Guides
Guides to doing business in Germany
Clear, sourced answers for international founders: legal forms, capital, tax, banking, exit and emerging sectors.
Freelancer (Freiberufler) vs GmbH in Germany (2026)
Freiberufler vs GmbH: no trade tax, no register, simple EÜR, but a GmbH erases all of it (§8(2) KStG). When incorporating still makes sense, sourced.
Read guide →German VAT Thresholds 2026
German VAT thresholds, current: Kleinunternehmer €25k/€100k (2025), nil for foreign firms, €10k EU OSS line. Rates 19%/7%. When a GmbH should opt out.
Read guide →Geschäftsführer Duties & Personal Liability in Germany
What a German managing director must do (§43 GmbHG) and where personal, even criminal, liability bites: tax (§69 AO), social security, insolvency (§15a).
Read guide →Gewerbesteuer (Trade Tax) in Germany
Trade tax = 3.5% × your city's Hebesatz (min 200%). Who pays, the €24,500 allowance, §8/§9 add-backs, and the §35 credit a GmbH can't use.
Read guide →GmbH vs UG
GmbH or UG? Same legal form, two starting points. Compare capital, liability, credibility, tax and the UG-to-GmbH path in a balanced 2026 guide.
Read guide →Minimum Capital in Germany
GmbH €25,000, UG €1, AG €50,000: what each form really needs, what paid-in means, and why the €1 company is a myth. A primary-law-sourced 2026 guide.
Read guide →Notary Requirements for German Company Formation (2026)
Why a German notary is mandatory for a GmbH, what they do and cost, whether you can form online by video, and the eID trap for non-EU founders. 2026 guide.
Read guide →Sole Proprietorship vs GmbH in Germany (2026 Guide)
Einzelunternehmen vs GmbH compared: €0 vs €25,000 capital, unlimited vs limited liability, ~47.5% vs ~30% tax, sourced, plus when each wins.
Read guide →Start a Business in Germany as a Foreigner
Any nationality can own and run a German company, no residency needed. The ordered, English step-by-step for foreign founders, with the visa and bank truth.
Read guide →English-speaking · Düsseldorf
Ready to set up your German company?
Talk to our English-speaking team about GmbH, UG or AG formation, tax and ongoing compliance.