Buy a ready-made company and account in Germany in 2022

If you want to quickly start a business in Germany, we recommend buying a shelf company. In this way, you will save time spent on its registration, and you will be able to start working immediately after the transfer of ownership. A huge plus is that a ready-made company and account in Germany in 2022 can be bought remotely through intermediaries.

What companies can be bought in Germany

There are two types of shelf companies you can buy in Germany:

• An operating company with a staff, customer base, etc;
• Vorratsgesellschaft (shelf companies) - were created for the sole purpose of resale, so never actively worked, have a clean history;
• Mantelgesellschaft - worked for a while, but things did not go well and they closed down. To get some of the money back, the owners decided to sell them rather than liquidate them.

When buying a ready-made company in Germany, investors should check it thoroughly. This will help avoid a situation where the seller claims that the legal entity was not involved in business operations and has no loans, but in fact worked and got into a serious debt.

What ready-made company purchase includes

A buyer who has purchased a ready-made company receives:

• A privately owned or publicly traded limited liability company;
• A unique name that includes the abbreviation of the business form;
• A date of registration in the German Commercial Registry - the older the better for the business, as such businesses are trusted by customers and banks;
• Tax status, which reflects the real financial situation of the company;
• Tax identification number;
• Corporate bank account in Germany in 2022, in which the share capital should be deposited.

The seller can retain the legal address of the company (a mandatory condition), but such a service involves additional costs. If you are looking for a new place, you can temporarily record the company at a virtual address.

How to buy a ready-made company

Selling/buying ready-made company is simple - you need to transfer shares to the new owner. Documents must be drawn up by a notary public in Germany. All papers must be notarized and the buyer must provide identification documents.

The customer can buy a company in Germany in person or remotely by drawing up a power of attorney for IT OFFSHORE. The purchase consists of these steps:

• Booking the company - contact our specialists and we will provide options;
• Sending documents through a secure online form;
• Payment - pre-payment or after purchase is possible. In the first case the client becomes the owner at once and can start work on the first day. In the second option the client transfers the amount after signing the documents at the notary, after which the lawyer gives a confirmation. Another option - the client deposits the amount at the notary on a special account. After the transaction, the lawyer gives the seller the money, after which the contract comes into force immediately;

If the buyer was present at the transaction in person, the work can begin immediately; Remote certification process takes 1 to 3 weeks.

After the purchase

After the purchase of a ready-made company in Germany 2022, the new owner can change in the Memorandum (if any) and Articles of Association the following elements:

• company name;
• the main business activity;
• registered address;
• the board of directors and the management.

All changes have to be submitted to the German Trade Register.

Expenses

Buying a ready-made company is more expensive than starting a business from scratch. It includes:

• The price of the shares;
• Notary fees: around €1200 for GmbH, €800 for UG, excluding VAT;
• Services for change of company data in the Commercial Registry - from €60 to €300;
• Business registration at the Office of Public Order (Ordnungsamt) - from €15 to €55, depending on municipality. Companies engaged in asset management and real estate management do not need to register.