To register a business in Germany, the business owner will be required to contact a notary who will file an electronic form. For most companies in Germany, registration in the commercial register is part of the establishment process. For such companies, the limitation of liability won’t be effective until the company is fully registered. The criteria for business registration include capital resources, number of employees, commercial accounting use, and expected annual turnover.
Registration in the commercial register starts with obtaining the business’s name at the industry and commerce local chamber. Then, you notarize the association files and open a business bank account. The notary files all the articles and notifies the labor office about the business and establishment standards. Then, you’ll register with the trade professionals and notify the local labor office about the company’s establishment. Then, you’ll register employees for social and health insurance and forward the documentation to the Tax Office.
Smaller businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers don’t need to register in the commercial register. The German commercial register provides information about the relationships between commercial businesses and merchants. Every piece of information in the register is public and can be accessed by all companies. The register contains information such as the name of partners, dissolving of a company, liability limitations, the managing director, and others.