Starting a business
Germany Self-Employment Visa: Requirements under Section 21 AufenthG
Germany’s Section 21 requirements, business plan, visa fees and residence routes explained by Motorica.io for business founders and liberal professions.
Guide
Practical guides for self-employed professionals in Germany.
Starting a business
IHK contributions after starting a business: why you get a letter
Why the IHK writes after business registration in Germany: basic contributions, levies, €5,200 and €25,000 exemptions, and checking your first notice.
Taxes
Steuernummer, personal tax ID and VAT ID: what is the difference?
Understand German tax numbers, personal tax IDs and VAT IDs: invoice requirements, applications, small businesses, business IDs and practical examples.
Office organisation
Bureaucracy for the self-employed in Germany: recurring responsibilities
Invoices, record retention and tax obligations: the recurring tasks self-employed people in Germany need to organise.
Invoices
Payment terms, due dates and formal payment demands: German invoice terms explained
Understand German payment terms, due dates and default, with a dated example, payment demand template, 30-day rule, interest and checklist.
Starting a business
Self-employment alongside your job with a residence permit: what to check first
Residence permission, your employer, insurance and taxes: what to check before starting self-employment alongside your job in Germany.
Starting a business
Which residence permits allow self-employment in Germany?
Residence and self-employment in Germany: permitted activities, restrictions and practical checks before starting your business.
Starting a business
Gewerbeamt, Finanzamt, IHK and HWK: who does what?
Business registration, tax and craft trades in Germany: which institution handles what, key deadlines and chamber membership duties.
Starting a business
Self-employment with an EU Blue Card: What founders need to know
An EU Blue Card does not automatically permit self-employment. Learn how supplementary conditions, Section 21, taxes and permanent residence interact.
Starting a business
Self-employment while studying in Germany: What international students need to know
Motorica.io explains residence permission, business registration, taxes and health insurance for international students starting self-employment in Germany.
Taxes
DATEV preparation for self-employed people: what to collect before meeting your tax adviser
A practical guide to invoices, accounting documents or receipts, payment reconciliation, bank data, e-invoices and a secure DATEV handover.
Invoices
Writing an invoice as a small business in Germany: required details and a practical example
Required details for German small business invoices, a section 19 VAT exemption note, a practical sample invoice and current e-invoicing rules.
Starting a business
Self-employed in Germany: which authorities contact you after registering a trade?
Find out which authorities handle your trade registration, what happens automatically and which deadlines you must meet yourself.
Office organisation
Keep Unpaid Invoices Under Control and Avoid Cash Flow Problems
Manage unpaid invoices systematically: open-item routines, payment demands, default interest, e-invoicing and cash flow planning explained.
Office organisation
Bank transaction reconciliation explained: check incoming payments faster
Match incoming payments to unpaid invoices reliably: workflow, review cases, partial payments, retention rules and the real limits of automation.
Invoices
How to write a formal payment demand: process and tone for freelancers
Under German law, check due date and default, set a clear deadline, choose a professional tone and calculate interest correctly.
Office organisation
Monthly routine for the self-employed: invoices, receipts, payments and taxes
A practical month-end routine for invoices, accounting documents, payment reconciliation, overdue balances and taxes, with current deadlines and a checklist.
Taxes
German VAT advance return explained: what self-employed people need to know
Germany’s 2026 UStVA explained: filing duties, monthly and quarterly thresholds, deadlines, input VAT, corrections and ELSTER submission.
Invoices
Invoice in German or English? What works in German business
When should a German business use a German, English or bilingual invoice? Mandatory details, tax office, e‑invoicing and international customers.
Taxes
German small-business VAT exemption: benefits, limits and mistakes
Germany’s small-business VAT exemption explained: EUR 25,000 and EUR 100,000 limits, invoices, input VAT, e-invoices and threshold mistakes.
Office organisation
Never lose a customer enquiry: From first call to invoice with Telfo and Motorica
From call to quote, job and invoice: how small businesses can organise customer enquiries with Telfo and Motorica, without claiming a direct integration.
