e-start-up

Start up your business with ease online.
USP allows you to carry out all the steps in setting up your company online. You can only start up a business by way of simplified start up as per section 9 of the GmbH-Gesetz, hereinafter referred to as a "single-member GmbH", via USP.

E-start-up is a free online service of the USP, which can be used to start up a company quickly and easily.
This offer is currently available for sole proprietors and single-member GmbHs. Other legal forms can be set up via a notary.

General requirements for starting up a company

• Mobile phone signature (for start-up via the USP)
• Legal maturity – have turned 18, no adult protection (formerly guardianship (Sachwalterschaft))
• Citizenship of a Member State of the EU, EEC or Switzerland or residence permit (under Austrian immigration law)
• Main domicile in Austria
• Lack of ground for exclusion as per the Gewerbeordnung 1994 (GewO 1994)
• Attestation of competence (only for regulated professions)

Requirements for starting up as a sole proprietor

• No special requirements

Requirements for starting up a single-member GmbH

• The company has only one member (natural person)
• This person smultaneously holds the role of Managing Director
• The banking process for starting up a single-member GmbH has been completed (capital stock paid in, identity document, specimen signature)
• The standardised articles of association available in the USP is used

A valid mobile phone signature is required to register and log into the USP You can find out what a mobile phone signature is here and how you can request one.

e-start-up procedure

When starting up a company electronically via the USP, founders must follow the following steps.

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  Founders register, create and then log into the start-up account. A valid mobile phone signature is required for the registration and login process.

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  Founders select a legal form for their company. At present, the legal forms sole proprietor and single-member GmbH can be started up via the USP.

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  Founders complete the necessary forms to start up the company. Depending on the legal form chosen, the specified forms are required for the start-up.

  Forms for sole proprietors

  • New business support
  • Business registration
  • Financial registration (Verf24)
  • Social insurance notification

  Forms for single-member GmbH

  • New business support
  • Business registration
  • Application for entry in the commercial register
  • Tax office notification (Verf15)
  • Social insurance notification

  If founders have already completed individual forms via another competent body (e.g. the start-up service of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce), the founder can specify as such in the start-up account so that the form will not need to be completed again via the USP.

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  After all necessary forms have been completed, these will then be processed by the competent authorities. This process can take a few weeks.

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  Once the competent authorities have processed the forms and the company has been successfully started up, founders can upgrade from the USP start-up account to a full USP account and complete the foundation process.

Once the start-up has been completed, the founders will be granted automatic access to "Mein USP", where you can use the services of the company service portal. These include FinanzOnline, ELDA – the portal for social insurance providers, e-invoicing to the Federal Government.

Advantages

Founders can carry out the entire start-up process online via the USP. The forms, questionnaires and information required for this are available centrally via the "e-start-up" service in the USP. It is essentially therefore no longer necessary to visit the various departments/authorities involved in the start-up process. The only exception to this is visiting the bank to open a deposit account when starting up a single-member GmbH.
At the same time, founders have flexibility in the start-up process. They can either carry out the entire start-up process electronically in the USP or perform individual steps on site at the competent authority and complete the rest electronically.

For more information:

Detailed information on company start-up and on individual legal forms can be accessed via the links below:

• Considerations for the establishment of a business
• Start-up roadmap – sole proprietorships
• Start-up roadmap – companies