I am an electrician. Got my certification done with Handwerkskammer, went to the city hall, registered my company and filled online form rejecting the option with VAT number since all my clients are in greater Munich area. Same path could be chosen with VAT number. Ranting about choosing most complex business form and having no money for a consultant is not adequate in my eyes. Btw I am always liable as electrician (since it is dangerous) and can’t hide behind limited liability company in Germany.

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ExoticPearTree 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Ranting about choosing most complex business form and having no money for a consultant is not adequate in my eyes.

You shouldn't need a consultant to open a company. Should be a form and that's it. Maybe an accountant to certify your books, but that's it.

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fhars 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

They are not trying to just open a company, they are trying to create one the more complex nested company setups allowed by German law.

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mb_thd 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you're choosing to go with the most complicated way of setting up a company, a consultant probably doesn't hurt.

	▲	Ekaros 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		When you choose that you need double layer of limited liability. Maybe having a consultant is extremely good idea. To understand exactly what you need to do at both layers. And maybe in such setup some slow down should be fully expected. As one layer is acting for the other in your stead... To me things taking longer and being more complicated sounds entirely reasonable and natural in such setup...

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bildung 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

And you really don't have to. I just went to one a single meeting, signed a single piece of paper, paid 60€ (probably still <100€ these days) and was done with it. But as GP already alluded to: I didn't choose the structure that is very well known to be the complicated one.

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thomas-skowron 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Btw I am always liable as electrician (since it is dangerous) and can’t hide behind limited liability company in Germany.

Under some circumstances you can be held liable through a GmbH, but not generally speaking.

> rejecting the option with VAT number

Means you are planning to run a small business (making less than minimum wage on a yearly basis), also you are opting out of Vorsteuerabzug. Anyone that wants to live off their business needs VAT. And that is given by Bundeszentralamt für Steuern and the wait times are often excruciating.

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Urahandystar 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

But his clients aren't all the the greater Munich area so how is that even similar? Surely having a complex form is the issue as this is what fits his needs. Why does the form need to be complicated?