- 20 jurisdictions
- Direct comparison
- Data verified · August 2026
| Jurisdiction | European Union | Substance required | 100% remote | Reputation | Accounting | Best fit | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Yes | Low | Yes | Strong (EU) | Annual, no audit for SMEs | SaaS and service businesses that reinvest profits; fans of e-Residency. | The 0% rate is lost as soon as you distribute dividends. |
| UAE (Dubai) | No | Medium | No | Moderate, improving | Annual plus audit | High-profit businesses seeking a genuine 0% rate and a residence visa. | Requires an office or substance, and the licence renewal is expensive every year. |
| Cyprus | Yes | Medium | No | Strong (EU) | Annual plus audit | Combining a company and Non-Dom residency in the same country. | The rate rises to 15% under the 2026 reform. |
| Ireland | Yes | Medium | No | Very strong | Annual plus audit, depending on size | Tech startups seeking reputation and investors. | Requires an EEA-resident director or an insurance bond. |
| United States | No | Low | Yes | Strong, with scrutiny | Annual filing (Form 5472) | Freelancers and ecommerce businesses billing US customers. | The member is taxed in their country of residence; this is not a genuine 0% rate. |
| United Kingdom | No | Low | Yes | Very strong | Annual filing with Companies House | Maximum reputation with cheap, fast incorporation. | The rate reaches 25% as soon as you grow. |
| Bulgaria | Yes | Medium | No | Moderate (EU) | Annual | Those seeking a low rate within the EU, which adopted the euro in 2026. | Banking and procedures are slower than in northern EU countries. |
| Georgia | No | Low | Yes | Moderate | Annual | Software companies that export online services. | The 0% regime is limited to IT; you must apply for it and maintain it. |
| Singapore | No | Medium | No | Very strong | Annual plus audit, depending on size | A gateway to Asia with top-tier reputation. | Requires a Singapore-resident director, at an annual cost. |
| Hong Kong | No | Medium | No | Strong | Annual plus audit | Businesses with Asian customers and exempt foreign-source income. | Banking has become demanding for non-residents. |
| Gibraltar | No | Medium | No | Moderate, with scrutiny | Annual plus audit, depending on size | Online gaming, crypto and ecommerce businesses seeking a British base without VAT. | The rate rose from 12.5% to 15% in 2024; banking is demanding. |
| Malta | Yes | Medium | No | Moderate (EU) | Two sets of accounts: trading company plus holding company, with audit | Structures with enough volume to use the 6/7 refund. | The 5% rate requires two companies: a trading company and a holding company that receives the refund. This adds cost and complexity. Simpler direct-rate alternatives are Gibraltar at 15% or Cyprus at 12.5%. |
| Portugal | Yes | Medium | No | Strong (EU) | Annual plus certified accountant | Living in Portugal and billing from there; Madeira Free Trade Zone. | Madeira’s 5% rate requires an IBC licence and real substance through employment. |
| Netherlands | Yes | Medium | No | Very strong | Annual plus audit, depending on size | Holdings and structures seeking reputation and a treaty network. | Costs and administrative demands are high for a small SME. |
| Switzerland | No | High | No | Very strong | Annual plus audit, depending on size | Maximum reputation and stability; fintech and holding companies. | Requires CHF 20,000 in capital and a director resident in Switzerland. |
| Andorra | No | Medium | No | Strong, improving | Annual | Andorran residents with an online business and very low consumption tax (IGI). | Incorporating there without living there makes little tax sense. |
| Panama | No | Medium | Yes | Moderate, sensitive | Annual | Income that is entirely from outside Panama. | A group with passive foreign income must demonstrate substance; otherwise, the rate is 15%. |
| Paraguay | No | Medium | No | Moderate | Annual | A low-cost territorial system in Latin America with straightforward residency. | Banking and procedures are slow, and the treaty network is limited. |
| Luxembourg | Yes | Medium | No | Very strong | Annual plus audit, depending on size | Equity holdings and funds, not small-scale operations. | The rate is high; it is worthwhile only because of the holding-company regime. |
| Romania | Yes | Medium | No | Moderate (EU) | Annual | Low turnover that fits within the micro-enterprise regime. | The micro-enterprise threshold fell to €100,000 in 2026, from €250,000. |
| Jurisdiction | Company type | Corporate tax | Dividends | VAT or consumption tax | Setup cost | Annual cost | Incorporation time | Residency required? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra | SL | 10% · general corporate rate of 10% | 0% | 4.5% (IGI) | ≈ €3,000 to €5,000 | ≈ €2,000/year | 3 to 6 weeks | Residency recommended | PwC |
