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Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

paolino.me

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Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#761

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans IRL only rarely have Confederate flags these days. If you want to discuss the extreme right, say so.

I see them IRL in Washington state, which makes them unthinkably common IMO. But it is hilarious to see you respond so defensively to my comment saying Americans dislike criticism of their country.

Ah, so pointing out the truth is "so defensive". Amazing!

Yes, there are members of the extreme right even in WA state. There's more of them in red states, but there's certainly some in blue states as well.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#762

idk I founded a UG within a few weeks recently. Yeh it costs me maybe a thousand or so in notary fees but that's it.

A 1000 or so is … “that’s it”?

I mean if you have an idea or project that convinces you its worth to found a company, a thousand bucks is not a great hinderance. If the 1000 bucks are a hinderance you probably shouldnt found a company. It's a decent filter if you are serious about it.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#763

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> which a bit less start capital. You may consider a capital stock of "at least 1€" even significantly less than 25k€. Not sure you are arguing in good faith.

Start capital is not the only capital you need. UG forces you to pay 3-4.000€ per year on tax compliance. LLC costs 200-300$. > Not sure you are arguing in good faith. You are the one completely ignoring the running costs of UG (the same or bigger than GmbH) just to make UG look better than it really is. Now, please tell who is not arguing in good faith?

> UG forces you to pay 3-4.000€ per year on tax compliance.

Even in if that was true, the 25k€ difference remains (since the tax overhead is identical). Hardly what people would consider "a bit". Let's say the start capital is 3k€ for the UG and respectively 28k€ for the GmbH. That's almost a magnitude difference. And usually taxes become a challenge only when there is anything to tax or book. Are you "forced" to have a Steuerberater without revenue?

I am not even defending the situation. Just calling out your characterization.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#764
post #639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you've lived in many EU or Asian countries... While incorporation sucks in France, Spain, and Germany, in most North European countries, East European countries, and even in most Balkan countries, it's a breeze (when compared to Germany).

Incorporation might be easy in some places but then getting a bank account for the company is hard if you or some of other shareholders don't live there; then you still have nothing useful and a lot of paperwork to go.

That's completely irrelevant to the discussion. Creating a bank account as a non-resident is even in the US not that straight forward.

Let me guess, you're German? Germans will say they're not very patriotic, but really the way German patriotism manifests is a resistance to outside criticism paired with a stubborn insistence that it's worse in other countries.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#765
post #588

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the person that wants to sell that ultra-unique item that isn't produced by mega-corp, and the person that wants to buy that ultra-unique item despite unfavorable return policies never gets their needs met.

Why would that be the case? Maybe you’re thinking of customised or commissioned items, which are an exception explicitly called out in the law and require a defect by the seller to return (so you can’t just return eg a painting made for you on a whim, but if it arrives damaged, you can)

Thats good to know, but I'm talking about that person that's trying to start a business, without incurring massive liability, doing small run 3d print jobs, some early run smart home device, some small one person SaaS, crochet niche hobby things, etc...

The type of thing that might go from side gig to actual long running business that could end up employing a bunch of people.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#766
post #734
post #485

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Say that to Tempo! It's like hoover or ipad, a word people use in place of the real product name, and no matter which brand the product is actually made by (a no-brand piece of paper is still referred to as Tempo) It they're allowed to trade as Tempo in Germany, why isn't a company allowed to be called Plenty? I agree it would be nicer if you couldn't hijack a normal word in the hopes it does well enough that people…

Company names != brand names. Brand names != registered trademarks. They could probably call it "Plenty Apps GmbH" and that would be fine.

If the company name didn't matter and has rules that may not fit your product strategy, why don't people use a password generator for the name and then trade products as whatever brand they like?

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#767

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say Europe in general. And I get the sense they don't aspire to social mobility either, the way Americans do.

Honestly why should I? As long as I have anything I want.

The causality might not be what you think. You're happy with what you have because you don't see a path to getting substantially more.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#769

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a German proverb I enjoy. "Am deutschen Wesen soll die Welt genesen", which roughly means "The world shall be healed through the German spirit/nature." It implies German cultural and/or moral superiority and was used in earnest during the 19th century by nationalists. It's use often has a more ironic character now, but it's proponents are alive and well.

Yeah that is the idea which materialized in getting colonies at the turn of the previous century and in the actions of the third empire. I don't think that sentiment is shared by a sizable population anymore.

German arrogance, namely that we‘re doing it best and that our way is the only way, is still alive and kicking.

Re: Founding a company in Germany: €9600, 152 days and I still can't send an invoice

#770
Germany is a different kind of joke but everything OP listed smells fishy and scammy to be honest. I have a German company and there costs are not that massive. It took one notary meeting and some bills but the way he sets everything up looks… weird and convoluted. So he had to pay arm and a leg.
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