Master List: Company Formation

This section is full of articles aimed at educating you on the bureaucratic ins and outs of establishing a business in Germany. We’ve categorised all the posts so you can quickly search and go.

 

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What else can I learn?

We also have master lists for each section of the blog. We hope you find it useful!

 

This, of course, is just a list. If you want a more structured guide we’ve got you covered:

The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business in Germany: The only resource you’ll ever need

 

Contents

 

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Andreas Munck

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Don’t know where to start? 

Hi, I’m Andreas. For over a decade I have been advising founders on how to do business in Germany. I’d be happy to call you and answer your questions about starting a business in my home country.

 

GmbH

Contents:

 

The basics

 

What is a GmbH? 

What is a GmbH? Definition and costs
GmbH: The Pros and Cons of the German Limited Liability Company (LLC)
What is the difference between the AG and the GmbH

What is an asset-managing GmbH?

Vermögensverwaltende GmbH: What is an asset-managing GmbH and for who is it suitable?

What is the non-profit incorporated company in Germany?

gGmbH: What is the German non-profit limited liability company?

 

Getting started

How to guides

How to set up a company in Germany: A company formation checklist
How to set up a GmbH: Your guide to starting a limited liability company in Germany
How to choose the right legal form for your business in Germany
How to set up a gGmbH: Your guide to starting a non-profit company in Germany

Starting a GmbH outside of Germany

Forming a German company from outside of Germany
Forming a company from abroad: Legalisation
What is an Apostille? Procedure and application

Visas and residence permits

Aufenthaltstitel: Do I have the right residence permit to start a business in Germany?
Visas for starting a business in Germany: A plain English guide
Settlement permit: How to apply for a German Permanent Residence Permit

Banking

Geschäftskonto: The business bank account for GmbHs and UGs 
Digital business accounts: A comparison of online banks in Germany
Opening a business bank account in Germany: Comparison and FAQs
Opening a German Bank Account as a Non-German Citizen: How It Works
Why entrepreneurs should have five bank accounts in Germany

When to form a GmbH

Timing is everything: When to form a UG or GmbH

Company name 

How to find the perfect company name for your UG or GmbH
Name check by the IHK: Is the company name I want still available?

Website legal disclosure

Impressum: What to include in a company legal disclosure in Germany (including free template)

Articles of association

Musterprotokoll vs Gesellschaftsvertrag: How are they different?

Notary appointments

The notary appointment for company incorporation in Germany: What founders need to know
Digital GmbH incorporation: Everything you need to know about the new online notary appointment

Tax questionnaire

Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung: Everything you need to know about the tax registration questionnaire

 

Bureaucracy

All the different registrations for the GmbH

German limited liability companies (GmbH & UG) and the Handelsregister: From registration to removal
Registering a Limited Liability Company in Germany (GmbH or UG): Here’s how!
Handelsregister: The fundamentals of the commercial register in Germany
How to register a limited liability company (GmbH or UG) in Germany
Beware of fake Handelsregister invoices!

Registering with the trade office

Gewerbeanmeldung: Everything You Need to Know About Trade Registration in Germany
How to fill out the Gewerbeanmeldung (trade registration) form

Registering with the transparency register

Transparenzregister: What is the Transparency Register?

 

How things work

CEO/Managing Director

GmbH-Geschäftsführer: Everything you need to know about being a managing director of a GmbH
CEO salary in a GmbH: How much is a GmbH CEO allowed to earn?
The responsibilities of the GmbH’s CEO
GmbH-Geschäftsführervertrag: Everything you need to know about the managing director’s contract in Germany

Company objective

The company objective (Unternehmensgegenstand): Definition and formulation

Equity/shares

GmbH-Anteile: Everything you need to know about German LLC shares

Share capital

GmbH Stammkapital (share capital)
Stammeinlage and the GmbH: Delving into capital contributions in Germany

Shareholders

GmbH shareholder rights and obligations
Die Sperrminorität einer GmbH: What is a GmbH blocking minority?
How to do a shareholders’ resolution (Gesellschafterbeschluss) for the GmbH

Asset management companies

Forming an Immobiliengesellschaft in Germany: How to save on taxes with a real estate GmbH
Vermögensverwaltende GmbH: What is an asset-managing GmbH and for whom is it suitable?

