Deletion

Deletion in the commercial register refers to the legally effective removal of a register entry—either the complete deletion of a company following liquidation, merger, or insolvency, or the partial deletion of individual data such as a revoked power of attorney. A commercial register deletion of a company permanently ends its legal capacity and should therefore be carefully prepared. A common reason is deletion due to lack of assets according to § 394 FamFG: If the company has no assets and no managing director can be reached, the registry court initiates the deletion 'ex officio'. In the case of partial deletions, a note such as 'Power of Attorney Max Müller revoked' appears once the power of attorney ends. For a voluntary company deletion, current financial statements, shareholder resolutions, and a notarized application are mandatory; without these documents, the court usually refuses the removal.

Deletion notes indicate whether a company has been permanently removed from the register or if only specific details (e.g., power of attorney) have been struck off. The handelsregister.ai API provides these status and history entries along with the date and reason, allowing users to automatically monitor a company's legal existence, liability risks, and representation authorities.