Buying a GmbH in Germany: The Complete Due Diligence Guide
A practical guide to acquiring a German GmbH Share Deal vs Asset Deal with German tax implications, Handelsregister due diligence, notary requirements, and the Gewährleistung (warranty) framework.
## Why buy a German GmbH rather than start one Acquiring an existing German GmbH instead of incorporating a new one has become the standard route for individual acquirers and bolt-on strategists over the past decade: existing customer relationships, an established team and cash flow from day one, rather than waiting three years to break even. The typical mid-market German GmbH in the acquisition segment has €1M to €5M of EBITDA, an owner between 58 and 70 years old (the famous baby-boomer succession wave), and trades at 4.5x to 7x EBITDA depending on sector, contract quality and owner dependen…