CNAE codes are numbers by which an economic activity is recognised.. It is a classification carried out at national level and mainly for statistical purposes, which is known as CNAE 2009.
By means of the CNAE codes, the different entities and statistical units can be identified, depending on the economic activity under which they have been registered.. CNAE codes are codified numerical sets that allow classifying information about and facilitate the implementation of statistics that require segmentation by activity.
The entire CNAE 2009 system is governed by the NACE Rev.2 Approval Regulation, a version that updates and replaces NACE Rev.2. CNAE-93 Rev.1, The articles can be consulted on the website of the National Statistics Institute (INE).
Although its format is often misleading, in reality, the CNAE codes are not equivalent to or substitutes for the IAE registers.. Although, in both cases, the object on the basis of which categories are established and hierarchical classification is carried out is economic activities, in the case of the CNAE codes a statistical purpose is pursued, whereas the purpose of the IAE is tax-related and related to the payment of taxes.
The CNAE codes are required from the moment a company is incorporated and, in fact, form part of the company's articles of incorporation., as well as their articles of association. Therefore, the obligation to find out the CNAE codes already arises among the first steps of the undertaking.
The way to obtain it is simple, and it is enough to review the twenty groups of activities that exist, identified by letters ranging from A to U, and to continue breaking down each group into subgroups of activity until the four digits that make up the code have been obtained.
The moment of opening a company is not the only time when it may be necessary to look up CNAE codes, as each time the business changes its corporate purpose or economic activity, it will also be necessary to obtain the new one that corresponds to it..
Nowadays, most of the administrative procedures and formalities required for entrepreneurship can be carried out online. And it is precisely all doubts about the CNAE codes are resolved by telematic means.
The internet user has access to a number of different seekers of CNAE codes free of charge, such as the following:
This INE document can solve all the doubts you may have or the questions you have not found answers to regarding the CNAE codes. And finally, when looking for the one that best fits your activity, don't forget that you may not find the code that defines exactly what your company does and, in that case, you can settle for the best approximation.
