Who is an entrepreneur?

If you perform paid work without being in an employment relationship in the private or public sector, you are considered to be an entrepreneur for the purposes of unemployment security. Therefore, you may be considered to be an entrepreneur even if you were not obliged to take out a pension insurance for self-employed persons, for example. Such a situation may occur, for example, if you carry out small-scale work through an invoicing company.


If you are a part-owner, you may also be considered to be an entrepreneur for the purposes of unemployment security, even if you have no obligation to insure under the Self-employed Persons Pensions Act. You are a part-owner and thus an entrepreneur for the purposes of unemployment security, if

  • You work in a senior position in a limited liability company and you hold at least 15 per cent of the share capital or votes, or you have similar authority otherwise.
  • you work in a senior position in a limited liability company and, together with your family members, you hold at least 30 per cent of the share capital or votes, or you have similar authority otherwise.
  • you work in a limited liability company and you hold at least half of the share capital or votes, or you have similar authority otherwise.
  • you work in a limited liability company and, together with your family members, you hold at least half of the share capital or votes, or you have similar authority otherwise.
  • you work in another company or corporation and, together with your family members, or on your own, you have authority similar to that referred to above.

So, it is essential that you work in a company in which you have authority. Ownership alone will not make you an entrepreneur.

Ownership cannot be hidden through chains. While evaluating the share of ownership, we also consider indirect ownership. We will consider indirect ownership if you or you and your family members own at least half of the controlled company, or you hold similar authority in the controlled company.

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