Closing your Business

# Discontinuing a business or temporarily closing it

Here you will find information and contacts at public authorities that are relevant if you wish to close your business or discontinue your self-employment permanently or temporarily – from commercial de-registration to deleting your entry from registers.

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Registering, reforming or closing a business

If you cease or relocate a business or permanent establishment, you must inform your local tax office.

Do you want to discontinue your business, move to a location that falls under the jurisdiction of a municipality other than the one that was previously responsible, or do you want to change the legal form of your business? Then you must deregister your business.

If you have given up or discontinued your business, you must inform the Künstlersozialkasse. The cessation of your company leads to the termination of the artists' social security contribution obligation.

If your company ceases operations, you must inform your employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund. The same applies in the event that you cease your freelance or self-employed activity.

If your company provides postal services without requiring a license, you must notify the Federal Network Agency of the start, change and termination of operations.

If the equalisation association of which you are a member dissolves or you leave the equalisation association, you will have to take care of your obligations towards the Künstlersozialkasse (KSK) yourself again.

If you are not insured against accidents at work by law, you can apply for voluntary insurance. You can change or cancel the insurance at any time.

These Assistance Services support you in exercising your rights and fulfilling your duties in the European internal market.

The pan-European network of Points of Single Contact can provide you with details of any legal requirements and help you to complete relevant procedures.