Company Incorporation in Germany: all you need to know

Starting a business in Germany can be an exciting adventure, but it can also be daunting. There’s so much to think about, from choosing the right business structure to preparing the required paperwork.

That’s where Clevver comes in. We’re a digital company formation platform that’s here to make the process of incorporating your company in Germany as easy and stress-free as possible.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and to get started on your enterpreneurial journey.

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    The advantages of incorporating your company in Germany with Clevver

    Here are just a few of the advantages of using Clevver to incorporate your company in Germany:

    • Convenience: We offer a fully digital incorporation process, so you can start your business from anywhere in the world without having to travel to Germany.
    • Expertise: Our team of experienced professionals is here to help you with every step of the process, from choosing the right business structure to preparing the required documentation.
    • Affordability: Our incorporation services are competitively priced, and we offer a variety of packages to suit your budget.
    • Speed: We can incorporate your company in as little as a few days, so you can start trading quickly.

    But more than that, we’re here to support you on your entrepreneurial journey. We understand that starting a new business is a big deal, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.

    So if you’re thinking about incorporating a company in Germany, we encourage you to get in touch. We’re here to make the process as easy and quick as possible, so you can focus on what’s really important: building your business.

    Get in touch with our Incorporation Experts

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      Incorporating a company in Germany by yourself – all the steps

      1. Choose the company form. There are several different types of company forms available in Germany, such as GmbH, AG, and KG. The best type of company for you will depend on your individual circumstances and business needs.
      2. Choose a company name. Your company name must be unique and distinguishable from other businesses in your jurisdiction.
      3. Define the company objective (Unternehmensgegenstand). This is a brief statement that describes the purpose of your company.
      4. Apply for an IHK check at the chamber of commerce. This is a check to ensure that your company name is available and does not infringe on the trademarks of other businesses.
      5. Prepare your articles of association (Gesellschaftsvertrag). This document outlines the basic structure and rules of your company, such as the name of the company, its purpose, the number of shares authorized, and the rights and responsibilities of shareholders and directors.
      6. Get a notary appointment. A notary is a public official who can witness and verify the signatures on your company’s articles of association. Make sure to bring all of the necessary documentation to your notary appointment, such as the IHK check, your ID, your articles of association, the shareholders’ list and your share capital.
      7. Open a business bank account. Once you have had your articles of association notarized, you can open a business bank account. This will allow you to deposit your company’s share capital and start conducting business transactions.
      8. Deposit the share capital (Stammkapital). The Stammkapital is the minimum amount of capital that your company must have in order to be registered. The amount of Stammkapital required depends on the type of company you are setting up.
      9. Send the share capital’s deposit slip to the notary. The notary will need to see proof that the Stammkapital has been deposited into a business bank account before they can register your company.
      10. Register the company at the commercial register (Handelsregister). The Handelsregister is the German commercial register. There is a fee to register your company with the Handelsregister. Once you have paid the Handelsregister invoice, your company will be entered into the Handelsregister. This process can take a few weeks.

      Once your company has been entered into the Handelsregister, it will be officially registered and you can start doing business.

      In addition to the above, you may also need to:

      • Register with your local trade office (Gewerbeamt). This is required for most businesses in Germany.
      • Get your company’s Ust.-ID (VAT ID) from the tax office (Finanzamt). This is required if you will be charging VAT on your sales.
      • Register with the Transparency Register. This is required for all businesses in Germany that have more than 25 employees or a turnover of more than €10 million.
      • Get a tax advisor. A tax advisor can help you to understand and comply with the German tax system.
      • Create a bookkeeping system. You will need to set up a bookkeeping system to track your company’s income and expenses.
      • Plan your company’s year-end accounting (Jahresabschluss). This is the annual financial report that all businesses in Germany must prepare.
      • Get an insurance. It is important to have adequate insurance coverage for your business, such as liability insurance and property insurance.
      • Set up a payroll accounting system. If you will be employing employees, you will need to set up a payroll accounting system to calculate and pay their wages and taxes.

      Company incorporation in Germany

      Starting a business has perhaps never been easier than today, with the internet providing anyone the ability to market to a global audience wherever they are from. That is the dream often sold, and it is mostly true, but what is also true is that location still matters.

      Yes, you can have a website and market a business based anywhere you want, but for many market sectors, and many potential clients and customers, having a business with local connections, an address or a phone number in Germany for instance, are still important.

      Our services allows anyone to take advantage of that, offering you the chance to set up a virtual office in Berlin with local addresses and phone numbers for Germany for example.

      But sometimes more is needed, as having a business incorporated in Germany or any one of the world’s wealthiest countries brings with it much more than just a local profile. Our incorporation service in Germany means that your organization carries with it the reputation of an economic powerhouse, the trust, reliability and longevity associated with business from Germany.

      Our incorporation service in Germany is a digital service, with minimum paperwork requirement for you. The process has been streamlined to ensure that our application gathers all the required information from you, and then automatically generates all the required documents saving time and effort.

      You personally never have to visit Germany to complete the process, all dealings with official authorities such as the Handelsregister or Gewerbeamt will be done in Germany itself on your behalf.

      Your Clevvermail address can be used as the legal company address, whilst we also provide legal and tax advisors that are trustworthy for your convenience. As such, we feel this is the simplest and most convenient solution available for an incorporation service in Germany and are very proud of what we offer.

      Although our address and phone number services provide a true local profile for a business, having an organization incorporated in Germany truly makes it a local business, making it perfect for the longer term success of any business entering the German market.

      Having that GMBH Company is a mark of trust and excellence and allows the organization to employ local people. This makes the incorporation service in Germany ideal for businesses that have expanded into the German market using our Clevvermail services and now want to solidify their market position further with a more permanent and recognisable German presence.