{"id":4484,"date":"2026-07-06T10:29:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T08:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/?page_id=4484"},"modified":"2026-07-06T14:54:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T12:54:26","slug":"gewerbe-ug-or-gmbh","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/gewerbe-ug-or-gmbh\/","title":{"rendered":"Gewerbe, UG or GmbH \u2014 what to start with in Germany?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"progress\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<header>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <a href=\"\/en\/\" class=\"brand\" aria-label=\"BWLAW\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"BWLAW\" width=\"42\" height=\"28\"><\/a>\n    <nav aria-label=\"Main navigation\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Cars<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\" class=\"active\">Knowledge base<\/a>\n      <a href=\"\/en\/#zespol\">Team<\/a>\n    <\/nav>\n    <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n    <button class=\"burger\" aria-label=\"Menu\">\u2630<\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n<section class=\"shero\" style=\"padding-bottom:3.5rem\">\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\n  <div class=\"wrap\" style=\"grid-template-columns:1fr\">\n    <div>\n      <nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><span>\/<\/span><b>Corporate<\/b><\/nav>\n      <span class=\"eyebrow\">Corporate<\/span>\n      <h1 style=\"max-width:24ch\">Gewerbe, UG or GmbH \u2014 what to start with in Germany?<\/h1>\n      <p class=\"lead\">The first big question of every start in Germany. The answer hangs on three things: the risk you carry, the budget for the start \u2014 and who you want to sell to.<\/p>\n      <div class=\"art-meta\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-karolina-wroblewska.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Karolina Wr\u00f3blewska\" width=\"46\" height=\"46\" loading=\"lazy\">\n        <div><b>Dr. Karolina Wr\u00f3blewska<\/b>Rechtsanw\u00e4ltin \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\n        <div style=\"margin-left:1rem;border-left:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25);padding-left:1rem\">\u2248 6 min read<br>updated: July 2026<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<article class=\"sec\">\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Sole proprietorship: the simplest<\/h3>\n      <p>A registered trade (Gewerbe) costs little and has minimal formalities. The price: you are liable with your private assets, and to some B2B customers you look less robust. For smaller services and testing the market, often entirely sufficient.<\/p>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">The UG (haftungsbeschr\u00e4nkt): liability protection from 1 euro<\/h3>\n      <p>The &#8220;small GmbH&#8221;: from 1 \u20ac capital, liability limited to company assets, but with a duty to retain 25 % of annual profit until 25,000 \u20ac is reached (then conversion into a GmbH is possible). A good interim step on a small budget \u2014 though the suffix &#8220;haftungsbeschr\u00e4nkt&#8221; is sometimes read in the market as a sign of weakness.<\/p>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">The GmbH: the market standard<\/h3>\n      <p>With 25,000 \u20ac share capital (at least 12,500 \u20ac paid in before registration) the GmbH is the most recognised form \u2014 with banks, business partners and authorities. Formation and accounting cost more, but with real contract risk and growth plans it is usually the right choice.<\/p>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Three control questions<\/h3>\n      <ul>\n        <li>What risk does your business generate? (construction, transport, products = high risk \u2192 limited liability),<\/li>\n        <li>Who is your customer? (large B2B customers expect a GmbH),<\/li>\n        <li>Do you already have a company abroad? (then also calculate the branch office option).<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"mini-cta rv\"><b>Does this affect you?<\/b><span style=\"color:var(--ink-soft);font-size:.92rem\">Describe your case \u2014 we reply concretely and quickly.<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"margin-top:1.5rem\">\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.1rem\">Related topics<\/h3>\n      <div class=\"chips\" style=\"margin-top:.8rem\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law in Germany \u2192<\/a>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">GmbH formation step by step \u2192<\/a>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/branch-office-germany\/\">Branch office \u2192<\/a>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n<section class=\"sec alt\">\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"lawyer rv\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-karolina-wroblewska.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Karolina Wr\u00f3blewska\" width=\"96\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\">\n      <div>\n        <b>Dr. Karolina Wr\u00f3blewska<\/b>\n        <div class=\"role\">Rechtsanw\u00e4ltin \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\n        <p>Author of this article. Represents clients before courts across Germany. <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/karolina-wroblewska\/\">View profile \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p style=\"font-size:.78rem;color:var(--ink-soft);margin-top:1.2rem;max-width:70ch\">This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The law may change \u2014 consult a lawyer about your individual case.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"cta-end\">\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <span class=\"eyebrow rv\">Contact<\/span>\n    <h2 class=\"rv d1\">Does your situation look similar?<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"rv d2\">Every case has details that change the outcome. Describe yours \u2014 you will get a concrete answer and a cost overview.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"row rv d3\">\n      <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Describe your case <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"phone\">\u260e +49 335 553 10969<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<footer>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"foot-grid\">\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-brand\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"Logo BWLAW\" width=\"38\" height=\"26\"><\/div>\n        <p>Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<br>Rudolf-Breitscheid-Stra\u00dfe 10<br>15230 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany<br><a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\">+49 335 553 10969<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"mailto:info@bwlaw.de\">info@bwlaw.de<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Practice areas<\/div>\n        <ul>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law \/ VOB\/B<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Defective car from Germany<\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Legal<\/div>\n        <ul>\n          <li><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/impressum\/\">Legal notice (Impressum)<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy policy<\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"foot-bottom\">\n      <span>\u00a9 2026 BWLAW \u00b7 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<\/span>\n      <span>Rechtsanw\u00e4lte \u00b7 attorneys-at-law \u00b7 Frankfurt (Oder)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/footer>\n\n<div class=\"sticky-cta\">\n  <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"call\">\u260e Call us<\/a>\n  <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"book\">Describe your case<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction law Debt collection Corporate law Employment law Cars Knowledge base Team Contact a lawyer \u2192 \u2630 Home\/Knowledge base\/Corporate Corporate Gewerbe, UG or GmbH \u2014 what to start with in Germany? The first big question of every start in Germany. The answer hangs on three things: the risk you carry, the budget for the start [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4417,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Gewerbe, UG or GmbH \u2014 how to start in Germany? | BWLAW","rank_math_description":"Sole proprietorship, UG (haftungsbeschr\u00e4nkt) or GmbH? Liability, costs, taxes and market perception compared \u2014 clearly and with examples.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Gewerbe UG or GmbH start business Germany","rank_math_robots":[]},"class_list":["post-4484","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"bwlaw_import":{"lang":"en","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4484"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4879,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4484\/revisions\/4879"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}