Business Deregistration
If you wish to cease the operation of your business, you are obliged to deregister your business.
The same applies if you relocate the headquarters of your company or a branch office or a dependent branch of your company to a new location and this results in the responsibility of a different municipality. First, deregister your trade or business at your previous location. Then log it back on at the new location.
If you change the legal form of your business, a business deregistration is also required. First, you must deregister your business under the previous legal form. Then re-register your business under the new legal form.
If you relocate your head office of your company or a branch office or a dependent branch of your company to a new location without changing the responsibility within the municipality, a business re-registration is sufficient.
The following persons or their authorised representatives must unsubscribe:
- in the case of individual trades, by the trader himself,
- in the case of corporations (e.g. GmbH, AG) by the legal representative(s).
In the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, KG, GbR/BGB-Gesellschaft, GmbH & Co. KG), all authorized partners must deregister their business.
Process flow
You can deregister your business in writing or electronically.
You will receive a certificate from the authority for the receipt of your business deregistration.
The office responsible for deregistration forwards the business deregistration to other bodies, such as the tax office, the employers' liability insurance association, the Chamber of Crafts or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and, if applicable. the registry court.
Who should I contact?
The responsibility lies with the municipalities.
§ 1 para. 1 sentence 1 in conjunction with no. 1.1 of the annex to § 1 para. 1 ZustVO
Requirements
- The fully completed and signed "GewerbeAbmeldung" - GewA 3
- Copy of identity card or passport with registration certificate, or presentation on site. In the case of electronic business deregistration, depending on the municipality, further suitable and appropriate procedures for determining identity (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).
- Copy of the commercial registerExcerpt if your company is registered in the commercial register (also: cooperative register, register of associations)
Which documents are required?
- The fully completed and signed "GewerbeAbmeldung" - GewA 3
- Copy of identity card or passport with registration certificate, or presentation on site. In the case of electronic business deregistration, depending on the municipality, further suitable and appropriate procedures for determining identity (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).
- Copy of the commercial registerExcerpt if your company is registered in the commercial register (also: cooperative register, register of associations)
What are the fees?
According to Annex 1 to § 1 paragraph 1 of the General Schedule of Fees of the State of Lower Saxony No. 40.1.2.1, the amount of the fees depends on the time required. However, a maximum of EUR 43.00 will be charged.
Annex 1 to § 1 paragraph 1 of the General Rules of Fees (AllGO)
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
You are obliged to deregister your business at the time of the dissolution of the business or at the time of the transfer of the business to the jurisdiction of another municipality or the change of legal form.
Processing duration
If you have filled out the form correctly and your documents are complete, the authority will immediately certify receipt of your deregistration when you meet in person. In the case of written or electronic deregistration, you will receive the acknowledgement of receipt of your business deregistration within 3 days.
Processing Time: 3 Days§ 15 paragraph 1 Gewerbeordnung (GewO)
Applications / forms
- You can deregister your business in person or electronically.
- In the case of personal deregistration, you must fill out the form "GewerbeAbmeldung" - GewA 3 and sign it personally.
- In the electronic procedure, the same data is collected as in the context of personal deregistration. However, it is possible to deviate from the form and there is no signature requirement.
- In the case of electronic deregistration in the online procedure, the office responsible for deregistration may use suitable and appropriate procedures to determine your identity (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).
What else should I know?
If the cessation of operations is clearly established and you do not deregister your business, the deregistration will be carried out ex officio.
Directive (EC) No 2006/123 on services in the internal market
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Transport and Digitalisation
