30+ jurisdictions
Global Company Formation Cost Matrix
The real cost of forming a company outside the US — sorted by headline corporate tax rate. Includes effective tax, banking, payment processors, and minimum capital.
The global company formation matrix, explained
30+ jurisdictions ranked by headline corporate tax rate. The cheapest by setup cost is the United Kingdom (£12 filing, £13 annual). The lowest effective tax is typically the UAE free zones (0% on qualifying activity) and Estonia (0% on retained profits, 22% only on distribution). Bulgaria and Romania are the EU's cheapest at 10% flat.
Banking accessibility often matters more than tax. The United States (10/10), Singapore (9/10), and the UK (9/10) lead — opening an online business account takes hours. Hong Kong, Cyprus, and many Caribbean jurisdictions require in-person KYC visits and can take 4-12 weeks. A 0% tax jurisdiction without payment rails is worse than a 17% one with them.
Stripe availability drives the decision for SaaS and e-commerce founders. Stripe is supported in roughly 50 countries. If you need Stripe and your home country isn't supported, the standard workaround is forming a US LLC alongside or instead of a local entity.
Privacy reflects the public visibility of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs). Most EU countries publish UBO registers since 2017's 4AMLD. The US, UAE, and most Caribbean jurisdictions keep UBO data internal.
Need a recommendation? Run the 8-question quiz for a personalized shortlist, or see the most-searched comparisons like Singapore vs USA, Estonia vs USA, and UAE vs USA.
| Country | Entity | Filing | Annual | Corp tax | VAT/GST | Banking | Privacy | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman Islands | Exempted Company | $850 | $850 | 0% | 0% | 6/10 | 8/10 | ❌ |
| British Virgin Islands | BVI Business Company (BC) | $450 | $450 | 0% | 0% | 5/10 | 8/10 | ❌ |
| UAE (RAKEZ Free Zone) | Free Zone LLC | $3,200 | $2,800 | 9% | 5% | 7/10 | 6/10 | ✅ |
| UAE (Dubai Mainland) | LLC | $4,500 | $4,000 | 9% | 5% | 8/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| Bulgaria | OOD (Limited Liability Company) | $90 | $0 | 10% | 20% | 6/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Ireland | Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD) | $55 | $22 | 12.5% | 23% | 8/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Cyprus | Private Limited Company | $175 | $380 | 12.5% | 19% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Gibraltar | Private Company Limited by Shares | $140 | $380 | 12.5% | 0% | 6/10 | 6/10 | ✅ |
| Switzerland | GmbH (Sarl) | $700 | $150 | 14.6% | 8.1% | 9/10 | 6/10 | ✅ |
| Georgia | LLC | $35 | $0 | 15% | 18% | 7/10 | 6/10 | ❌ |
| Romania | SRL | $75 | $0 | 16% | 19% | 7/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| Hong Kong | Private Limited Company | $220 | $250 | 16.5% | 0% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Singapore | Private Limited (Pte Ltd) | $235 | $60 | 17% | 9% | 9/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| United States | LLC (state-level) | $100 | $62 | 21% | 0% | 10/10 | 7/10 | ✅ |
| Portugal | Sociedade por Quotas (Lda) | $400 | $0 | 21% | 23% | 8/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Estonia | Osaühing (OÜ) | $290 | $0 | 22% | 22% | 6/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| Japan | Godo Kaisha (GK) / Kabushiki Kaisha (KK) | $420 | $0 | 23.2% | 10% | 9/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| United Kingdom | Private Limited Company (Ltd) | $15 | $17 | 25% | 20% | 9/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Canada | Corporation (federal/provincial) | $145 | $25 | 25% | 5% | 9/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| France | SARL / SAS | $90 | $0 | 25% | 20% | 9/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Spain | Sociedad Limitada (SL) | $250 | $0 | 25% | 21% | 8/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Turkey | Limited Şirket | $400 | $0 | 25% | 20% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ❌ |
| Panama | Sociedad Anónima (SA) | $1,100 | $400 | 25% | 7% | 6/10 | 7/10 | ❌ |
| India | Private Limited Company | $95 | $80 | 25.17% | 18% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Netherlands | Besloten Vennootschap (BV) | $110 | $80 | 25.8% | 21% | 9/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Australia | Proprietary Limited (Pty Ltd) | $380 | $195 | 30% | 10% | 9/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
| Germany | GmbH | $850 | $350 | 30% | 19% | 9/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Mexico | Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL) | $450 | $0 | 30% | 16% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Brazil | Sociedade Limitada (Ltda) | $400 | $200 | 34% | 17% | 7/10 | 4/10 | ✅ |
| Malta | Private Limited Company (Ltd) | $260 | $110 | 35% | 18% | 6/10 | 5/10 | ✅ |
How to read this matrix
Headline corporate tax is rarely the effective rate. Estonia, Georgia, and Malta have mechanisms (retained-earnings rules, refunds, small-business regimes) that drop the real burden far below the headline. UAE free zones can be 0% for qualifying activity. Always check the effective rate column on each country page.
Banking accessibility and Stripe availability are often more important than tax for SaaS and e-commerce businesses. A 0% jurisdiction without payment rails is worse than a 17% one with them.
Privacy reflects whether the Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register is publicly searchable. Most EU countries publish UBO; the US, UAE, and most Caribbean jurisdictions do not.