Trustpilot
4.6
out of 5
Set up a UG in Cologne. From €1 share capital.
Sample protocol, notary appointment, Handelsregister – we handle the rest.
Integrations
Export and filing
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Qonto
Partner
The partner founders trust
Company formation, registrations and ongoing bookkeeping in one place. Anything that requires a licence is handled by notaries and tax advisors from our partner network.
Your UG in Cologne
In Cologne, the Amtsgericht Köln enters your UG in the Handelsregister, and the notary files the application electronically. It automatically becomes a member of the IHK Köln (Cologne chamber of commerce). After the entry, you register the trade with the city of Cologne. For tax, the Finanzamt (tax office) for your business address is responsible. The trade tax multiplier is 475%.
- Registry court
Amtsgericht Köln
Your UG is entered in the Handelsregister here. The notary files the application electronically.
- IHK
IHK Köln
Your UG automatically becomes a member. On request, the IHK checks in advance whether your company name can be registered.
- Trade office
Stadt Köln
After the entry, you register the trade with the city. We prepare the registration for you.
- Tax office
Based on your address
Cologne has several tax offices; the one for your business address is responsible. We prepare the tax registration questionnaire.
- Trade tax
Multiplier 475%
The city's multiplier determines your trade tax. Corporations have no tax-free allowance.
- Business address
Address in Cologne
No office yet? With a business address in Cologne, your UG gets an address for legal service.
View business address
How to set up your UG in Cologne
- 1
Describe your idea
Tell us in one sentence what your UG will do. The AI suggests the business purpose and structure.
- 2
Check the name
We check your preferred name against the Handelsregister, the German commercial register, before you commit to it.
Check your name now - 3
Notary appointment
Your sample protocol (Musterprotokoll) or articles of association are ready, and we arrange the notary appointment.
- 4
Registration and filings
Once the share capital is paid in, the registration goes to the Amtsgericht Köln. We prepare your trade and tax registrations.
What you should know about the UG
- § 5a Abs. 1, 2 GmbHG
From €1 share capital
The UG is a GmbH with a lower minimum capital. The share capital must be paid in full before registration, and contributions in kind are not allowed.
- § 13 Abs. 2 GmbHG
Limited liability
Only the company's assets are liable to creditors, not your private ones.
- § 5a Abs. 3 GmbHG
25% reserve
A quarter of the annual net profit goes into a statutory reserve until the UG has enough capital for a GmbH.
- § 5a Abs. 5 GmbHG
Become a GmbH later
If you increase the share capital to €25,000, the special rules no longer apply and your UG can trade as a GmbH.
- § 2 Abs. 1a GmbHG
Sample protocol
With up to three shareholders and one managing director, the statutory sample protocol is enough. That saves notary fees.
- § 2 Abs. 3 GmbHG
Notary online
The notarisation takes place by video call via the system of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, with no appointment in person.
Your formation runs in the background.
Company name checked
4 competitors analysed
Articles of association drafted
Agents support you from validating your idea all the way to forming your company.
Validation score
0%
+12%- Market potential+18
- Competition+14
- Suitable legal form+14
- Funding+12
Starting formation
Drafting articles of association …
We handle every official registration – from trade registration to registering with the tax office.
- Trade registrationFill in form …
- Tax registrationWaiting
- VAT returnWaiting
Your company is automatically connected to all the key registers and authorities.
Your bookkeeping starts clean from day one – every receipt lands in the right account from the start.