Commercial power of attorney

Prokurist: Who is an authorised signatory in Germany?

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UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Contents:

 

The basics

What is a UG?

What is a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)? – Definition and facts
The UG Corporation
The pros and cons of the UG (haftungsbeschränkt):
How much does it cost to form a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)?

What is the non-profit UG?

The gUG (haftungsbeschränkt): The non-profit legal form of the UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

 

Getting started

How to guides for the UG

How to set up a UG company: Your guide to starting an entrepreneurial company in Germany
How to set up a company in Germany: A company formation checklist
How to choose the right legal form for your business in Germany

Starting a UG from outside Germany

Forming a German company from outside of Germany
Forming a company from abroad: Legalisation
What is an Apostille? Procedure and application

Visas and residence permits

Aufenthaltstitel: Do I have the right residence permit to start a business in Germany?
Visas for starting a business in Germany: A plain English guide
Settlement permit: How to apply for a German Permanent Residence Permit

Bank accounts for the UG

Geschäftskonto: The business bank account for GmbHs and UGs in Germany
Opening a business bank account in Germany: Comparison and FAQs
Opening a German Bank Account as a Non-German Citizen: How It Works
Why entrepreneurs should have five bank accounts in Germany or: The problem of terminated German bank accounts
Digital business accounts: A comparison of online banks in Germany

When to form a UG

Timing is everything: When to form a UG or GmbH
Forming a UG: Should I use the calendar year as my company’s financial year in Germany?

How to name your UG

How to find the perfect company name for your UG or GmbH
Name check by the IHK: Is the company name I want still available?

Website legal disclosures for the UG

Impressum: What to include in a company legal disclosure in Germany (including free template)

Articles of association of the UG

Musterprotokoll vs Gesellschaftsvertrag: How are they different?
Should I use the Musterprotokoll or bespoke articles of association when incorporating a UG in Germany?
The UG’s Gesellschaftsvertrag: The articles of association of Germany’s entrepreneurial company

Notary appointments

The notary appointment for company incorporation in Germany: What founders need to know
What are the notary fees for forming a UG in Germany?

Tax questionnaire

Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung: Everything you need to know about the tax registration questionnaire

 

How things work

Company objective of the UG

The company objective (Unternehmensgegenstand): Definition and formulation

Shareholders of the UG

UG-Gesellschafter: The Rights and obligations of UG Shareholders
What is the difference between a UG’s shareholder and its CEO?

Share capital of the UG

UG Stammkapital: Incorporating a company in Germany has never been easier

Commercial power of attorney

Prokurist: Who is an authorised signatory in Germany?

 

Bureaucracy

All the different registrations for the UG

German limited liability companies (GmbH & UG) and the Handelsregister: From registration to removal
Registering a Limited Liability Company in Germany (GmbH or UG): Here’s how!
Handelsregister: The fundamentals of the commercial register in Germany
How to register a limited liability company (GmbH or UG) in Germany
Beware of fake Handelsregister invoices!

Registering a UG at the trade office

Gewerbeanmeldung: Everything You Need to Know About Trade Registration in Germany
How to fill out the Gewerbeanmeldung (trade registration) form

Registering with the transparency register

Transparenzregister: What is the Transparency Register?

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Holding

How to set up a Holding: Your guide to starting a holding structure in Germany
What is a Holding? Definition, formation and FAQs about holding structures in Germany
The pros and cons of the Holding: Weighing up holding structures in Germany
Subsidiary and spin-off companies in Germany: Corporation law explained in simple terms

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GbR

The basics

What is the GbR? Everything you need to know about the civil law partnership in Germany
What is a Kleingewerbe? Everything you need to know about small businesses in Germany
The GbR for Freiberufler: The business partnership for liberal professionals in Germany
The pros and cons of the GbR: Weighing up the civil law partnership in Germany

How things work

GbR contracts: Essential information + free PDF template
GbR liability: How to protect your private assets as a founder
The unwanted GbR: Tips for shared workspaces

How to guide

How to start a GbR: Your guide to starting a civil law partnership in Germany

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Einzelunternehmen

What is an Einzelunternehmen? Everything you need to know about the sole proprietorship in Germany
The pros and cons of Einzelunternehmen (sole proprietorships): Are they better than other legal forms in Germany?
How to set up an Einzelunternehmen: Your guide to starting a sole proprietorship in Germany
How to name your Einzelunternehmen: A guide for small traders, freelancers & registered merchants in Germany

