how do I prove where my start-up capital comes from

Substantiate origin of start-up capital with supporting documents

The question about the origin of start-up capital usually comes from a bank or another party that must conduct client due diligence under the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act (Wwft). This is not about a statutory declaration, but about a document with which the flow of money can be traced: a notarial deed of contribution upon incorporation, a bank statement of the deposit to the capital account, a loan agreement if the start-up capital is partly borrowed, or a deed of gift in the case of family capital. In the case of contribution in kind — machinery, inventory, a property — a valuation report or the valuation attached to the notarial deed should be included.

If you no longer have that document, an extract from the business register with the incorporation date and paid-up capital is often the best substitute evidence: it shows the amount of capital in any case, even if it does not show the origin. If that is also missing, the most honest answer is that the supporting document is no longer available, with a brief explanation of what you do have. This topic often touches on the same question as who are the ultimate beneficial owners of the company, because a bank usually requests the origin of capital and UBO structure at the same time. The question why the bank asks completely different questions than the insurer also plays a role here: for an insurer, the origin of capital is rarely relevant, for a bank it is almost always.

Basis: customer due diligence under the AMLFT

The obligation to investigate the origin of funds derives from client due diligence under the Wwft; the bank or other institution must conduct this investigation before or while entering into the business relationship, and the business register under the Trade Register Act 2007 serves here only as an additional source for incorporation date and capital data, not as proof of origin itself.