Shelf KG (limited partnership)
Purchase price
EUR 1,500
incl. EUR 100
Paid-up capital
- Properly founded
- With an entry in the commercial register
- No personal liability
- No encumbrances
- Articles of association in German/English
Buy a shelf KG and acquire legal capacity immediately
VRB founds KGs (limited partnerships), which can be acquired quickly and easily. A KG from VRB will see you up and running within 24 hours, and avoid personal liability. Our high level of legal expertise and decades of experience guarantee you a secure product and the best possible handling.
Buy a KG instead of founding one, and save a lot of time and effort
Founding a KG – from the notary appointment to arranging to have details entered in the commercial register – takes time. You should expect the process to take at least two to three weeks. Read more at Founding a KG.
If you buy a ready-made KG, you save yourself this time-consuming foundation procedure and immediately acquire legal capacity without the risk of personal liability.
How to acquire a German KG (Kommanditgesellschaft)
After reserving your shelf KG, only three brief steps need to be taken before you can arrange an appointment with the notary. Find out more about this in the Purchase process menu item.
You acquire the KG by contract signed in a private capacity: You buy the limited partner’s holding share and change the general partner at the same time. You will receive a draft of this contract from us when you reserve the company. The new general partner can be a joint-stock company or a natural person. You then amend the limited partnership’s articles of association in line with your requirements. This is also signed in a private capacity.
At the notary’s office, you in the capacity of the new limited partner and the new general partner register these changes for entry in the commercial register, and based on a power of attorney for us as well as partners who have left the partnership. As soon as the notary has filed the application with the registry court, you acquire full legal capacity for the KG without the risk of personal liability.
Registered office, bank account and tax number
Our KG have their registered office in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main or Munich. The registered office can, of course, be relocated upon acquisition.
Our KGs are offered exclusively with cash. The limited partner’s capital in the sum of EUR 100 is fully paid-up. The cash is handed over upon the purchase.
As a matter of principle, shelf companies do not have a tax number that can be used in business transactions. You can read more about why this is the case in the section entitled Buy a KG with a tax number.
FAQs about the purchase of a shelf KG
- What is a shelf KG / Kommanditgesellschaft?
A shelf KG is a ready-made German KG (limited partnership) that has been entered in the commercial register, has not conducted any business activity and can be taken over immediately by a purchaser.
- What is the price of a shelf KG?
A shelf KG with a fully paid-up limited partner's holding share of EUR 100 costs EUR 1,500. There are no additional costs on our part. Upon purchase, the purchaser will need to pay additional notary and court fees, the amount of which varies depending on the individual case.
- What needs to be considered when acquiring a shelf KG?
In the case of a shelf KG, the limited partner’s contribution must be paid-up in full and freely available. The seller must be able to guarantee that the company has been properly founded and is free of encumbrances and liabilities. The choice of provider is therefore crucial. With VRB you choose an experienced provider with a high level of legal expertise.
- What distinguishes a shelf KG from a shell KG?
A shell company is a company that was once in business, but at the time of its sale is not engaging in business operations and also usually lacks assets. It is, therefore, a used company. A shell company poses a risk in that it may have liabilities from the former business activity that have yet to be identified. By contrast, a shelf KG has been founded specifically and exclusively with a view to subsequent sale. It is guaranteed not to have conducted any business activity and is, therefore, completely unused and unencumbered.
- What is a KG / Kommanditgesellschaft?
A KG is a partnership made up of at least two partners, a general partner and a limited partner, who operate a commercial business under a joint company name. The general partner assumes the management and representation, and is personally liable for the limited partnership’s liabilities. By contrast, the limited partner is only the capital provider. The limited partner is excluded from the management, and his/her liability is limited to his/her contribution. The limitation on liability is only deemed established upon entry of the limited partnership in the commercial register. A minimum contribution is not specified in respect of founding a limited partnership. In the case of our shelf limited partnerships, the limited partner injects a limited partner’s holding share of EUR 100.
- What are the advantages of a KG?
One advantage may be the taxation of the KG as a partnership, because the profit is not subject to direct taxation – apart from trade tax. Instead, the partners pay income tax on their share of the profits. Furthermore, a limited partnership can be founded with little capital because no minimum capital is required. Following entry in the commercial register, the limited partner is liable only up to the amount of his/her contribution. Ultimately, the KG enjoys a good reputation among banks and business partners because of the general partner’s unlimited liability.
- What are the disadvantages of a KG?
The general partner has unlimited liability via his/her private assets for the liabilities of the limited partnership.
- How is a KG founded?
Founding a KG requires articles of association entered into by at least one general partner and one limited partner. No particular form is required for this. However, a written contract is recommended. In the articles of association, the partners determine, inter alia, the amount of the limited partner’s contribution. Minimum capital is not prescribed.
Once the articles of association have been entered into, the limited partner and general partner must register the limited partnership with a notary for entry in the commercial register. The limited partner’s limitation on liability is only deemed established upon entry of the limited partnership in the commercial register.
- How long does it take to found a KG?
Anyone seeking to found a KG should expect it to take two to three weeks. The exact duration is not something that can be planned.
VRB’s advantages
- A leading provider with more than 20 years’ market experience
- Owner-managed by licensed lawyers
- Our clients can contact us personally
- Optimised and flexible processes
- More than 8,000 sold shelf companies
- A wealth of experience with holding structures and individual solutions
- Suitable transaction power of attorney for your clients
- Wide range of German legal forms at various locationsn
FAQs
We answer your questions on all matters involving our shelf companies with respect to the costs, shelf companies with a tax number, and more.
Bank account
You set up the bank account of the shelf company following the purchase. Select the right bank and account model that suit you or your clients when reserving the company.
Purchase process
Just a few steps need to be taken after reservation until you can purchase a shelf company. You determine whether and when you require the company. More about the process involved in purchasing a shelf company.