Online Store Under 18 in Germany: Business, Parents, Shopify

You're 14, 16 or 17 and want to start an online store under 18, with print on demand, dropshipping or your own products? This article explains what the law in Germany says, how approval by the family court (Familiengericht) works, what age limits Shopify, Etsy and PayPal set, and what you and your parents need to know about taxes and health insurance. It's part of our overview Starting a Shopify store.

The legal situation: why you can't just get started

In Germany, from age 7 until your 18th birthday you have limited legal capacity (beschränkte Geschäftsfähigkeit, § 106 BGB). Contracts that don't bring you a purely legal advantage need your parents' consent (§ 107 BGB). Without consent, they are provisionally invalid until your parents approve or reject them (§ 108 BGB).

An online store consists of nothing but such contracts: sales contracts with customers, contracts with suppliers, payment providers, shipping providers and the store platform itself. On top of that come obligations such as the legal guarantee (Gewährleistung) and the right of withdrawal. The so-called pocket money rule (Taschengeldparagraf, § 110 BGB) doesn't help here. It covers individual purchases you pay for with your own money, but not an ongoing business.

As soon as you sell regularly with the intention of making a profit, you also need a registered business (Gewerbe). How registration works in general is covered in the article Registering a business for your online store. As a minor, there's an additional step before that.

§ 112 BGB: a business with family court approval

Under § 112 BGB (German), your parents can authorize you to run a business independently. However, the authorization only takes effect once the family court approves it. Both together are mandatory. It doesn't work without the court, even if your parents agree.

How it works

1. Talk to your parents. With joint custody, both parents usually have to agree, because they represent you jointly.
2. Application to the family court. According to IHK Hannover (German), an informal application is enough, which you submit and your parents co-sign. The responsible court is the family court at the local court (Amtsgericht) where you live.
3. Attach documents. The IHK recommends a written statement from your school on whether starting a business is compatible with your school performance. A CV, a business plan and proof that you know your legal obligations are also helpful.
4. Hearing. The court hears you and your parents. It checks whether you have the necessary maturity and knowledge for the business. The protective idea behind it: you shouldn't get into debt without thinking it through.
5. After approval: register your business at the trade office (Gewerbeamt). The tax office (Finanzamt) will then send you a tax registration questionnaire, which you fill out yourself.

Exactly which documents your court wants to see, how long it takes and whether there are fees, you'll find out from the responsible judicial officer (Rechtspfleger). This varies by region; ask beforehand instead of guessing.

From what age is this realistic?

The law doesn't set a fixed lower limit. According to Händlerbund (German), approval comes into question at the earliest from around age 14; businesses started by 16- and 17-year-olds are approved more often. At 13, approval is practically ruled out.

What approval gives you and what it doesn't

With approval, you have full legal capacity for all transactions your business involves. But you're then also fully liable yourself.

Shopify, Etsy, PayPal: the age limits

Regardless of German law, every platform has its own terms of use. These are decisive for you, because they determine who is allowed to have an account at all.

Shopify's terms of service also require your full legal name. Whoever opens the account becomes the contracting party and store owner, and that person's name must be visible in the store. With Shopify Payments, ID and address are verified as well. Not even an IHK or a court can override these terms: approval governs what you're allowed to do under German law, not who a company must enter into contracts with.

Why "just enter your parents' details" is not a solution

A question from the comments goes roughly like this: "I don't have a registered business, should I just enter my mother's tax ID and do everything myself?" The clear answer: no.

• Legally, your mother is then the merchant. She is liable for legal warnings, chargebacks, customer complaints and taxes, without running the store herself.
• The platform rules are violated. An account that belongs to one person on paper but is run by someone else who isn't allowed to have an account violates the terms of use. Shopify and PayPal can suspend such accounts and withhold payouts.
• It gets messy for taxes. Income ends up with the wrong person, and at some point the tax office will ask questions.

That's something different from a genuine family business in which a parent really is the owner and takes on the responsibility. More on that in a moment.

Legal options for an online store under 18

The family business: what it means

According to Händlerbund, an adult, such as a parent, can register the business; you're then involved or helping out. That's legal if it's meant honestly: the parent registers the business, opens the Shopify account, is named in the imprint, takes part in decisions and bears full legal and financial responsibility. You help, for example with design, products or social media. If you're supposed to be paid for that, it's best to clarify it with a tax advisor (Steuerberater), because helping out also comes with tax and employment law rules.

This route is common for print on demand, because hardly any startup capital is needed. How print on demand works with Shopify is explained in the article Print on demand with Shopify. Whether Etsy or your own store is the better fit is compared in Shopify vs. Etsy vs. WooCommerce vs. Wix.

Taxes, health insurance, child benefit: what parents need to know

There are no special tax rules for minors. Anyone with a registered business has the same obligations as adults.

