German market entry - Expand your business into Germany
Dependent Branch Office in Germany
Ease your way into the German market with a Dependent Branch Office. This setup is ideal for international businesses that want people on the ground with a minimal setup.
An Autonomous Branch Office can give you an official presence in Germany without having to jump through all the hoops to create a separate legal entity.
Within a holding structure, profits can be transferred to the parent company for tax purposes. As a rule, this results in a tax rate of 1.5% of the total amount.
Most international businesses go straight to large expensive law firms to oversee their market entry in Germany. However, the problem with large firms is that although they know a lot in theory, they lack practical experience.
This is where we come in. firma.de is run by German entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs in Germany. We’ve first-hand experience helping literally 1000s of companies get started in Europe’s largest market and have seen it all. Most of it we could do in our sleep.
We use our experience to start your German operations in the fastest time possible at a fixed price and only connect you get a specialist consultant, lawyer or tax adviser involved only when it’s absolutely necessary. We use just-in-time principles for company formation!
Efficiency is important to us because unlike many of our competitors that charge by the hour, our prices are fixed.
Which company/legal form is the right for your business?
There are many factors to consider when deciding on the right legal form, including your company's objectives. To get this right, seeking expert advice is essential.
What exactly is a GmbH?
The abbreviation GmbH stands for Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, which translates to 'company with limited liability'.
All liabilities are covered by the company rather than the personal assets of its shareholders.
The corporate form is widespread in Germany and can be best compared to the US-American LLC, the British Inc. or Ltd and the Australian Pty, to name a few.
What is a UG?
A UG is a type of limited liability company introduced in Germany in 2008 to better serve the needs of entrepreneurs.
The UG is not a separate corporate structure to the GmbH, as is often assumed, but was created by legislation that modernised limited liability company law in Germany.
As such, the UG is also colloquially referred to as "Mini-GmbH" or "1-Euro-GmbH".
In addition to the classic UG, there are other hybrid forms to consider such as the UG & Co. KG, and the gUG, a not for profit UG.
What is an AG?
The Aktiengesellschaft (AG) - the German stock company - is a corporate structure with limited liability via share ownership, in which these shares are tradeable on the stock market.
If you want to grow your company as quickly as possible, the AG could be your best option. By selling company shares in the form of equity, you can raise capital without bureaucratic hassle.
An AG does not necessarily need to list on the stock exchange, but the listed AG is the more common variant.
What is a Holding?
A Holding is a parent company with at least one subsidiary that it holds shares in. In many cases, the parent company owns 100% of its subsidiary.
In recent years, the Holding has increased in popularity as a corporate model, introducing innovative company structures to startup ecosystems around the world.
For example, if there is more than one founder, it may be feasible for each founder to set up their own Holding that holds shares in different subsidiaries.
