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 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 the previous location. Then you log it back in to the new location.
If you change the legal form of your business, you will also need to deregister your business. First of all, you have to deregister your business under the previous legal form. You then re-register your business under the new legal form.
If you relocate your headquarters of your company or a branch or a dependent branch of your company to a new location without any change in the responsibility within the municipality, a business re-registration is sufficient.
The deregistration must be carried out by the following persons or their authorised representatives:
- 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 shareholders authorized to manage the company must deregister their business
Process flow
You can deregister your business in writing or electronically.
You will receive a certificate from the authority to receive your business deregistration.
The office responsible for the 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 necessary, the deregistration. the register court continues.
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 excerpt from the commercial register, if your company is entered in the commercial register (also: register of cooperatives, 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 excerpt from the commercial register, if your company is entered in the commercial register (also: register of cooperatives, register of associations)
What are the fees?
The amount of the fees is determined - according to Annex 1 to § 1 paragraph 1 of the General Fee Schedule of the State of Lower Saxony No. 40.1.2.1 - depending on the time spent. However, a maximum of EUR 43.00 will be charged.
Appendix 1 to § 1 paragraph 1 of the General Schedule 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 area of responsibility 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 during a personal visit. If you deregister in writing or electronically, you will receive the acknowledgment of receipt of your business deregistration within 3 days.
Processing Time: 3 DaysSection 15 (1) of the Industrial Code (GewO)
Legal basis
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 of the form and there is no signature requirement.
- In the case of electronic deregistration, the office responsible for deregistration may use suitable and appropriate procedures to establish 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 the business 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