What is a Kleingewerbe? Everything you need to know about small businesses in Germany

Kleinunternehmerregelung: What you need to know about the small business regulation
Kleinunternehmen: The top 6 mistakes people make starting a small business in Germany

What is a Freelancer? Everything you need to know about freelancing in Germany

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Freiberufler

What is a Freiberufler? Everything you need to know about the liberal professions in Germany
How to become a Freiberufler in Germany
The GbR for Freiberufler: The business partnership for liberal professionals in Germany

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AG

How to set up an Aktiengesellschaft (AG): Your guide to starting a stock company in GermanyWhat is an Aktiengesellschaft (stock company)?
What is the difference between the AG and the GmbH?
How to choose the right legal form for your business in Germany
What is a “kleine AG”? Everything you need to know about the stock company without a listing in Germany
The pros and cons of the AG: Weighing up the stock company in Germany

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Type of businesses: How to get started in specific industries

The business idea: The foundation of every venture

How to open a retail business: Own your own shop in Germany
How to open a sports shop in Germany
Establishing a Taxiunternehmen: How to open a taxi service in Germany
E-cigarette shops in Germany: Tips for opening your own shop
Opening a shisha bar in Germany? – These tips will help you do just that
Opening a Kita: How to establish your own childcare centre
Establishing an Agentur: How to open your own agency in Germany
Establishing a Werbeagentur: How to open your own advertising agency in Germany
Setting up an Ambulanter Pflegedienst: How to start your own ambulatory nursing service
Transportunternehmen: How to start your own transport business in Germany

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gGmbH: The non-profit company

gGmbH: What is the German non-profit limited liability company?
The pros and cons of the gGmbH: Weighing up the non-profit limited liability company in Germany
How to set up a gGmbH: Your guide to starting a non-profit company in Germany

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GmbH & Co. KG

What is a GmbH & Co. KG (limited liability company & limited partnership)?

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German business bureaucracy 101

Business licences

Gewerbeerlaubnis: Do I need a licence for my business in Germany?

Visas and residence permits

Aufenthaltstitel: Do I have the right residence permit to start a business in Germany?
Visas for starting a business in Germany: A plain English guide
Settlement permit: How to apply for a German Permanent Residence Permit

Legal disclosures (imprints)

Impressum: What to include in a company legal disclosure in Germany (including free template)

Notary appointments

The notary appointment for company incorporation in Germany: What founders need to know
Digital GmbH incorporation: Everything you need to know about the new online notary appointment

Tax questionnaire

Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung: Everything you need to know about the tax registration questionnaire

Commercial register

Handelsregister: The fundamentals of the commercial register in Germany

Registering with the trade office

Gewerbeanmeldung: Everything You Need to Know About Trade Registration in Germany
How to fill out the Gewerbeanmeldung (trade registration) form

Registering with the transparency register

Transparenzregister: What is the Transparency Register?

⬆️ Back to top

 

Business bank accounts

Geschäftskonto: The business bank account for GmbHs and UGs in Germany
Opening a business bank account in Germany: Comparison and FAQs
Opening a German Bank Account as a Non-German Citizen: How It Works
Why entrepreneurs should have five bank accounts in Germany or: The problem of terminated German bank accounts
Digital business accounts: A comparison of online banks in Germany

⬆️ Back to top

How to start any business in Germany

The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business in Germany: The only resource you’ll ever need:

      1. Aufenthaltstitel: Do I have the right residence permit to start a business in Germany?
      2. What legal form is right for me? An overview of the business structures in Germany
      3. Getting ready to start a business in Germany: What do I need to think about?
      4. How to set up a business in Germany: An overview for entrepreneurs
      5. Taking your first steps as an entrepreneur in Germany: How to get off on the right foot

What you need to know about starting a side (hustle) business in Germany

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[BEGIN: Insert an Image between this tag]

Andreas Munck

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Want to ask an expert about how to set up a business in Germany?

  • Startup expert
  • 10+ years experience

Hi, I’m Andreas and I’ve been advising businesses in Germany for over a decade. I’d be happy to call you and answer any questions you have in a one-on-one consultation.

 

 

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