Invoices
Invoice corrections and cancellation invoices explained
Learn when an invoice correction is enough, when to issue a cancellation invoice, and how German VAT, e-invoices, payments, and retention fit together.
Taxes
Collecting and keeping business records in Germany without chaos
A practical German guide to receipts, e-invoices, GoBD, retention periods and an orderly filing routine.
Quotes
Quote and invoice in Germany: what is the difference?
A quote proposes work and terms; an invoice bills for a supply or service. Learn when a contract forms, what an invoice needs and the German e-invoice rules.
Business and costs
High fuel prices: what self-employed people can do now
Rising fuel costs squeeze mobile businesses. Learn how to plan trips, keep fuel receipts and price customer travel into your work.
Office organisation
Digital office software for small businesses: Which features really help?
A practical way to assess quotes, e-invoices, payment reconciliation, records, privacy and exports for a small business operating in Germany.
Taxes
Business expenses: what self-employed people should document
A guide to German business expenses: eligible costs, proof, private use, input VAT and how long to keep records.
Invoices
Writing an invoice in Germany: required details explained
What must a German invoice contain in 2026? A practical checklist covering the €250 rule, small-business exemption and e-invoice deadlines.
Taxes
German GoBD explained: practical record-keeping for small businesses
A practical guide to German GoBD: records, e-invoices, corrections, process documentation and current retention periods for small businesses.
Taxes
Missed a deadline with the German tax office? What to do
What to do after missing a German tax filing, payment or objection deadline: the correct remedy, key time limits and a practical checklist.
Office organisation
Weekly planning for self-employed people: method and checklist
Plan deadlines, priorities, work blocks and buffers in six steps, with a practical service-provider example and checklist.
Quotes
Writing a quote in Germany: structure, wording and mistakes
How do you write a clear and practical quote in Germany? Binding effect, B2B/B2C prices, wording, checklist and common mistakes.
Invoices
Invoicing German public authorities: what matters for XRechnung
Create an XRechnung for a German authority: Leitweg-ID, mandatory fields, OZG-RE, validation, submission, rejection and retention.
Office organisation
Organising documents digitally: receipts, invoices, contracts and authority letters
A practical German filing system for accounting documents, invoices, contracts and authority letters, including retention, e-invoicing, GDPR and a checklist.
Taxes
German EÜR explained: income, expenses and filing
What is Germany’s EÜR, who may use it, and how are income, expenses, VAT and depreciation handled? An official-source-based step-by-step guide.
Invoices
XRechnung and ZUGFeRD explained simply
Understand XRechnung and ZUGFeRD: differences, current versions, profiles, German B2B and B2G rules, validation and retention.
Taxes
German VAT for self-employed people, simply explained
How German VAT, input tax, the small-business scheme, advance returns and e‑invoices work, including the current thresholds and deadlines.
Invoices
E-invoicing in Germany: What small businesses should prepare now
Since 2025, businesses must be able to receive e-invoices. Understand the 2026 deadlines, exceptions, formats and practical preparation steps.
Taxes
Year-end accounts for German sole proprietors: EÜR or balance sheet?
When is an EÜR enough? German bookkeeping duties, tax returns, deadlines and a practical founder checklist.
Invoices
Cash-register receipt, payment receipt or invoice: what is the difference?
What does each German business document prove? Understand the €250 rule, invoice particulars, 2026 E-invoicing transition and eight-year retention.
Taxes
ELSTER for Self-Employed People: A Simple Getting-Started Guide
ELSTER is the online portal of the German tax administration. Self-employed people use it to apply for a tax number, submit tax data electronically, and send important forms to the tax office.
Invoices
What to do when a customer does not pay
A clear process for overdue invoices: verify when payment is due, send a written demand, assess default and interest correctly, and act in time.
Multilingual resources
50 Essential German Terms for Self-Employed People, Explained
Learn 50 essential German terms for self-employed people, with clear English explanations of tax, invoicing, business and bureaucracy.
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