The free business account for founders

Yes. Kontist is specifically designed for the needs of founders, freelancers and solo self-employed professionals. You can start for free and get subaccounts for tax reserves, real-time tax estimates and an easy-to-use app that supports you from day one.

Yes. You can open a Kontist account before officially registering your business. Just remember to update your business details in the app once the registration process is complete. Kontist supports you at every stage of self-employment.

No. You don’t need to provide a tax number when signing up for Kontist. That means you can open your Kontist business account even if you’re just starting out as a freelancer or are still in the process of setting up your company.

Yes. If you have a UG or GmbH in formation, you can open an account for your share capital. Simply provide the planned legal form and submit the final documents as soon as they are available.

For sole proprietors such as freelancers, small business owners and small-scale traders, etc., a separate business account is not legally required, but it is highly recommended to ensure that personal and business finances remain clearly separated. A business account is required for corporations such as UGs and GmbHs.

To open an account during the formation phase, you need:

• a valid ID (e.g. passport or German ID card),
• a smartphone to complete video identification, and
• the most important details about your company (e.g. name, address and legal form).

If your company has several authorized representatives, each person must provide their personal details and complete the identity verification process themselves.

No. There is no minimum share capital requirement for opening a Kontist business account. You can set up your account immediately – including during the formation phase – without having to deposit capital beforehand.

At Kontist, multiple authorized representatives (for example, managing directors or shareholders) can be added during onboarding. Each person receives their own login and must complete identity verification themselves. However, it is not possible to add third parties who are not connected to the business (e.g. family members) as users – Kontist accounts are intended exclusively for business use.

You don’t need to worry. Your Kontist account is held with Solaris – a fully licensed German bank regulated by BaFin and the European Central Bank. Your deposits are protected by the European deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per customer. Your money is neither invested nor lent out.

The entry-level plan is permanently free. Fees may apply for additional services such as extra cards, specific payment methods, foreign-currency transactions, etc. You can find all the details on our pricing page.

Kontist isn’t an ordinary business account. It was developed specifically for self-employed professionals and founders in Germany. Here’s what sets Kontist apart from traditional business accounts:

• Real-time tax estimates: Kontist automatically calculates how much you should expect to set aside for taxes, based directly on your revenue and always kept up to date.
• Subaccounts: Create separate pots for taxes, reserves or project budgets and keep track of how much money is actually freely available.
• EU-backed loan: Through Kontist, you can apply for an EU-backed loan designed specifically to make it easier for small businesses to access financing.
• An account even before you start your business: You can open your business account before your company is officially registered.
• No SCHUFA check: Opening an account is straightforward and doesn’t require a credit check.
• Direct bookkeeping integration: With the sevdesk integration, your bookkeeping runs largely automatically.
• Start for free: Get started for free, with no time limit, and upgrade whenever you need more.