Becoming self-employed in Germany

Member since 22 September 2020

PHKabroadMember12 November 2020 08:24:56

Hello!!

I'm looking to get started on becoming a contractor in Berlin.

I work in digital marketing, and am wondering which bracket I fall into: Freiberuflich or Gewerbetreibende

If it is the latter, then does anyone have an idea of timelines for registering?

Any other useful information would also be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

beppi Germany - Singapore Expert

Member since 08 August 2010

Germany & Singapore Expert

beppiGermany - Singapore Expert13 November 2020 08:26:30

15425

Becoming self-employed in Germany requires quite a bit of formalities and (in my opinion) is not advisable without near-fluent German language skills or a German professional adviser (for a fee) on topics like business incorporation, registration, licensing, accounting, taxes and, last not least, visa matters. German officialdom will only deal with you in German - and it is convoluted legalese German which is difficult to understand even for a native speaker.
The difference between "Freiberufler" and "Gewerbe" (frelancer and business) is explained on the following webpage (and others as well):
https://www.selbststaendig.de/unterschi … eiberufler
If you do not understand this, ask your professional adviser. It is not wise to depend on answers from strangers on an Internet forum for such important legal issues.