How to deal with changing the legal form of your company
If you want to change the legal form of your company with Amazon, for example from a general partnership (like a GbR in Germany) to a corporation (such as a German GmbH), there is a lot for you to consider. Traditionally, this would require opening a new account on Amazon – which has long been viewed as virtually impossible because Amazon only permits one account for each company or the person behind it. If Amazon finds out that any two accounts are connected in one way or another, this will result in the respective accounts being blocked. While Amazon’s core policy of one account per entity remains, their enforcement and seller support have evolved, including clearer mediation timelines and improved appeal processes. It’s also increasingly possible to update legal information directly within an existing Seller Central account for minor changes or conversions, provided complete document verification. However, this isn’t universally applicable, and a complete legal entity change might still necessitate a careful approach to account transition.
Together with our customers, we found two lasting solutions for this issue:
Creating a new account after a waiting period
For this first option, you close the account you were operating from until now, then traditionally you would wait for two to three months before opening a new account with the new legal form. This waiting period was an anecdotal strategy to ensure Amazon wouldn’t create a connection between the old and your new account, as tricking Amazon by having two accounts simultaneously is not what you’re after.
However, Amazon is very cautious when it comes to this topic, and their enhanced identity verification systems, including biometric and deeper data checks, make it more critical to fully separate account-level personal information when transitioning. Relying solely on a waiting period for new account creation after a legal entity change carries significant risks. Amazon has also expanded mediation and appeal programs to address such risks more systematically, but strict timelines now apply: appeals must be submitted within six months of an issue, and mediation requests within six months of an appeal outcome. New enforcement mechanisms like Account Health Assurance and Rating programs also impact compliance during legal/form changes.
SPACEGOATS experience story: We know of that one case that resulted in a lifelong account blockage for one seller because he had been listed on the support page with his phone number three years ago – on a whole other Amazon account, belonging to a colleague he worked for. He then proceeded to open his own account with his phone number – and got banned immediately. This entails months, if not years, of complications, as well as time and money for a lawyer. So this might not be the ideal solution.
The bottom line: Close your old account and get rid of any old information completely, then wait a sufficient amount of time before opening a new account, ensuring no personal information (phone, tax ID, email, etc.) links the old to the new. Be aware of the 2025 tightened account health requirements, including maintaining an Account Health Rating of at least 200, as failure risks suspension. You should also strategically plan inventory transfers, as FBA capacity limits have tightened significantly, and understand reimbursement policy changes for lost inventory.
The simple solution: Come join us!
The second, secure solution is: Join SPACEGOATS! We’ll sell your products on our seller account until you can activate your new account. This way, you won’t lose a single day of revenue or ranking and still have the option of letting plenty of time pass before opening the new account. While third-party solutions like this offer a bridge, sellers should be cautious. There is no official indication that Amazon has created or endorsed accounts for bridging legal structure transitions, and relying on such arrangements should be done with awareness of potential risks related to Amazon’s account health and identity verification policies, which are increasingly strict. Remember, maintaining your own account’s health and compliance is paramount.
If you want to be completely sure, of course, that your account will not face the risk of blocking, you can always stay with us – which means you won’t need a new account anymore, save all the time and effort, and eliminate the risk of a banned account.
