Determining whether your company belongs to the Chamber of Skilled Crafts (HWK) or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is sometimes a complex issue.
The question of delimitation from the skilled trades arises not only for start-ups, but also for companies that operate on the borderline between the skilled trades and industry. Essentially, the question is whether a craft qualification is required to carry out an activity independently.
You can obtain advice on this from the Chamber of Crafts and/or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
By law, tradespeople who do not belong to the Chamber of Crafts belong to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In practice, however, many companies belong to both chambers because they carry out both non-craft and craft or craft-like activities. These so-called mixed businesses belong to the IHK or HWK with their respective part of the business.
In cases of doubt, the chamber affiliation is clarified by mutual agreement between the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts.