Rights and Obligations of Enterprises in Vietnam

Short answer: Enterprises have fundamental rights: freedom to do business in lines/sectors not prohibited by law; business autonomy and choice of organizational form; proactively seeking markets and customers; import and export; recruiting and employing labor; setting prices; lodging complaints, denunciations and lawsuits. In parallel, enterprises have obligations: registering business and operating in accordance with registered contents; fully paying taxes; ensuring employees’ rights; protecting the environment; implementing accounting and reporting regimes. Basis: Articles 7 and 8 of the Law on Enterprises 2020 (amended by Law No. 76/2025/QH15).

Legal basis

• Law on Enterprises 2020, amended and supplemented by Law No. 76/2025/QH15 — Article 7 (rights of enterprises), Article 8 (obligations of enterprises);
• Constitution 2013 — freedom of business.

Rights of enterprises

Freedom of business

• Freedom to do business in lines/sectors not prohibited by law;
• Business autonomy and choice of business organizational forms and methods;
• Proactively choosing business lines, locations and forms; proactively adjusting scale and business lines;
• Choosing forms and methods of mobilizing, allocating and using capital.

Rights in market and labor relations

• Proactively seeking markets, customers and entering into contracts;
• Export and import business;
• Recruiting, hiring and using labor as prescribed by labor law;
• Proactively applying science and technology to improve business efficiency.

Rights to protect lawful interests

• Lodging complaints and denunciations as prescribed by law;
• Participating in litigation as prescribed by law;
• Being protected by the State in property ownership and investment capital as prescribed.

Obligations of enterprises

Registration and compliance obligations

• Registering the enterprise and operating in accordance with registered contents; notifying changes to registration contents within 10 days;
• Satisfying business conditions when conducting conditional investment business lines/sectors;
• Not conducting prohibited investment business lines/sectors.

Financial and tax obligations

• Declaring and fully paying taxes on time as prescribed by tax law;
• Implementing accounting, auditing and statistical regimes as prescribed;
• Disclosing information as prescribed (for enterprises subject to disclosure).

Obligations to employees and the community

• Ensuring lawful and legitimate rights and interests of employees: wages, insurance, safe working conditions;
• Protecting the environment, preventing fires and explosions; not causing harm to society;
• Bearing legal responsibility for the accuracy and truthfulness of enterprise registration contents.

Principles for exercising rights and performing obligations

Enterprises exercise rights and perform obligations on the principles of voluntariness, equality, good faith and honesty; they must not abuse rights to infringe upon the interests of the State or the lawful rights and interests of other organizations and individuals. All business acts must be within the framework of the law — freedom of business does not mean doing whatever one wants.

Frequently asked questions

May an enterprise conduct business lines not stated in its registration?

Yes, for unconditional business lines — the law does not require enterprises to conduct only registered business lines. However, for conditional business lines, the enterprise must satisfy all conditions and follow specialized procedures.

How are breaches of enterprise obligations handled?

Depending on the act: administrative sanctions (tax, labor, environment, investment planning…), tax recovery, revocation of the Enterprise Registration Certificate in serious cases, or criminal prosecution for acts showing signs of crime.

Does an enterprise have the right to refuse inspections?

It may not refuse lawful inspections by competent state authorities; but it has the right to complain about unlawful decisions and acts of inspection teams.

Notes on applying current legal provisions

Many enterprises focus only on “rights” while underestimating “obligations”, only to accumulate violations when inspected. Building an internal compliance system (tax, labor, environment) from the start helps enterprises develop sustainably. Contact an ANT Legal lawyer at 0966.475.966 for a compliance review.

Common risks to note

• Conducting conditional business lines without satisfying conditions;
• Late tax declarations and payments; not implementing the accounting regime;
• Violating employees’ rights (wages, insurance);
• Failing to notify changes to enterprise registration contents on time.

How can ANT Legal help?

ANT Legal provides comprehensive advice on enterprises’ rights and obligations; reviews compliance with tax, labor and environmental law; and represents clients in resolving disputes and complaints. For quick advice, you may contact a lawyer at 0966.475.966.

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