paragraph 3(b) sole account rule, highlighted

Business Setup11 min read

Inward Investment Account Sri Lanka: whose name, which approval

Who opens the IIA, why returns must go back to it, and the three cases where the Central Bank or the Monetary Board must say yes first.

January 16, 2026Company Registration

Business Setup13 min read
Gazette 2213/35: foreign ownership bands, as amended to 2026
What Regulations No. 2 of 2021 actually say about non-resident shares, the four amending gazettes, the IIA and three-month rules, and the penalties.
May 22, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup12 min read
Subsidiary vs branch in Sri Lanka, rep office or Port City
Four ways a foreign company can enter Sri Lanka, set side by side: what each may do, the money each needs, how each is taxed, and what is still open.
May 12, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup11 min read
First financial year 15 months Sri Lanka: the section 171 test
A new company's first year end, counted from incorporation: when the Companies Act allows a long first period, and why the tax year does not stretch.
May 11, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup8 min read
How to file Form 15 in Sri Lanka: 30 working days and eROC steps
Treat Form 15 as a live governance filing: the 30-working-day clock from the AGM, the BO 4 that goes with it, the fee, and the controls that keep it on time.
March 12, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup9 min read
How to register a sole proprietorship in Sri Lanka
Registering a sole proprietorship in Sri Lanka: the business name at the Divisional Secretariat, the TIN certificate, income tax, VAT, SSCL and EPF.
March 12, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup11 min read
Separate companies for each business in Sri Lanka: when it pays
One company with departments, or one company per venture? How liability, tax losses, related-company loans, director interests and VAT work in Sri Lanka.
February 25, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup13 min read
Can foreigners buy land in Sri Lanka? The 50 percent rule and leases
A company 50 percent or more foreign-owned cannot take title to land in Sri Lanka without an exemption. What it can lease, and the twenty-year rule.
January 21, 2026Company Registration
Business Setup11 min read
Inward Investment Account Sri Lanka: whose name, which approval
Who opens the IIA, why returns must go back to it, and the three cases where the Central Bank or the Monetary Board must say yes first.
January 16, 2026Company Registration

Recommended next steps

Move from insight to action with advisory programs designed around Sri Lankan regulations.

Tax advisory clinic

Resolve VAT, income tax, and RAMIS filing questions with a dedicated consultant.

Explore service

Accounting retainers

Monthly bookkeeping, IFRS reporting, and board-ready management packs.

Explore service

BPO operating partner

Build resilient back-office capacity with workflow design, QA, and managed delivery support.

Explore service

Company registration desk

Name reservations, paperwork, and secretary support handled end-to-end.

Explore service

Payroll governance program

Automate EPF/ETF, gratuity, and compliance workflows with our payroll specialists.

Explore service

Looking for playbooks and templates?

Download checklists, calculators, and regulatory guides prepared by our practitioners.

Browse resources library

Request a tailored workshop

Meet the advisory team behind every article

Chartered professionals who translate regulations into practical guidance for Sri Lankan organisations.

Kavindu Perera

Head of Accounting & Compliance

ICASL-qualified specialist in statutory accounting, RAMIS filings, and IFRS reporting for Sri Lankan businesses.

Dilrukshi Jayawardena

Head of Payroll & Labour Compliance

CIMA-certified payroll specialist focused on EPF/ETF governance, APIT workflows, and labour-compliance operations.

Thilina Rodrigo

Head of BPO & Virtual CFO Services

Leads BPO pod strategy, cash-flow modelling, and board-level reporting for growth-stage and regional teams.