India Desk
Familiar with India as a tax consultant
Clients from India who require accounting and tax support in Germany use our special India Desk. We have been working for many years for larger Indian companies, some of which are listed on the stock exchange, and support their German subsidiaries or permanent establishments.
This applies to everything from one-man start-ups to large distribution companies. We provide both financial compliance and tax advice.
German companies wishing to invest in India are also happy to make use of our contacts with Indian tax advisors or lawyers, e.g. for company formations, the avoidance of permanent establishments or withholding tax issues.
India Desk as coordinator and mediator - English, Hindi and Marathi
Mr. Jayant Kirloskar and our Managing Director Mr. Oliver Biernat are primarily responsible for our India Desk. We help our Indian clients to establish or expand their business in Germany. They and other companies from South Asia can avail of all kinds of tax and accounting services for their businesses in Germany. In the context of tax advice, this includes, for example, expert opinions on VAT issues across the border, transfer pricing or international tax planning. The India Desk serves primarily as a coordinator and intermediary and, if required, as a central point of contact for all types of questions. All employees speak English – and Mr. Kirloskar can also help you in Hindi and Marathi. Another member of staff speaks Hindi.
If the purchase of a German company is intended, we offer comprehensive M&A services.
These primarily include due diligence and company valuation.
The Indus Entrepreneurs Germany - TiE e.V.
Since the end of 2019, Oliver Biernat has been Deputy Chairman of “The Indus Entrepreneurs Deutschland – TiE e.V.”, the German national association of TiE Global, an entrepreneurs’ association with roots in India and the USA. TiE Global is a non-profit organization with over 12,000 members, serving entrepreneurs in all industries and at all stages, from start-up through the entire entrepreneurial lifecycle.
With a global reach and a local focus in 60 regional associations, the heart of TiE’s efforts lies in its five fundamental areas of activity – mentorship, networking, education, funding and start-up support. Further information can be found here.
Our experiences in India
We are regularly in India and give presentations on topics such as “Investing in Germany”, as well as taxes and accounting.
Benefitax Managing Director Oliver Biernat, the Head of our India Desk Jayant Kirloskar and the President of TiE Germany David Gower, for example, took part in the TiE Global Summit 4 from 14 to November 15, 2019 in Delhi.
Oliver Biernat has also participated in various business delegations since 2007. He has given numerous presentations on the topic of “Tax aspects of doing business in Germany”.
Contacts with Indians in Germany
Benefitax has an excellent network in the Rhine-Main region and maintains good contacts with numerous associations close to India.
These include, for example, the Indian Consulate General in Frankfurt and the employees responsible for India at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and various business development agencies.
We regularly take part in events for Indians in the Rhine-Main region.
Our office is only 20 minutes away from Frankfurt International Airport and is located in the German financial center of Frankfurt am Main with excellent infrastructure. Contact us if you would like to find out more about our India Desk and receive a quote.
5 typical mistakes you should avoid to be successful in Germany
Sometimes easily avoidable mistakes are made: For example, the financial year of the German subsidiary is not immediately set to April 1 to March 31 in the articles of association in order to make it correspond to the Indian financial year. Or money is spent on services that are free of charge, such as services provided by local business development agencies.
Or one makes senseless expenditures, e.g. for registration in many unknown business registers.
We often observe the following business model: research and production are carried out cheaply in India and sold at a profit in Germany. This applies to the manufacture of goods as well as the provision of services rendered in India. But even those Indian investors who are good and successful business people in India often face major challenges in Germany. This is mainly due to the following reasons:
It will generally not be sufficient to invest half of the minimum share capital of a GmbH in Germany. The costs for personnel, office rent, administration and marketing are generally many times higher in Germany than in India. If you always hire the cheapest sales staff, you will hardly be successful in Germany. If you try to avoid the €25,000 share capital of a GmbH with a UG (mini-GmbH), you are saving money at the wrong end and will be surprised at the lack of trust in your company. If you do not yet have good customers in Germany who will bear the costs of the German company, you should invest at least € 150,000 to € 200,000. If such funds or customers are not available, it is better not to invest in Germany.
If an investment in India does not pay off after 6 months, many entrepreneurs resign. In Germany, you have to invest for at least 1-2 years before you can see whether the business model is working.
The break-even point is often only reached after 2 or 3 years.
It is important to build trust in order to win customers.
Have managers and Indians employed in Germany receive sufficient training in intercultural skills!
For example, anyone who does not show up on time for business appointments, delivers late, does not pay invoices for no reason or only pays them after several reminders or constantly tries to improve the conditions for themselves after concluding contracts is not considered a reliable business partner.
Anyone who acts in this way must expect that business partners will not want to have anything to do with them. In contrast to Indians, German business people attach great importance to making appointments well in advance (usually several weeks in advance) and sticking to them. It is possible to change appointments at short notice, but this is not appreciated.
Unfortunately, Indian business people (often wrongly) do not enjoy a good reputation in Germany for these reasons. Business models that are successful in India can fail in Germany.
German authorities react sensitively if declarations are not submitted on time or taxes are not paid on time.
Sanctions can lead to reminders, ever-increasing fines, bank account seizures and negative entries with Schufa or rating agencies.
As a result, banks and many business partners can see that the company is not a reliable business partner. They then stop granting loans or terminate the business relationship completely, and leasing companies withdraw. Unfortunately, many companies with Indian shareholders have problems with the tax office and health insurance companies.
In the event of frequent recurrences or in serious cases, these institutions may file for insolvency or apply for the company to be deleted from the commercial register. Those affected are then often surprised. It should also be noted that in certain cases a managing director is personally liable with his private assets.
Use German employees for sales, even if they are expensive.
Indian employees who are sent to Germany often do not have sufficient language skills and knowledge of business practices to convince German customers to buy.
Managing the German company from abroad often proves difficult or impossible if there are no competent company representatives on site.
