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Company Formation

Jurisdictions for company formation compared by setup cost, tax rate, residency requirements, and banking accessibility.

UK Private Limited Company (Ltd)

United Kingdom

Setup

$50

Tax Rate

25% (19% for profits under GBP 50,000; marginal relief between GBP 50,000–250,000)

Banking

moderate

US Delaware LLC

United States

Setup

$200

Tax Rate

0% at state level (no Delaware state income tax on out-of-state activity); federal tax depends on election (pass-through by default or C-Corp election)

Banking

moderate

US Wyoming LLC

United States

Setup

$100

Tax Rate

0% at state level (no Wyoming state income tax); federal tax depends on entity election

Banking

moderate

Estonia OÜ (Private Limited Company)

Estonia

Setup

$265

Tax Rate

0% on retained earnings; 20% on distributed profits (unique deferred distribution tax model)

Banking

difficult

Dubai DMCC Free Zone Company

United Arab Emirates

Setup

$8,500

Tax Rate

9% UAE Corporate Tax (effective June 2023) on taxable profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons meeting substance requirements

Banking

moderate

Dubai IFZA Free Zone Company

United Arab Emirates

Setup

$5,500

Tax Rate

9% UAE Corporate Tax on profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons on qualifying income

Banking

moderate

Singapore Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)

Singapore

Setup

$400

Tax Rate

17% headline rate; effective rate often 8–10% due to startup tax exemptions (75% exemption on first SGD 100,000 for first 3 years)

Banking

moderate

Hong Kong Private Limited Company

Hong Kong

Setup

$500

Tax Rate

16.5% standard; 8.25% on first HKD 2 million of assessable profits (two-tiered regime)

Banking

difficult

BVI Business Company (BC)

British Virgin Islands

Setup

$2,000

Tax Rate

0% (no corporate income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax)

Banking

difficult

Cayman Islands LLC

Cayman Islands

Setup

$3,500

Tax Rate

0% (no corporate tax, income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax; 20-year tax exemption certificate available)

Banking

difficult

Portugal Lda (Sociedade por Quotas)

Portugal

Setup

$1,200

Tax Rate

21% standard IRC; 17% on first EUR 25,000 for SMEs; municipal surcharge up to 1.5%; RFAI and other incentives available

Banking

moderate

Georgia Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Virtual Zone

Georgia

Setup

$50

Tax Rate

1% on turnover up to GEL 500,000/year (Small Business Status); 0% on IT/software exports for Virtual Zone Person status; standard rate 15% corporate + 5% dividend withholding

Banking

easy