6 things to do in the first 30 days

Katitax · Last updated August 27, 2026

Most business owners think the job is done once they're holding the business license. In reality, the next 30 days are the ones most likely to cost you money you didn't need to lose.

Below is the order of what needs to be done — sequenced by what actually matters, not by what's easiest to memorize:

1. Make the company seal. Since 2021, the law no longer requires notifying the business registration authority of your seal specimen — the company decides for itself. But a seal is still needed for banking paperwork and contracts, so it's worth getting done early.
2. Open a corporate bank account. You don't need to notify the tax authority of the account number yourself — under current regulations, the bank is responsible for providing this information directly. What you do need to do is open the account in the company's name and use it for every bank transaction of VND 20 million or more.
3. Register a digital signature. Without one, you can't file any tax return at all.
4. Register to use e-invoices and wait for tax authority approval. This step takes a few working days — don't leave it until your first customer shows up.
5. Register your fixed asset depreciation method. This is the single most forgotten item on the list, and the consequences only surface at year-end finalization.
6. Choose your accounting regime and open your books. Once chosen, it's a real hassle to change.

Good news for companies established from 2026 onward: the business license tax has been officially abolished as of January 1, 2026 under Resolution 198/2025/QH15 — no more declaration, no more payment for this fee.

One detail few people mention: a company with zero revenue still has to file tax returns. A zero return is still a return. Most of the penalties first-year companies face don't come from filing something wrong — they come from filing nothing at all, because the owner assumed that no sales meant nothing to declare.

Done in the right order, these six steps take about two weeks. Done out of order, they take a month and several trips back to fix things.