After the Gewerbeanmeldung, the Gewerbeamt automatically notifies the IHK or HWK. Membership is compulsory and involves a fee.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer)
Public bodyMembership is compulsory for most trades; skilled crafts belong to the HWK (Handwerkskammer), not the IHK.
After your Gewerbeanmeldung, the Gewerbeamt passes your details to the IHK or HWK. A letter arrives — usually within 2–4 weeks. Freiberufler skip this step entirely.
The letter contains your membership confirmation and a fee invoice. If your income in the first year is low, immediately submit a Befreiungsantrag (exemption form on the IHK website). Many small businesses pay €0 in their first years.
The IHK letter scared me — I thought it was a fine. It was just a membership notice. In my first year my income was below €5,200 — the fee was €0. I submitted the Befreiungsantrag online in 10 minutes.
The IHK offers free consultations for new business owners — I used theirs to have my first client contract reviewed. A genuinely useful resource, not just bureaucracy.
IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer) — for trade, services, industry and IT businesses. HWK (Handwerkskammer) — for craft trades (hairdressers, builders, mechanics, cooks). The Gewerbeamt decides which chamber you are assigned to.
There are three thresholds, and they should not be confused with the tax ones. (1) Founder exemption, § 3 (3) IHKG: a natural person opening a business for the first time is exempt from both the base fee and the levy in the opening year and the year after, and from the levy in years three and four, provided profit does not exceed €25,000. For most founders the first two years cost nothing. (2) General exemption: no fee at all up to €5,200 profit. (3) The levy is calculated on profit less an allowance of €15,340 for natural persons and partnerships. Each chamber sets its own base fee — check your IHK's Beitragsordnung. Freiberufler are not members at all. ⚠️ The €24,500 figure often quoted has nothing to do with IHK fees — it is the trade-tax allowance under § 11 GewStG.
No — membership is compulsory (Pflichtmitgliedschaft) for all Gewerbetreibende. A fee exemption can be applied for at very low income levels. The IHK/HWK offers free business consultations, networking and training — worth using.