Starting & registering – guides

AI-proof IT skills: your route to self-employment in Germany

Hardly any industry feels the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) as directly as IT. Systems write code, analyse data, find bugs and test applications – taking on tasks that until now made up the core work of many IT professionals....

Starting a business at 16 or 17: registering a Gewerbe as a minor in Germany

A street food van in the car park of an Edeka supermarket in the town of Rheine, a 17-year-old behind the counter – and on paper the business belongs to his mother. The story of Noel Schnieders, who opened his...

Self-employed in Germany in 2026: opportunities, taxes and the pension reform

According to various estimates, between 3.5 and 4 million people in Germany work for themselves – as sole traders (Einzelunternehmer), members of the liberal professions (Freiberufler) or small business owners (Kleinunternehmer). To a large extent they form the backbone of...

Self-employment in Germany: costs, taxes and the route to your own company

Germany is actively recruiting skilled workers from all over the world. According to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), labour migration to Germany more than doubled from 2020 – from around 200,000 to 420,000 people by June 2025. The...