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How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

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Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#241

Post by ccozan »

toast0 wrote: post #118
hnhg wrote: post #104

There is also a brutal and inflexible exit tax. Should you decide to leave Germany, even temporarily, you will be faced with a tax of ~30% of the current valuation of your worldwide shareholdings (in companies in which you have >1% ownership). I commented on this in more detail in another post a while back: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39786934#39788110 In the author's case, because he is using a holding comp…

From the article you linked in that comment[1], it seems like this exit tax only applied to companies where you own 1% or more? and it's structured as the capital gains tax, but due now, so on the current value minus your cost basis. The US has an exit tax if you renounce citizenship, and it's assessed on your entire net worth. If the article you linked is accurate, this german tax seems much more reasonable. EDIT: a…

This rule has been changed in 2006, see the wikipedia entry. Also the double tax rule allows you to tax the win in the target country and not Germany.

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#242

Post by type0 »

hariharan_uno wrote: post #160
nicbou wrote: post #114

I document German bureaucracy for a living,[0] and everything is like that. Every life event - immigrating, getting a job, getting married, having a child, buying a car - is mired in slow, paper-based bureaucracy. It is a constant, significant impediment to life in the country. Just last week, I was telling people that the best way to get married in Germany is to get married in Denmark. I cannot overstate how terribl…

I completely agree. I have been living here for 8 years, and recently applied for a permanent settlement permit. My application went into a blackhole for more than 4 months, while my existing permit expired, essentially making me a prisoner here (I can stay and work in Germany but if I travel internationally, I won't be allowed entry back). Meanwhile, my applications for a temporary travel permit were unanswered for…

They use this book called "Der Process" as a manual

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#244

Post by jjgreen »

whalesalad wrote: post #170
nicbou wrote: post #114

I document German bureaucracy for a living,[0] and everything is like that. Every life event - immigrating, getting a job, getting married, having a child, buying a car - is mired in slow, paper-based bureaucracy. It is a constant, significant impediment to life in the country. Just last week, I was telling people that the best way to get married in Germany is to get married in Denmark. I cannot overstate how terribl…

What are the redeeming qualities of Germany?

The sausage

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#245

Post by seabass-labrax »

frankjr wrote: post #65

Not sure if that's common in Germany but you can use services which offer "empty" but legally established companies and you just change the name.

Do they also sell really old ones, so you can start in business and immediately advertise with a slogan like "since 1950"? This is something that has been somewhat common in Britain with businesses such as breweries, as provenance is highly valued by the market, yet not generally examined with much rigour!

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#247

Post by mensetmanusman »

whalesalad wrote: post #170
nicbou wrote: post #114

I document German bureaucracy for a living,[0] and everything is like that. Every life event - immigrating, getting a job, getting married, having a child, buying a car - is mired in slow, paper-based bureaucracy. It is a constant, significant impediment to life in the country. Just last week, I was telling people that the best way to get married in Germany is to get married in Denmark. I cannot overstate how terribl…

What are the redeeming qualities of Germany?

The most beautiful cities at night, especially Dresden. You never need to own a car, amazing beer, awesome Turkish food, awesome dance clubs in old castles or rundown industrial parks; also life is 10 times better if you're a student :)

(I lived in Germany for about a year as an American college exchange student)

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#249

Post by rcbdev »

type0 wrote: post #242
hariharan_uno wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I completely agree. I have been living here for 8 years, and recently applied for a permanent settlement permit. My application went into a blackhole for more than 4 months, while my existing permit expired, essentially making me a prisoner here (I can stay and work in Germany but if I travel internationally, I won't be allowed entry back). Meanwhile, my applications for a temporary travel permit were unanswered for…

They use this book called "Der Process" as a manual

You can really feel that Kafka was an Austrian in his writings.

Re: How to found a company in Germany: 14 "easy" steps and lots of pain

#250

Post by globalise83 »

fl7305 wrote: post #58
leononame wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ugh, tell me about it. I'm in the process of closing one and have been for 1.5 years now. I think we're close, but who knows. I certainly don't

In Sweden you can sell your company to a specialized company that will dissolve it for you (for example this one: https://www.standardbolag.com/services/liquidation ). This can be done in a matter of 1-2 weeks. In Sweden, you can of course also choose to dissolve it yourself, but nobody does that since it takes years, and it's pretty cheap to let someone else take care of it for you. It sounds like the same service i…

If not, my next question would be: what kind of process do you need to go through to sell a company in Germany? :)
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