Japanese companies in Germany – tax, legal, and good deals 

Businesses and investors alike treasure Germany very much. Reasons for this include the high levels of productivity, the excellent infrastructure and the easy access to the EU market. But the Germans are also renowned for punctuality and discipline. The German market is also characterised by capital and economic stability. For these reasons, Japanese companies are increasingly expanding in Germany, and the country is considered a top location.

Key points in brief     

  • Tax and legal matters are essential topics for Japanese companies based in Germany. We’ll take care of all your tax issues and make sure your entry into the market is legally watertight.     
  • Intercultural collaboration and transactions can also be tricky. We’ll make you aware of the German business etiquette and help you understand German directness.        
  • Employing staff is heavily regulated by legislation. Employees in Germany have many rights. We are ready for all your questions on employment law and payroll. 
  • If your company is international, we have experts for all your questions worldwide. We are a member of the Grant Thornton network and connected across the globe.     

Germany – the gateway to Europe for Japanese companies 

More and more Japanese companies are entering the German market. Germany offers the right infrastructure to be able to advance further into the EU. And that’s where the cultural differences make themselves apparent. The legal and tax systems of the two countries also differ.

Challenges and solutions 

Whether it’s M&A, founding a company or setting up a subsidiary – we assist Japanese companies wherever you need us. Our services range from auditing, transfer pricing, assistance with tax, including global tax management, to internal controls and business strategy advisory.     

We’re there when you need us and provide advisory in the following areas:     

  • Auditing and assurance       
  • Adoption of annual financial statements     
  • Tax and customs issues     
  • M&A transactions
  • Business issues     
  • Outsourcing services     
  • Bookkeeping, payroll and managerial accounting, and auditing of German subsidiaries under Japanese GAAP, German GAAP and IFRS as well as reporting
  • Sustainability and ESG reporting
  • Establishing internal controls and auditing management under the J-Sox Act    
  • Assistance with cross-border fusions and takeovers (financial due diligence, valuation)     
  • Transfer pricing question (APA, CdCR, local files) and     
  • All issues of business law.   

Get in touch without any commitment.

Are you a Japanese company looking to do business in Germany? Are you looking for advice from understanding, native speakers to allow you to make the best entry into the German market? Our contact Hiroshi Inoue helps Japanese companies get the best start into the German market. Take advantage of his expertise and feel free to contact him with your questions without any commitment.

Our awards 

We’re proud of the awards we’ve won. And we’re just as happy that our clients give us top ratings! We’re working hard to keep it that way. And that’s a promise!

WirtschaftsWoche Top Mittelstand Dienstleister 2024 Best Lawyers 2025 Welt Top Berater 2024

manager magazin 2023