VAT payable for June
€2,827
Output VAT €5,016 − input VAT €2,189
JanFebMarAprMayJun
Payable to the tax officeInput VAT deducted
Just getting started? Set up your company with AI in record time
- to notarisation
- companies formed
- for formation and bookkeeping
- Trustpilot score
| Do it yourself | Traditional tax firm | firma.de | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation without dealing with authorities | You coordinate the notary appointment, business account and authorities yourself – around 8–12 hours of work. | Formations go through the notary and the registry court, not through the tax firm. | We coordinate the notary appointment, bank and authorities and handle every registration – you just sign. |
| Open tasks and deadlines always visible | Around 2–3 hours a month to keep track of everything yourself. | Status updates on request, usually without a portal of their own. | Visible in your account, included in every plan. |
| Dedicated bookkeeper, lawyer when needed – available around the clock | No fixed point of contact – you sort out tax and legal questions yourself. | Tax questions during office hours; for legal questions you also need a law firm. | A dedicated bookkeeper knows your company, our partner lawyers handle legal questions – and the AI agent answers around the clock. |
| Real-time bookkeeping incl. management reports and VAT returns | You do the bookkeeping, management reports and VAT returns yourself – around 4–6 hours a month. | Management reports and VAT returns only arrive after the month-end close, usually weeks later. | Every receipt is booked as soon as it arrives – management reports and VAT returns are always up to date. |
| Payroll in the same system | Hard to manage without dedicated software, and you are liable for the filings. | Around €10–20 per payslip and month. | Included from the Operations plan. |
| Annual accounts and e-balance sheet | Possible, but preparing and submitting them is then entirely up to you. | Around €1,000–2,500 a year, depending on size. | Included from the Growth plan, prepared by the partner tax firm. |
| Commercial register changes taken care of | Around 2–4 hours of preparation per change; the notary appointment remains mandatory. | Register changes go through the notary and the court, not through the tax firm. | We prepare the documents and coordinate the notary appointment. |
Times and costs are based on experience and depend on the individual case.
Formation takes a day. Running a company takes years.
VAT every month, payroll every month, annual accounts every year. firma.de keeps track of the deadlines and always shows where you really stand – your tax firm keeps working on the same data.
Get startedOne price for your entire business.
All official registrations included, three months free via the waitlist.
Start
from€99/month
Bookkeeping for sole traders and small companies.
Join the waitlistBook a demoIncluded:
- Notary and commercial register fees are set by law and charged to you directly by the notary. They are not part of the monthly price.Articles of association, notary appointment and commercial register (§ 7 GmbHG) in one go.
- You get the list of deadlines in your account and answers to your questions about it. From Growth, the partner tax firm provides tax advice.Every month, an overview of what's due: filings, payments, records.
- In the Start plan, we prepare the return and you submit it yourself. Under § 1 StBerG, submitting it on your behalf is reserved for tax advisors and is included from Growth.Fully prepared under § 18 UStG – you review it and submit it yourself via ELSTER.
- For example, the notification to the transparency register (§ 20 GwG), changes of shareholder and changes of address. Receipts and contracts are archived in an audit-proof way under § 147 AO. Register filings are notarised by the notary.Ongoing obligations, documents, filings with the authorities and company changes in one place.
- Terms, durations and availability are set by each provider and may change.Deals with Stripe, HubSpot, Google Workspace, SumSub and more.
RecommendedGrowth
from€199/month
For companies that want to hand over bookkeeping and annual accounts entirely.
Join the waitlistBook a demoEverything in Start, plus:
- A dedicated partner tax firm is responsible for filings and annual accounts – no rotating pool.Handles filings and submissions – you just approve.
- From here on, you no longer submit anything via ELSTER yourself. The tax firm takes responsibility for the submission.The partner tax firm submits VAT returns and other filings for you.
- Annual accounts includedPrepared and filed under § 242 HGB by your partner tax firm.
- Dedicated contactOne person who knows your case – no rotating hotline.
- Reports includedOpen items, revenue and costs per month and quarter.
Operations
from€399/month
For teams with staff, several accounts and their own requirements.
Join the waitlistBook a demoEverything in Growth, plus:
- PayrollPayslips, wage tax returns (§ 41a EStG) and social security filings for your team.
- Corporate income tax, trade tax and VAT returns plus the e-balance sheet for one company.E-balance sheet (§ 5b EStG), corporate, trade and VAT returns.
- Multiple accounts and loginsAll business accounts in one place, separate logins for your team and tax firm.
- Data migrationWe bring over receipts and balances from your old system, you keep booking.