• Income tax: Only due once your taxable income exceeds the basic tax-free allowance (Grundfreibetrag). According to § 32a EStG (German), it is €12,348 in 2026. With a registered business, you usually still have to file a tax return.
• Trade tax (Gewerbesteuer): Sole proprietors have an allowance of €24,500 in trade income per year (§ 11 GewStG (German)).
• VAT: As a new founder, you automatically start under the small business rule (Kleinunternehmerregelung) as long as your revenue in the founding year doesn't exceed €25,000. How to set this up in Shopify is covered in Setting up taxes in Shopify.
• Bookkeeping without a tax advisor? For a small store, that's doable: write invoices, collect receipts, record income and expenses in a cash-basis income statement (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung). Shopify itself doesn't do bookkeeping; there are accounting programs and invoicing apps for that. Which obligations and tools exist is covered in Invoices & bookkeeping in your Shopify store. For your first tax return with a registered business, an appointment with a tax advisor is still a good investment, especially when your family health insurance is at stake.
• Health insurance: According to Techniker Krankenkasse (German), in 2026 you only remain covered under family insurance (Familienversicherung) as long as your regular total income doesn't exceed €565 per month. Profit from self-employment counts toward this. If your profit is higher, you need your own health insurance, and that can end up costing more than the store.
• Child benefit (Kindergeld): For children under 18, their own income plays no role for child benefit.

What you can do right now, without selling

Until you're 18 or have approval, you can prepare everything that doesn't require a contract with customers:

• Test your niche and product idea: What are people searching for, what already exists, what would you do better?
• Build reach: A social media channel on your topic is worth more at 18 than any course.
• Do the math on costs: What a store really costs is covered in How much startup capital do I need?, and whether dropshipping still pays off at all in Is dropshipping still worth it in 2026?
• Learn the basics: legal texts, shipping, payment methods, taxes. If you understand these at 18, you'll avoid expensive beginner mistakes.

FAQ

Can my parents register a business for me?

No, not for you. Your parents can either register a business of their own, in which case it's their business and they bear full responsibility. Or they authorize you under § 112 BGB and the family court approves it. Then you register the business yourself in your own name. A business in your parents' name that in reality you run alone is not a clean solution.

Can I do print on demand as a minor?

Print on demand is a normal business, and the same rules apply. With approval under § 112 BGB you may run the business, but you won't get your own Shopify account until you're 18. Legal options are an Etsy shop via a parent's account under their supervision, or a store in which a parent is the real owner and you work alongside.

Can I open a Shopify store at 16 if I have an approved business?

No. According to its terms of service, Shopify requires account holders to be at least 18 or of legal age where they live. Family court approval only governs which transactions you may conclude under German law. It doesn't oblige Shopify to enter into a contract with you. Until 18, the only option is a store owned by an adult.

How long does approval from the family court take?

There's no fixed duration; it depends on the court, its workload and your documents. You should plan for the application, a hearing date and possible follow-up questions; it's more a matter of weeks than days. Call the judicial officer (Rechtspfleger) at your local court beforehand and ask which documents are needed. Complete documents speed up the process.

What happens if I sell without approval?

Contracts you conclude without consent are provisionally invalid. Customers or suppliers can invoke this, which can trigger reversals of the transactions. On top of that come problems with the trade office, the tax office and the platforms whose rules you're violating. Occasional private sales of your own belongings are something different from a store run for profit.

Do I need my own business bank account as a minor?

A business account isn't mandatory for sole proprietors, but a separate account is recommended so that private and business payments stay clearly separated. Whether a bank opens an account for a business run by a minor is up to each bank; parental consent is usually required. For Shopify Payments, you have to be an adult account holder anyway.

Can two minors start a store together?

Yes, according to IHK Hannover, a GbR of several minors is possible in principle. However, each of you needs your own parental authorization and your own family court approval. That doubles the effort. A GbR doesn't change Shopify's age limit either: only someone who is 18 can open the store.

Does Shopify ask for my ID, and can I receive payouts as a minor?

Yes, at the latest when it comes to payments, it gets checked. Anyone who activates Shopify Payments has to provide details on the account holder's identity, address and bank account, and payouts go to the bank account that this holder has entered. A store set up with false information can be flagged in such checks, and Shopify can withhold payouts. If the store is in a parent's name as the real owner, payouts go to that parent's account.

Can I run an online store alongside school?

Yes, if you plan realistically. A store needs a little time every day for orders and customer inquiries, plus fixed blocks for products and marketing. Models without your own inventory, such as print on demand, fit a school schedule better than goods you pack yourself. The family court pays close attention to this: the statement from your school is meant to show that your grades won't suffer. Start small and expand once it's working.

Do I need startup capital or a credit card?

You need some money, because the Shopify plan, apps, test orders and advertising cost money from the start. These costs are paid by the account holder, so in a family store by the parent. A few euros of ad budget rarely produce meaningful results. Calculate beforehand which fixed costs come up every month and how many sales you need to cover them.

As of: October 2026. This article is not legal or tax advice. For your specific situation, contact the responsible family court, the IHK or a tax advisor.