Asset-managing GmbH Managing director's salary

Sie haben sich entschieden eine vermögensverwaltende GmbH zu gründen und selbst der Geschäftsführer zu sein?
Das ist eine hervorragende Entscheidung. Doch wie kann bei Ihrer vermögensverwaltenden GmbH das Geschäftsführer-Gehalt zu steuerlichen Vorteilen verhelfen?

What salary is appropriate for a managing director?

To begin with, the following question arises: What salary is appropriate appropriate for a managing director?

Of course, the entire topic does not only apply to the special form of the asset-managing GmbH, but also to any other form of a company.

Ein bedeutender Punkt ist es, sich vor Festlegung der Vergütung zu informieren, in welchem Rahmen das durchschnittliche Gehalt in der jeweiligen Branche liegt.
Das festgelegte Geschäftsführergehalt sollte sich unbedingt in diesem Rahmen bewegen,
 da bei überdurchschnittlicher Höhe, die Skepsis des Finanzamts geweckt werden kann. Folglich wird von einer verdeckten Gewinnausschüttung ausgegangen und der den Durchschnitt übersteigende Betrag gilt als Kapitalertrag. Eine Steuernachzahlung ist dann unvermeidbar.

What is the minimum salary that must be paid to the managing director?

In principle, it can be said that in the case of a salaried managing director, the Minimum Wage Act applies. 

However, this only applies to employees and not to service employees, which would be the case for an external managing director. The minimum wage must only be paid if the activity of the managing director is similar to an employment relationship. This refers to acting in accordance with instructions without any scope for decision-making of their own. If you act as GmbH managing director act completely on your own initiative, you even have the possibility of being be employed without salary and to participate exclusively in the company's profits.

How much may a shareholder-director earn?

Upwards, the amount of the salary of a managing director of a of an asset-managing GmbH no limit is set.

Of course, the assessment basis depends on various factors such as the industry, the size of the company, the annual turnover and the earning power of the company.

Salary or profit distribution - which makes more sense?

As managing director of your GmbH, you have two different ways of being remunerated. 

1. distribution of profits 

In this case, of course, the entire profit of the GmbH must be taxed and is subsequently distributed to it.

Finally, you decide whether you want to pay tax on this with the capital gains tax or the partial income procedure. 

2.the asset-managing GmbH pays you pay you as Managing Director a salary from

In the second scenario, you receive a salary from your GmbH, but the distribution of profits is waived.

The salary is considered an expense in the GmbH. The amount to be taxed by the GmbH is therefore lower by the amount of the salary. 

Angenommen, das Geschäftsführer-Gehalt ist genauso hoch wie der Jahresüberschuss, so muss die GmbH gar keine Steuern zahlen. 

You as a managing director, on the other hand, must pay income tax on the salary you receive. 

But which of the two options makes more sense from a tax point of view? 

Let's look at comparative example calculations for this.

We assume an annual GmbH profit of EUR 150,000. As the only shareholder, you are also the managing director. 

No managing director's salary, but profit distribution

Corporate income tax, solidarity surcharge and trade tax (with a realistic assessment rate of 450%); as a rule, no turnover tax is payable by the Vermögensverwaltende GmbH.

Geschäftsführer-Gehalt

To simplify matters, the following example does not include factors that are significant in reality, such as the receipt of taxable benefits in kind, non-cash benefits or income-related expenses.

Auch wenn es sich bei den obigen Berechnungen um vereinfachte Modelle handelt, so ist ersichtlich, dass das Geschäftsführer-Gehalt dem der Gewinnausschüttung, rein steuerlich gesehen, vorzuziehen ist.