{"id":1438,"date":"2021-01-25T00:11:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-24T23:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/?p=1438"},"modified":"2024-11-13T11:57:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T10:57:25","slug":"how-to-change-your-business-address-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/how-to-change-your-business-address-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"How to change your business address in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re <\/b>moving house<\/b><\/a> or moving to a new business address, the last thing you want is to miss an invoice or some other important correspondence, particularly from the tax office (\u201cFinanzamt\u201d). You want everything to align and match up. We\u2019ve gathered together the main things you need to consider to determine what you need to do when your business address changes. Follow our advice to ensure your bases are covered.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Hold up! Have you registered as a freelancer in Germany?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before we go any further, have you already registered as a freelancer or self-employed person in Germany? If not, that should be your first step. Until you do, you don\u2019t actually have a registered business address to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

To let your local financial department (\u201cFinanzamt\u201d) know that you\u2019re planning to generate income through freelance work or self-employment, you must fill out the tax regulation questionnaire (\u201c<\/span>Fragebogen zur Steuerlichen Erfassung<\/span><\/a>\u201d). The easiest way to do this is to <\/span>use our digital form and complete the questionnaire online<\/span><\/a>, but you can also do so in person. Through this process, your nominated business address will be registered. Within a couple of weeks, you\u2019ll also receive a tax number, which you\u2019ll need to <\/span>show on your invoices<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Note:<\/b> Don\u2019t confuse this number with your <\/span>Tax-ID number<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have indeed already registered as a freelancer and you simply want to change your address, read on, my friend!<\/span><\/p>\n

Who needs to register a change in business address?<\/span><\/h2>\n

To understand whether you need to register a change in business address, it\u2019s important that you know whether you\u2019re a <\/span>freelancer (\u201cFreiberufler\u201d) or a sole trader (\u201cGewerbetreibender\u201d)<\/span><\/a> in the eyes of the tax authorities. Sole traders have more obligations than freelancers, such as registering their business at the relevant local trade office (\u201cOrdnungsamt\u201d or \u201cGemeindeamt\u201d). This distinction also determines whether you actually need to register a change of address.<\/span><\/p>\n

When do freelancers need to register a change of business address?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a freelancer (\u201cFreiberufler\u201d), you\u2019re usually either working from home or from a coworking space. Unless you\u2019re shifting from a home office to a leased office or virtual office address, you shouldn\u2019t need to take any additional steps to change your address.<\/span><\/p>\n

Working from home<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re a freelancer who works from home and you\u2019re changing your residential address, you don\u2019t need to take an extra step to change your business address. Simply <\/span>giving notice of your change in residential address<\/span><\/a> will suffice. You can send a courtesy letter to your local tax office to let them know of the change, but it\u2019s not necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coworking spaces<\/span><\/h3>\n

Working from a coworking space can create a sense of belonging and community that is often hard to foster as a freelancer working from home. But becoming a member of a coworking space doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you transfer your business address to that of your coworking space, in fact, many will not allow you to use their address as your business address.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Virtual offices<\/span><\/h3>\n

While coworking spaces allow you to rent physical space to work in, virtual offices typically allow you to receive mail, phone calls, and a range of other business services, without physically working\u00a0 there. In exchange for a fee, you can have the privilege of using a virtual office address as your freelancing business address. In this case you will need to advise the local tax office in writing of the change in address.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a number of reasons you may wish to get a virtual office in Germany: perhaps you want to avoid having business mail sent to your home address, or maybe you just want to appear a little more professional with a non-residential address. Whatever it may be, there are plenty of options to choose from in any of the major cities in Germany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be aware however, that your local tax office may not accept your virtual business address. This is to avoid the number of shell corporations or \u201cmailbox companies\u201d that are established simply to avoid taxes and compliance issues. However, if you live in Germany and are registered at a\u00a0 virtual office in Germany, you should be okay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leased office space<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you decide to lease a studio or office space, you can register this as your freelance business address. Again, as a freelancer, you\u2019ll just need to send a written notification of the change to your local tax office.<\/span><\/p>\n

When do sole traders need to register a change of business address?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Within the same municipality<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sole traders (\u201cGewerbetreibender\u201d) or other business owners, such as people who have a registered AG or GmbH, need to change their business address in the following situations:<\/span><\/p>\n