Markets
Start an online business in Germany
The steps the government of Germany sets for a new business that sells online, each linked to the official page that runs it, then the steps to open your store. Read from the official sources on October 14, 2026.
Set up your business in Germany
The steps in the order most new sellers take them. Each is read from the official page linked under it.
1. Choose a legal form
The federal start-up portal names Einzelunternehmen, GbR, GmbH and UG (haftungsbeschränkt) as options for a webshop.
2. Register the business
An online shop is registered as a trade (Gewerbeanmeldung) with the Gewerbeamt of the city or municipality under § 14 GewO, which then notifies the tax office and chambers.
3. Get your tax number
The Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr.) is issued by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (BZSt) in addition to the Steuernummer.
4. Check when you must register for VAT
Under section 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG), the small business rule applies if total turnover did not exceed EUR 25,000 in the previous calendar year and does not exceed EUR 100,000 in the current year.
5. Follow the rules for selling online
The federal start-up portal explains that online shops must give consumers a right of withdrawal (Widerrufsrecht), generally 14 days, for distance sales.
Open your store in Germany
What Tanqory sets up for a store based in Germany. You change any of it in Settings.
- Tax
Your store starts with a VAT entry for Germany, pre-filled at 19%, with collecting off until you switch it on.
VAT in Germany- Card payments
Through your own Stripe account, which Stripe opens for businesses in Germany. Tanqory adds no transaction fee; Stripe charges its own rate.
- Shipping labels
DHL Express and Easyship, bought in your admin, with the customs declaration sent with each label for parcels that cross a border.
What stays with you
- Registering the business and choosing its legal form. Tanqory does not register a business for you.
- Registering for VAT, filing returns and paying the tax authority.
- Licences or permits your products need in Germany.
- Legal or tax advice. This page points to the official sources; an adviser in Germany can apply them to your business.
Questions about starting a business in Germany
Which legal form should I choose in Germany?
The official page in step 1 lists the forms a business in Germany can take. Your choice decides how you register, how you are taxed and whether your own money is kept apart from the business, so an adviser in Germany is worth asking before you decide.
What does Tanqory set up for a store in Germany?
A tax entry for Germany with collecting off, card payments through your own Stripe account, and DHL Express and Easyship labels you buy in your admin. You change any of it in Settings.
Does Tanqory file my VAT return?
No. Your store works out and charges VAT at checkout and keeps a record of every order. You register, file and pay the tax authority yourself, or through your accountant.
What do I have to tell buyers when I sell online in Germany?
The official page in step 5 lists the information and rights a buyer in Germany must get before and after they order. Put that information on your store before your first sale.
How current are these steps?
Each was read from its official page on October 14, 2026. Rules change; the official page is the authority, so open it before you act.
How we checked
Each step on this page was read from its official page on October 14, 2026. The store facts come from Tanqory's tax settings, payments and shipping setup.
- Tanqory's tax settings, payments and shipping setup
- www.existenzgruendungsportal.de
- www.existenzgruendungsportal.de
- www.bzst.de
- www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- www.existenzgruendungsportal.de
Open your store in Germany today
Build your store while you set up your business, and switch on tax collecting when your registration is in place.