
German federal government created the transparency register in 2017 with the idea to fight against money laundering issues. Therefore, entry within the register was indispensable in case a company was not part of the official register. However, the European Union created a directive in which registration became mandatory in August 2021.
This option is the additional step that will help you create a company, which will help government determine whether you can comply with certain rules and regulations.
As a result, the transparency register states that all companies inside Germany must report disclosure of the beneficial owners, and other relevant data for exposing the oversight, ownership, structure, and cash flows.
Before the summer of 2021, the register was mandatory only in cases beneficial ownership did not appear in notification fiction or other certified registries in the EU or Germany. Therefore, a beneficial owner is a person who owns more than twenty-five percent of the company capital and features one-fourth of the voting rights within a certain company.
Remember that everything began in 2017 with the idea to fight the money laundering issues within the European Union.
Who Should Register with the Transparency Register?
As mentioned above, since the first of August 2021, all companies must report to the transparency register, including the new and already existing ones. The entire process includes sending relevant company data to the register as part of the checkup and requirement.
We are talking about data such as date of birth, full name, type of financial interest, place of residence, and nationality of everyone who falls under the category of beneficial owner. If specific data changes due to numerous reasons, you must update everything electronically or through a portal.
The legal representatives should report the relevant data to register the moment something happens or changes. Since all companies must deal with this step, the list is long. Therefore, if you have a stock company, legal entities under private law, registered partnerships, and even non-legal foundations and trusts, you should disclose relevant data.
Registration Guide
Before finding a proper company to help you out (Corestonelegal), we recommend you understand the entire process that happens electronically and via the Internet.
The first step is to complete the basic registration. You can do it by going to the button that states: “Register now” which will take you to the form you should fill out. The next step is a confirmation email, but you should confirm the basics in the next twenty-four hours to ensure each step is valid.
The next step is undergoing an advanced registration, which will take advantage of functionalities within the user account the moment you decide to complete the entire registration process. During this step, you can make additional requests and entries to inspect each step.
The main idea is to log in to the register by using the info you created during the basic process and switch languages based on your preferences. Then, you should find “open advanced registration” and follow each step along the way.
The moment you succeed, we recommend you check out the transparent data to determine whether you have implemented everything accurately. After completing respecting forms, you will get everything you wanted in the first place.
Missing and False Data
If you neglect to implement the relevant and up-to-date information within the registry, you must file a discrepancy report for ensuring the best course of action. However, it is possible if the foundation or company had online registration beforehand.
Still, you should know that discrepancies are common, especially if your specific data differs from the register, or if you notice something missing. The disclosure of data can refer to specific circumstances such as date of birth, nationality, and other personal info of each beneficial owner.
The legislation under federal regulations and authority will prevent potential penalties for incomplete, false, or late info. You should learn more about the register because you will notice the potential sanctions for violating the registration or the inability to report proper information even after the discrepancy. Being ignorant of the law is not a defense.
When it comes to minor infringements, you will end up paying a hundred thousand euros, while more severe problems can lead to serious expenses and issues. For instance, if capital management and insurance companies violate their obligations, they may end up with five million euros in fines.
Besides, the legislator can demand ten percent of the previous year’s income in case you entered the infringement due to numerous reasons. Analyzing and auditing the register is the simplest way to find relevant info about a certain company. Still, since the data can be sensitive, the power for inspection is limited.
Generally, authorities can access the data after fulfilling everything. Companies can access other companies’ data only after due diligence issues. Others must have solid grounds to obtain permission to inspect. As soon as you click here, you will learn more about Transparency Register.
Expenses
You should know that notifications and registrations are free of charge. However, if you pay a small annual fee, you can enter maintenance that applies throughout the process. Companies must register to pay the fee, especially for getting the VAT.
Non-profit organizations can apply for exemption from costs and entry into the transparency register. However, organizations can grant the fee exemption. Therefore, you must prove a non-profit status through activities that either promote ethical or religious purposes.
Still, this is not a straightforward solution, meaning you should contact a legal representative for the process.