Foundation balance

Definition of the start-up balance sheet

The start-up balance sheet is a special balance sheet that is to be drawn up at the start of the commercial sector in accordance with Section 242 (1) HGB. It represents the accounting completion of the formation, ie the Closing balance the founding company, especially in the case of corporations. The foundation balance sheet serves the following purposes:

Balance sheet to determine the success

The determination of the success from the foundation processes. As a rule, this is a loss because expenses are incurred, but the income is only given later.

Disclosure of the company's assets and capital as of its founding date. It therefore serves to inform all those involved in the founding process, such as B. merchant, shareholder, creditor.

The formation of a basis for the current bookkeeping and the following annual balance sheets. In this function, it serves (indirectly) to determine success, because only with its help is it possible to compare assets for the first business period. Corresponding conclusions for the balance sheet and valuations result from this.

Structure of the establishment balance sheet

The structure of the start-up balance sheet is not explicitly regulated by law. However, there is agreement to regard the structure of the annual balance sheet as fundamental (see also Section 242, Paragraph 1, Clause 2 HGB), ie the GoB - above all the principle of balance sheet clarity - apply to the formal structure. There may be voluntary additions or other deviations from the general structure of Section 266 of the German Commercial Code (HGB) for the start-up balance sheet.

The establishment balance sheet and the annual closing balance sheet are largely identical in terms of the type of structure and differ primarily in terms of the scope of the structure. It essentially depends on the degree of participation in general business dealings already in the founding phase.