Company formation in Austria

For solo founders, a sole proprietorship is a good fit: fast, no minimum capital and no notary. If you want to limit liability, choose a single-person GmbH or FlexCo with EUR 10,000 share capital. The choice depends on liability, tax and capital needs.

Two founders have three options. In an OG both partners are liable without limit and jointly, and there is no minimum capital. In a KG at least one general partner is liable without limit, while the limited partner is liable only up to the contribution. If you want to limit liability for everyone, form a GmbH or FlexCo with EUR 10,000 share capital.

It depends on the legal form. Registering a free trade is free of charge, and a sole proprietorship starts without capital. For a GmbH or FlexCo you need EUR 10,000 share capital, of which at least EUR 5,000 in cash. Notary and commercial register fees apply on top, under the Notarial Tariff Act and the Court Fees Act. A business address at Postservice.at is available from €49 per month with annual billing, €59 with monthly billing.

Forming a GmbH usually takes one to three weeks. After the articles of association and payment of the share capital, the company is entered in the commercial register. The GmbH only comes into existence with this entry. The simplified single-person formation via the Business Service Portal and the bank needs no notarial deed and is often faster.

Not from the start. A sole proprietorship can register voluntarily. Registration becomes mandatory once it is required to keep accounts under the Commercial Code (UGB), as a rule with revenue of more than EUR 700,000 in each of two consecutive financial years. An OG, KG, GmbH, FlexCo and AG, by contrast, are always in the commercial register.

Yes. You do not need a physical office, but you do need a registered business address in Austria. A mere PO box is not sufficient. Postservice.at provides a real business address in 1010 Vienna that is recognised by the commercial register, authorities and the tax office. It is available from €49 per month with annual billing, €59 with monthly billing.

Yes, our address at Seitenstettengasse 5/37, 1010 Vienna is a registered business address and is recognised as a registered office by all Austrian commercial register courts.

You receive a contract as proof of the registered office. This document is accepted as proof of location by commercial register courts, district authorities and the tax office.

The address is ready to use right after the online booking. You submit the contract and a copy of your ID digitally afterwards; the identity check under § 365p GewO takes place digitally or on site. You can then directly apply for the commercial register entry and trade registration.

Our business address is available from €49 per month with annual billing, €59 with monthly billing. The price includes the address, contract, company nameplate and incoming mail.