antragspflicht-15a-inso

/insolvenzrecht:antragspflicht-15a-inso

Purpose

The obligation to file for insolvency is the strictest rule in crisis law: personal civil liability toward new creditors, criminal prosecution under § 15a (4) InsO (intent) and (5) (negligence), obligation to reimburse payments made from company assets after insolvency maturity under § 15b InsO. This skill examines the point at which insolvency maturity occurs and the ongoing filing obligation.

Inputs

• Legal form (GmbH, AG, GmbH & Co. KG, OHG without a natural person as personally liable partner)
• Current liquidity situation (bank balances, receivables, due liabilities, payment arrears)
• Balance sheet and going-concern forecast (see fortbestehensprognose)
• Point at which the person obligated to file became aware
• Are there restructuring efforts (StaRUG notification, settlement negotiations, investor search)?

Procedure

1. Addressee of the filing obligation (§ 15a (1), (2) InsO)

• Legal entities (GmbH, AG, eG, association): members of the representative body.
• Partnerships without legal personality without an unlimitedly liable natural person (GmbH & Co. KG without a natural-person general partner): each organ representative.
• Liquidators at the liquidation stage.

2. Insolvency triggers

a) Inability to pay (§ 17 InsO)

The debtor is unable to pay if it is not in a position to meet due payment obligations. BGH rule of thumb (BGH, order of 24.05.2005 – IX ZR 123/04, NJW 2005, 3062 [unverifiziert – prüfen]):

• liquidity gap ≥ 10 % for more than three weeks → as a rule, inability to pay.
• A smaller gap can also constitute inability to pay if non-remediation is foreseeable.
• Mere payment arrears (< 3 weeks) is not sufficient.

b) Imminent inability to pay (§ 18 InsO)

With predominant probability, the debtor will not be able to meet its existing payment obligations at the time they fall due . Forecast period: 24 months (§ 18 (2) sentence 2 InsO, introduced by the 2021 implementation of StaRUG).

Imminent inability to pay is not a ground for filing under § 15a InsO (only § 17, § 19). However, it opens access to StaRUG stabilization instruments.

c) Overindebtedness (§ 19 InsO)

Assets no longer cover existing liabilities, unless, continuation of the business is predominantly probable under the circumstances (positive going-concern forecast, § 19 (2) sentence 1 InsO).

Two-stage examination:

1. Going-concern forecast (see fortbestehensprognose): predominant probability (> 50 %) of going-concern ability over the forecast period (12 months from 2024-12, previously 4 months during crisis mode).
2. If negative forecast: overindebtedness status at liquidation values (no going-concern approach).

3. Application deadlines (Section 15a (1) InsO)

Ground for insolvency	Deadline	Start
Illiquidity Section 17	3 weeks	Occurrence of illiquidity
Overindebtedness Section 19	6 weeks	Occurrence of overindebtedness

Note: The deadline begins with the objective occurrence, not with knowledge. Later acquisition of knowledge can exclude fault, but not the objective breach of duty.

Within the deadline, action may be taken to eliminate the insolvency (investor search, restructuring negotiations). The deadline may not be used for mere delay.

4. Consequences of a breach of the obligation to file

Criminal liability Section 15a (4), (5) InsO

• Intent: imprisonment for up to 3 years or fine.
• Negligence: imprisonment for up to 1 year or fine.

External liability toward new creditors

Under Section 823 (2) BGB in conjunction with Section 15a InsO: Anyone who has contracted with the company that is already insolvent in reliance on its continued solvency suffers a reliance loss for which the managing director is personally liable. Damage = difference between actual performance and hypothetical insolvency dividend.

Cf. BGH, judgment of 27.04.2009 – II ZR 86/07, NJW 2009, 2454 [unverifiziert – prüfen].

Obligation to reimburse payments from the company's assets (Section 15b InsO)

From the occurrence of insolvency maturity, payments from the company's assets are prohibited to the extent that they reduce the insolvency estate (Section 15b (1) InsO). Exception: payments that are compatible with the diligence of a prudent businessman (maintenance of business operations during the application deadline).

