https://handbookgermany.de/en/work/self-employment.html

Many people dream of working as self-employed and being their own boss. Starting to work as self-employed is called "Existenzgründung”. As a self-employed person, you are the one who decides which jobs to accept or how and when to work. But self-employment also requires a lot of effort: you are personally responsible for everything and have to take care of many issues. Furthermore, you do not receive a regular fixed salary.

In this chapter, you will find essential information required for starting self-employment in a so-called Liberal Profession ("Freien Beruf"). If the job you practice is not categorised as a liberal profession and you are not a "freiberufler", visit our chapter "Starting up a Registered Business ("Gewerbe")" to find the essential information you need about self-employment for tradespeople.