- Priority supportRequests from you and your tax firm get priority – on bookkeeping, payroll and annual accounts.
All prices net, plus VAT. Services that require a licence are provided by our partner firms.
Partner deals worth €3,425 a year
Stripe
€500 credit on Stripe fees – for new Stripe customers.
Worth approx. €500 / year
Google Workspace
Three months of Workspace Business Standard free for your team.
Worth approx. €360 / year
HubSpot
30% off Starter and Professional in the first year.
Worth approx. €450 / year
Notion
Six months of Notion Plus with AI for your whole team.
Worth approx. €300 / year
Slack
25% off Slack Pro in the first year – for your team and tax firm.
Worth approx. €180 / year
Dropbox
Three months of Dropbox Business – share folders directly with your tax firm.
Worth approx. €150 / year
Registercheck
50,000 tokens for searches in the commercial and transparency registers.
Worth approx. €600 / year
Personio
Two months of Personio free for your first employees.
Worth approx. €360 / year
Values based on list prices; the partners' terms apply.
What founders say
“I set up my GmbH in a single afternoon. All the formation documents were prepared smoothly, and the commercial register application went out the next day.”
Rather talk first?
We'll go through setting up your UG in Cologne with you and answer your questions before you start.
What you can rely on
ELSTER
VAT returns and annual accounts go straight to the tax office via the ELSTER interface.
DATEV
Bookings and receipts are ready in DATEV format – your tax firm keeps working as usual.
- 4.6
Top-rated
4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Rated by founders who have actually used firma.de.
Made in Germany
Developed in Germany, servers in the EU, GDPR-compliant. Anything that requires a licence comes from tax advisors and notaries.
Frequently asked questions about the UG in Cologne
Which registry court is responsible for my UG in Cologne?
The Amtsgericht Köln. The notary files the application to the Handelsregister there electronically, so you don't have to go to the court yourself.
Does my UG need its own office in Cologne?
No. Your UG needs a business address in Cologne where it receives post. This can also be a business address you book with firma.de.
How much trade tax does a UG pay in Cologne?
Cologne levies trade tax with a multiplier (Hebesatz) of 475%. Unlike sole proprietorships, a UG has no tax-free allowance, so the tax is due from the first euro of trade income.
What is a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)?
The UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a GmbH with a lower minimum capital (§ 5a GmbHG). You can set it up with as little as €1 of share capital, and only the company's assets are liable to creditors. In return, it sets aside a quarter of its annual net profit until the capital is enough for a GmbH.
How do I set up a UG?
In four steps: define the business purpose, check your preferred name against the Handelsregister (the German commercial register), have the sample protocol or articles of association notarised, then pay in the share capital in full and register the UG with the Handelsregister. We prepare your trade and tax registrations.
How much share capital does a UG need?
At least €1. More is sensible, so the UG can cover its formation costs and is not over-indebted from the start. The share capital must be paid in full before registration with the Handelsregister.
What is the difference between a UG and a GmbH?
Legally, the UG is a GmbH, with the same limited liability. The differences: €1 instead of €25,000 minimum capital, a mandatory reserve of 25% of the annual net profit, the suffix “UG (haftungsbeschränkt)” in the name and no contributions in kind.
Do I need a notary for a UG?
Yes. The articles of association or sample protocol are notarised, and the application to the Handelsregister is certified by a notary. This can now also be done online by video.
How long does it take to set up a UG?
With firma.de, the notarisation is usually possible within 48 hours. How quickly the registration follows is up to the registry court.
How much does it cost to set up a UG?
On top of our package, there are notary and registry fees. They are set by law and depend, among other things, on the share capital and on whether you use the sample protocol. You'll see all costs at a glance before you book.
When does a UG have to build up reserves?
From the first annual net profit: a quarter of it, less any loss carried forward from the previous year, goes into the statutory reserve. It may only be used for a capital increase or to offset losses.
Can I set up a UG on my own?
Yes, as a single-shareholder UG. You are then both shareholder and managing director, which is particularly straightforward with the sample protocol.