A business registration is always necessary when you start a standing business. This is the case for

• New establishment of a business,
• New establishment of a branch office,
• New establishment of a dependent branch office,
• Takeover of an existing business, e.g. by purchase or lease,
• conversion of a sole proprietorship into another legal form,
• transfer of a business from the area of one authority to the area of another authority (considered as an abandonment by one authority and as a new establishment by the other authority).

The business registration must be carried out simultaneously with the start of the business.

The obligation to notify exists only if it is a commercial activity. The following, among others, are exempt from the obligation to notify:

• primary production (cattle breeding, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing)
• Liberal professions (e.g. lawyers, notaries, tax consultants, auditors, doctors, scientific, artistic and literary activities)
• Education of children for remuneration
• Education

The purpose of registering a trade is to enable the competent authority to monitor the exercise of the trade and to conduct statistical surveys.

The business must be registered with the following authorities:

• at the competent trade office by filling in the prescribed form,
• at the competent local court for entry in the commercial register (if the business is run by a fully qualified merchant - this registration must be in writing with a notarized signature),
• at the competent tax office in oral or written form
• at the competent health insurance company because of the hired workers and employees,
• at the responsible employers' liability insurance association (carrier of accident insurance),
• the responsible chamber of industry and commerce and possibly also
• with the chamber of handicrafts.

These registrations are automatically taken care of by the notification to the Trade Licensing Office. However, this does not release the trader from the obligation to contact the above-mentioned authorities and public bodies.