Vivid Editorial Team

The Vivid editorial team writes about company formation, finance and self-employment, with practical guides on business accounts, taxes and funding for founders and the self-employed.

Mini-GmbH: a small purple office building standing on a rose-gold coin
Company formation

Mini-GmbH: formation, costs, pros and cons

What lies behind the Mini-GmbH, how the formation works in seven steps, what it costs and when the switch to a GmbH pays off.

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OHG meaning: two game pieces on one shared pedestal beneath the letters OHG
Company formation

OHG meaning: what is an OHG, explained simply?

What the abbreviation OHG means, how a German general partnership works in legal terms and what it involves day to day: liability, management, taxes, formation and costs.

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Starting a subcontracting business: a purple building block sliding into the free gap of a silver structure
Company formation

Starting a subcontracting business in Germany: meaning, requirements and steps

What a subcontractor is, how working with the main contractor works and which steps, costs, taxes and liability questions come with setting up a subcontracting business in Germany.

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GbR meaning: two puzzle pieces joining into one shared piece
Company formation

GbR meaning: what is a GbR, explained simply?

What the abbreviation GbR stands for, what a German civil-law partnership is in legal terms and how it works day to day: liability, taxes, representation, pros and cons.

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GmbH profit distribution: a coin split into three pieces of different sizes
Company formation

GmbH profit distribution: rules, calculation and example

Who owns the profit of a GmbH, who decides on the payout and how is it split? Rules, the calculation with a table, taxes and losses at a glance.

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What you can deduct from your taxes: a laptop and a receipt in a tray beneath a minus sign
Tax & regulation

What can you deduct from your taxes in Germany? Overview and tips

What can you deduct from your taxes in Germany? Work-related expenses, insurance, commuting, family and household costs at a glance, with the 2026 amounts and tips for the tax return.

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What is a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)?
Company formation

What is a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)?

What is a UG (haftungsbeschränkt)? How to set one up from 1 euro of share capital, what the reserve obligation means and when a GmbH suits you better.

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Legal form of a Kleingewerbe in Germany: sole proprietorship for one founder, GbR for several
Company formation

Legal form of a Kleingewerbe: which one do you actually have?

A Kleingewerbe is not a legal form of its own. Which legal form sits behind it, what belongs in Elster and in the Anlage EÜR, and how it differs from Kleinunternehmer status.

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Sole proprietorship taxes in Germany 2026: income tax, trade tax and VAT at a glance
Tax & regulation

Sole proprietorship and taxes: what you actually pay

Which taxes does a sole proprietorship in Germany pay? Income tax, trade tax and VAT at a glance, with allowances, deadlines and a worked example.

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