Company formation in Germany
Germany has a corporate tax rate of 30%. Companies that operate under VAT have to pay tax on purchases at 19%. Certain services, like those related to some foodstuffs, water supplies, medical equipment for disabled persons, some domestic passenger transport, intra-community and international passenger transport for certain road, rail and inland waterway transportation, and others, benefit from a 7% VAT rate.

Germany
Business Expansion





Popular company applications
German corporate structures are mostly used for:
- VAT company
- Ready-made company
- Trading company
Corporate Registration requirements
Requirements for registering a company in Germany include:
- Requires at least 1 director
- Requires at least 1 shareholder
- Minimum share capital 25 000 EUR
Bank account introduction
Bank account introductions in Germany are offered with:
- DZ Bank
- Commerzbank
- Credit for Reconstruction
- Deutsche Bank
- UniCredit Bank
- HSBC Bank
- Evangelische Bank
- Edekabank
- HSH Nordbank
- ING-DiBa
- LIGA Bank
- SEB Bank
- Bank NORD
Please consider to browse our full bank directory, if a bank is not listed here.
Registration timescale
Where do I begin?
In order to commence incorporation and bank account introduction, we will require certain corporate documents and identification information.
Please ask us for details.
Advantages of forming a company in Germany
There are several advantages of forming a company in Germany, according to the World Bank report on ease of doing business
.
Please consider registering a company in Germany, especially, if your country of domicile has certain complications (namely political, regulatory or tax-related).
Fast and straightforward incorporation procedure | Well-developed infrastructure |
Low incorporation and maintenance costs | Flexible corporate legislation |
EU-funded business support programme available | Germany is not on any of the offshore blacklists. |
Germany offers attractive benefits for companies and, depending on the industry, favourable legal structures. Please contact us now.
Top-choice legal structures
According to data from the German Commercial Register, the following business structures (legal entities) are the most frequently registered:
- Public Limited Company
- Private Company Limited By Shares
The company formation procedure
Company formation in Germany involves a number of stages of varying complexity and therefore requires professional assistance. The Confidus Solutions team will prepare legal documents, assist with registration and finalise the incorporation procedure.
Setting up business
Before your documents can be prepared, you must choose a business type and a name for your company. Confidus Solutions can validate all the relevant information and draft the incorporation documents.
Registering a legal entity
In order to register your company, Confidus Solutions will submit all the prepared documents to the German Commercial Register. This procedure will take approximately two weeks.
Finalisation of company set-up
As Confidus Solutions takes care of all stages of the company registration process, we will assist with finalising the set-up of your company as well. Usually this includes receiving the incorporation documents and any other additional documents that you may require.
Company incorporation documents
When registering a company in Germany, you may require the following:
- Application blank
- Articles of association
- Shareholder list
- Shareholder agreement
Please note that the required documents can vary on a case-by-case basis.
Incorporation expenses
To find out what a basic company incorporation package in Germany will cost you, use the form below. If you require a more complex, tax-optimised structure, we can discuss this via our contact form — please ask us for details.
Summary of incorporation expenses
Additional expenses may arise if you choose a different legal entity or require a bank account, virtual office or perhaps a website.
Additional business support
We offer several additional services for your company. With us, you can purchase a ready-made company in Germany. Enquire now!
Opening a corporate bank account in Germany
Confidus Solutions will act as a banking agent for your corporate bank account in Germany. All you need to do is select a bank:
Virtual office services for companies in Germany
Your company in Germany may not only receive letters, but also phone calls, so instead of renting a registered address with just a post office box, it is much more convenient to rent a virtual office. A virtual office includes a registered company address, a local mailbox, a local phone number and mail and call forwarding.
Accounting services for German companies
In order to operate a business, your company will require a professional accountant to keep records, prepare the payroll, carry out transactions and compile and submit tax reports.
We also offer company registration packages in Germany with accounting services — please ask for more information.
Online presence
Finally, a website for the German market can be added to your company registration package. Various options are available, from an inexpensive, basic website to a comprehensive e-commerce site with full-fledged SEO optimisation.
VAT special rate application
Special tax rate applies to some foodstuffs, water supplies, medical equipment for disabled persons, some domestic passenger transport, intra-community and international passenger transport for certain road, rail and inland waterway transportation, books (excluding e-books), newspapers and periodicals, admission to cultural events, writers and composers, some agricultural supplies (fertilizers), hotel accomodation, certain admission to sports events, social services, medical and dental care, firewood, some timber for industrial use, take away food, cut flowers and plants for decorative use and food production, taxation of some gold coins and jewellery.