| Bulgaria | OOD | 10% · flat corporate rate of 10% | 5% | 20% | ≈ €1,000 to €2,000 | ≈ €1,200/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Cyprus | LTD | 12.5% · 12.5% (moving to 15% under the 2026 reform) | 0% for non-doms | 19% | ≈ €2,500 to €4,000 | ≈ €2,000/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| UAE (Dubai) | FZ-LLC | 0% · 0% on qualifying Free Zone income, 9% above AED 375,000 | 0% | 5% | ≈ $8,000 to $15,000 | ≈ $6,000/year | 1 to 3 weeks | No (visa available) | PwC |
| United States | LLC (DE/WY) | 0% · 0% federal tax at the pass-through entity level, plus state taxes | Not applicable | No VAT (sales tax) | ≈ $500 to $1,200 | ≈ $400 to $800/year | 1 to 5 days | No | PwC |
| Estonia | OÜ | 0% · 0% on retained profit, 22% on distribution | 22% on distribution | 24% | ≈ €500 to €1,500 | ≈ €1,500/year | 1 to 3 days | No | PwC |
| Georgia | Virtual Zone | 0% · 0% on exported IT services (Virtual Zone) | 5% | 18% | ≈ $1,000 to $2,500 | ≈ $1,200/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Gibraltar | Ltd | 15% · 15% since 1 July 2024, territorial system, no VAT | 0% | No (0%) | ≈ £3,000 to £5,000 | ≈ £1,500/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Hong Kong | Ltd | 8.25% · 8.25% up to HKD 2 million, then 16.5%, territorial system | 0% | None | ≈ $1,500 to $3,500 | ≈ $2,000/year | 1 week | No | PwC |
| Ireland | LTD | 12.5% · 12.5% for trading income, 15% for large groups | Income-tax scale | 23% | ≈ €800 to €2,000 | ≈ €1,500/year | 1 to 2 weeks | EU/EEA director or bond | PwC |
| Luxembourg | Sàrl | 24% · approximately 23.9% effective (corporate and municipal tax, Luxembourg City) | 15% (or parent-subsidiary exemption) | 17% | ≈ €2,500 to €5,000 | ≈ €2,500/year | 2 to 4 weeks | No | PwC |
| Malta | Ltd + holding | 5% · 35% nominal, 5% effective after a 6/7 refund to the shareholder | Imputation system | 18% | ≈ €6,000 to €12,000 | ≈ €5,000/year | 2 to 4 weeks | No | PwC |
| Panama | S.A. | 0% · 0% on foreign-source income, 25% on local income (territorial) | 5% to 10% (local) | None (offshore) | ≈ $1,500 to $3,000 | ≈ $1,000/year (flat fee and agent) | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Paraguay | SRL / EAS | 10% · 10% territorial (IRE), foreign income exempt | 8% | 10% | ≈ $1,500 to $2,500 | ≈ $800/year | 2 to 4 weeks | No (accessible residency) | PwC |
| Netherlands | BV | 19% · 19% up to €200,000, then 25.8% | 15% (or parent-subsidiary exemption) | 21% | ≈ €1,500 to €3,000 | ≈ €2,000/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Portugal | Lda | 19% · general rate of 19%, 15% for SMEs (first €50,000), 5% for Madeira IBC subject to conditions | 28% or parent-subsidiary regime | 23% | ≈ €1,500 to €3,000 | ≈ €1,500/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| United Kingdom | LTD | 19% · 19% up to £50,000, 25% above £250,000 | Income-tax scale | 20% | ≈ £100 to £500 | ≈ £300/year | 1 day | No | PwC |
| Romania | SRL micro | 1% · 1% for micro-enterprises (turnover ≤ €100,000), 16% under the general regime | 8% | 21% | ≈ €800 to €1,800 | ≈ €1,000/year | 1 to 2 weeks | No | PwC |
| Singapore | Pte Ltd | 17% · 17% with exemptions (lower effective rate for young companies) | 0% | 9% | ≈ $2,000 to $4,000 | ≈ $2,500/year | 1 to 3 days | One local director | PwC |
| Switzerland | GmbH / Sàrl | 14% · approximately 12% to 21% effective depending on the canton (8.5% federal plus cantonal tax) | 35% withholding tax (recoverable) | 8.1% | ≈ CHF 3,000 to CHF 6,000 | ≈ CHF 2,000/year | 2 to 4 weeks | One resident director | PwC |
How to use the comparator
- Use the search box to find a jurisdiction or a company type.
- Filter with the buttons: European Union members, jurisdictions that can be run 100% remotely, or those with low substance requirements.
- Pick up to three jurisdictions with the + button to compare their profile, costs and taxes side by side.
- Corporate tax: what the company pays on its profits.
- Setup cost: a conservative estimate including an agent or accountancy firm, not the minimum official fee.
- Renewal cost: what it costs to maintain the company each year, including the agent, accounts and audit.
- Substance required: the real presence the country requires, such as an office, employees or a local director.
- Reputation: how banks and other countries’ tax authorities view the jurisdiction.
No country matches those filters.
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The 20 jurisdictions in a table
Scale & Own compilation based on PwC Tax Summaries. Data verified in August 2026. Costs are conservative estimates and include an agent or accountancy firm.
Of the 20 jurisdictions compared, five do not tax company profits or tax them only when distributed: Estonia, the UAE (Dubai), the United States, Georgia and Panama.
Corporate taxation by jurisdiction for an online business. Main source: PwC Tax Summaries, August 2026.