Company liquidation: define the assignment and services
Liquidation winds a business up legally, financially and administratively. Dissolution, liquidation work and deletion are separate stages.
Define the assignment
The procedure depends on legal form, stage and financial circumstances. A sole proprietorship closes differently from an AG or GmbH. Selling equipment or clearing premises alone does not close the company.
Specify the result
Specify an initial review, coordinated support or a liquidator appointment. Decisions, registry documents, accounts, tax closure, asset realisation and creditor handling need clear allocation. An adviser is not automatically the formally appointed liquidator. Organ responsibilities and required authorities remain separate questions.
| Service | Agreement to make |
|---|---|
| Planning | Legal form, dissolution route and responsibilities |
| Winding up | Assets, outstanding obligations and contracts |
| Completion | Final records, tax matters and registry step |
Prepare the inquiry
Give the stage, number of companies and employees and accounting readiness. Existing leases, customer or employment contracts and known obligations help. Amounts, creditor names, bank access and complete tax files are unnecessary initially. Existing decisions or creditor notices are reviewed specifically later.
Describe the scope and available information without copying confidential originals into the first inquiry. Unknown technical details can remain open. Later agree a suitable transfer channel and a person responsible for questions.
Clarify responsibilities and limits
Voluntary dissolution and bankruptcy are different procedures. Payment difficulties or doubt about covering obligations call for professional review of the appropriate legal route. Formal decisions and notarisation depend on legal form and transaction. Deletion may depend on completed work, deadlines and tax authorities. An inactive business is not automatically deleted or released from duties.
Compare costs and billing
Compare included stages and assumptions. Liquidator fees, accounting, tax work, notary, registry, publication and asset realisation may be separate items. A dissolution price is not necessarily the total through deletion. Extra work for incomplete records or disputes needs agreed approval.
Compare the same service over the same period. Ask for setup, ongoing work, additional effort, expenses and VAT to be shown separately where applicable. Clarify approval of additional work. Without specific information a national price range would be misleading.
How the assignment proceeds
After taking stock, define the route and responsible people. Necessary decisions and registry steps precede winding up. Depending on the case, creditor information, asset realisation, contract termination and closure follow. Later deletion is coordinated with the responsible office and tax authorities. Record retention and reachability during winding up need arrangements too.
First discuss the objective, scope and responsibilities. The quotation then records services, assumptions and exclusions. Check an agreed first stage before substantial further work starts. At completion record the result, unresolved matters and handover; changes need an agreed approval process.
Compare quotations carefully
Check what will actually be delivered and what contribution you must make, as well as price. A low basic fee can be offset by extras or missing services. Give every provider the same requirements.
| Check | What the quotation should explain |
|---|---|
| Scope | Included work and expressly excluded tasks |
| Cooperation | Contact person, questions and approvals |
| Billing | Charging basis, extras and terms for additional work |
| Appointment and completion | Formal role, stage boundaries and remaining duties |
Checklist before starting
Clarify these before a liquidation appointment.
- Stage. Distinguish dissolution, winding up and deletion
- Outstanding matters. Identify contracts, employees and obligations
- Handover. Record files, reachability and responsibilities
Frequently asked questions
Is an equipment auction the same as company liquidation?
No. Realising goods is only one possible task. Legal, tax and administrative steps also need clarification.
Can rapid deletion on a fixed date be guaranteed?
No. Conditions, deadlines, obligations and official review affect completion. Ask for stages and dependencies to be explained.
Do I need complete records first?
No. Explain what is available and what remains to be clarified. Records needed for the actual work are agreed later.
Should I include confidential content in the inquiry?
No. A brief description of the need is enough. Credentials, complete customer files and information about third parties belong in a later agreed protected exchange.
Is the commissioned service free?
The free quotation inquiry does not replace a fee proposal. Agree costs and assignment terms with the selected provider.
How is the timetable agreed?
Give any known date and explain its significance. The provider must check capacity, necessary information and dependencies; an inquiry does not yet confirm a delivery date.
