Setting Up a Company

Types of Companies and Capital (Max/Min)	Number of Partners/Shareholders and Liability
Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung (GmbH) is a limited liability company EUR 25,000 minimum with at least half fully paid up at the creation of the company.	No minimum Liability is limited to the amount of capital contributed.
Aktiengesellschaft (AG) is a public limited company . EUR 50,000 minimum with a quarter fully paid up at the creation of the company.	No minimum Liability is limited to the amount of capital contributed.
Offene Handelsgesellschaft (OHG) is a general partnership. No minimum capital.	Minimum: 2 Their liability is joint and indefinite on the obligations and debts of the company.
Kommanditgesellschat (KG) is a limited joint-stock partnership. EUR 500	There are two types of partners, the active partners and the silent partners. The liability of the active partners is personal and indefinite. The liability of the silent partners is limited to the amount of capital contributed.

The Competent Organization: The Common register portal of the German federal states.
Search a Company or a Financial Report: Handelsregister, Common register portal of the German federal states
Ebundesanzeiger, in German

Source: Doing Business.

Business Setup Procedures: Consult Doing Business Website, to know about procedures to start a Business in Germany.
Judicial register of the federal states
Company Register

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration: Maximum 48 hours a week.
Retirement Age: 67 years old
Working Contracts: The work contract is usually open ended with a trial period which may be up to 6 months. The contract may also be fixed term; it can be renewed 3 times maximum, and for a maximum duration of 2 years.

Minimum Wage: There is no legal minimum wage. However, some occupations have had, in practice, a minimum wage since July 2007: building work (8.40 EUR to 12.40 EUR per hour), roofing (10 EUR per hour), painting (7.15 EUR to 10.73 EUR per hour), demolition (8.80 EUR to 11.60 EUR per hour), cleaning (6.36 EUR to 7.87 EUR per hour), electricity (7.70 EUR per hour for East Germany and 9.20 EUR per hour in West Germany), caregivers since 2010, and possible future minimum wage for temporary jobs.
Average Wage: Average wage is EUR 28,000 per year, ie EUR 2,000 per month.
Social contributions: Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: 20.9 %
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: 20.9%

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners: Unions are strong in Germany, however, the eastern side is more union orientated than the west. The overwhelming majority of trade union members are in eight unions grouped by industry or service sector. They are affiliates of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), which counted 6.3 million members in 2009. At the company level, works councils represent the interests of workers vis-à-vis their employers.
Unions: DGB
Verdi
IG Metall
Unionization Rate: 21%
Labor Regulation Bodies: Ministry of Agriculture
Deutscher Bauernverband
BOLW

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