What should you consider in connection with UG taxes?

The UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a corporation. As a legal entity, it is subject to the provisions of the German Corporation Tax Act (KStG).

The UG is also subject to VAT and trade tax. If the company has several employees, wage tax must be paid to the tax office. Capital gains tax (KapSt) is also due on the distribution of profits. If the company acquires real estate, real estate transfer tax (GrESt) is levied once. If the company already holds developed or undeveloped land, it is liable for property tax.

• Here you will find an overview of the types of tax relevant to the entrepreneurial company:
• Corporate income tax
• Solidarity surcharge
• Trade tax
• Value added tax
• Capital gains tax
• Income tax and property tax, if applicable

The profits generated in the UG are subject to corporation tax (KSt), which provides for a tax rate of 15%. The corporate income tax return is submitted to the tax office together with the annual financial statements for the calculation of the tax burden.

Payments are due quarterly on the 10th day of each month. The advance payments are offset against the annual debt.

In the event of losses, these can be offset against profits from the previous year or future years to reduce tax. The loss carryforwards of the UG are subject to an unrestricted allowance of EUR 1 million. Up to 60 percent of the losses exceeding this amount can be offset against tax.

In addition, the UG must pay a solidarity surcharge of 5.5% on the profits generated.

Trade tax (GewSt) is one of the taxes on income. These are to be paid directly to the responsible municipality in quarterly advance payments. The trade tax rate is regulated uniformly throughout Germany and is 3.5%.

If you want to determine the trade income, the taxable profit and loss are calculated after additions and any deductions resulting from the Corporation Tax Act and Income Tax Act. The resulting amount is called the tax assessment amount. You must multiply this by the individual assessment rate of the local municipality to determine the final trade tax levy for your company.

There is no trade tax allowance for the UG. You can deduct business losses of up to 1 million euros, but only 60% of losses in excess of this amount.

The sales of the UG (haftungsbeschränkt) from deliveries and services are subject to value added tax (VAT). The standard tax rate is 19%, with a reduced rate of 7%. In principle, VAT is calculated on the net amount and is shown separately on the invoice and must be passed on directly to the tax office within the advance VAT return.

The advance payments are made depending on the amount of the tax burden and are offset against the annual VAT liability.

Capital gains tax (KapSt) is due when profits are distributed to the shareholders. A tax rate of 25% plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge and, where applicable, church tax applies to the payment of dividend supplements.

If the UG has several employees, the company withholds wage tax and, if applicable, church tax from their wages and pays this to the tax office on a monthly basis.

If the company owns developed or undeveloped land, property tax (GrSt) is due on it. This is paid quarterly as an advance payment to the respective municipality. The assessment is based on the assessed value of the property, which is multiplied by the tax rate of 3.5%. This results in the property tax measurement amount, which is multiplied by the individual property tax multiplier of the municipality. When acquiring new real estate, a one-off real estate transfer tax (GrESt) is payable, which is calculated on the basis of the purchase price and the tax rate of 3.5-6%-6,5% depending on the federal state.

The UG (haftungsbeschränkt) offers a flexible way to set up a company with a small amount of share capital. However, it entails tax obligations such as corporation tax, trade tax and VAT, which must be carefully planned in order to avoid tax disadvantages. Anyone who deals with the relevant taxes at an early stage lays the foundation for stable and successful company management. In our community area, you will find additional support, helpful tools and dialogue with experts to efficiently resolve tax issues and further develop your company.