The managing director is liable for reimbursement, personally and jointly and severally with other managing directors.

5. Lines of defense

• No insolvency maturity occurred (e.g. liquidity shortage rather than inability, positive going-concern forecast, averted).
• Acted within the application deadline (3 or 6 weeks) with serious restructuring efforts.
• No fault if objectively present (rarely successful).
• Statute of limitations Section 15a (6) InsO in conjunction with general limitation rules (regularly 5 years).
• D&O insurance (as a rule, however, cases of delayed insolvency filing are excluded as intentional breach of duty — check coverage).

6. Interlocking with StaRUG

StaRUG (Act on the Stabilization and Restructuring Framework) permits an early restructuring in the event of impending insolvency, without opening insolvency proceedings. The notification pursuant to Section 31 StaRUG establishes no obligation to file pursuant to Section 15a InsO; however, if ZU or overindebtedness occurs, Section 15a InsO applies again.

See detail skill: starug-restrukturierungsplan.

Sources

Statute

• Section 15a InsO, Section 15b InsO
• Section 17 InsO, Section 18 InsO, Section 19 InsO
• Section 823(2) BGB
• StaRUG

Commentaries

• Klöhn, in: MüKoInsO, 4th ed. 2024, Section 15a marginal no. 1 et seq.
• Mock, in: Uhlenbruck, InsO, 16th ed. 2024, Section 15a marginal no. 1 et seq.
• Schmidt-Karsten, ZIP 2023, 1 et seq. (article on the StaRUG reform and the obligation to file)

Case law

• BGH, order of 24.05.2005 – IX ZR 123/04, NJW 2005, 3062 (liquidity gap) [unverifiziert – prüfen]
• BGH, judgment of 27.04.2009 – II ZR 86/07, NJW 2009, 2454 (external liability) [unverifiziert – prüfen]
• BGH, judgment of 16.03.2009 – II ZR 280/07, NJW 2009, 2127 (Section 64 GmbHG old version = today Section 15b InsO) [unverifiziert – prüfen]

Output format

INSOLVENZANTRAGSPFLICHT-PRÜFUNG — <Mandat> — <Datum>

I.   Adressat                        [GF / Liquidator / Vorstand]
II.  Insolvenzgrund-Check
     a) Zahlungsunfähigkeit § 17     [eingetreten am / nicht eingetreten]
        Liquiditätslücke %:           <…>
     b) Überschuldung § 19           [eingetreten / Prognose positiv]
III. Antragsfrist
     ZU: 3 Wochen ab <Datum> → Fristende <Datum>
     ÜS: 6 Wochen ab <Datum> → Fristende <Datum>
IV.  Status
     [🟢 keine Antragspflicht / 🟡 in der Frist / 🔴 Frist abgelaufen]
V.   Risikobewertung
     Strafrechtlich § 15a Abs. 4/5    [Risiko hoch / mittel / niedrig]
     Außenhaftung Neugläubiger        [exponiert / abgemildert]
     Erstattung § 15b                 [Zahlungen seit <Datum>: Liste]
VI.  Empfehlung
     - Sofortmaßnahmen: <…>
     - Sanierungsoption (StaRUG?): <…>
     - Antrag bis: <Datum>

Verteidigungsoptionen: <…>

Risks / typical errors

• Deadline calculated incorrectly — it begins with objective occurrence, not with knowledge.
• Imminent inability to pay treated as a filing ground — it is not (only the debtor's right to open proceedings + access to StaRUG).
• Restructuring efforts without liquidity analysis — Section 17 InsO remains an objective test.
• Payments from insolvency maturity without review under the Section 15b standard of care → personal reimbursement.
• "We have been fighting for weeks, it will work out" — does not extend the filing deadline.
• D&O coverage assumed — delayed filing for insolvency is frequently excluded from insurance coverage.