Business in Estonia

As one of the most integrated Nordic countries, Estonia ranks 16th out of 189 countries for ease of doing business and first in Europe for startups per capita. The local government has taken care of favorable conditions for the development of the information technology sector, which is why Estonia is famous for its technical education and thus attracts IT-specialists from all over the world.

Among European countries, Estonia is the state with the most attractive investment climate. In the Estonian business environment, you will be able to concentrate on your business, as it is no place for worries about bureaucratic obstacles. In addition, Estonia has transparent legislation and a clear tax system.

Benefits of doing business in Estonia

Estonia has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world and the highest in Eastern Europe. Low population contributes to the introduction of new information technologies and ideas with minimal cost and maximum feedback. Financial and information support for private business take place mainly online. For example, payments and filing of tax returns in Estonia are carried out via the Internet, which significantly reduces time costs and allows you to focus on business development.

Internet services permeate all spheres of life in Estonia, which is why Estonian businesses are developing online at an incredible speed. Thereby, with an e-Resident card, it is now convenient to manage a business in Estonia from anywhere in the world.

Wisor Group OÜ points out the following advantages of doing business in Estonia:

Registration of an Estonian company takes only 15 minutes.

Income tax for an Estonian company is 0%, which makes it possible to invest in business development without significant tax losses.

Retained earnings are not taxed, and distributed dividends are taxed at 25%.

Guaranteed cost savings for establishing and maintaining an Estonian company.

Opportunity to have a tax-free salary for the founder of the company.

Possibility of opening a corporate account in any financial institution in Europe.

Possibility to enter the European Single Market as an Estonian company.

Simple online company administration, which is likely to become even easier in the future.

Ideal jurisdiction to start trading on Amazon as a Professional Seller.

Estonia is of particular interest to import and export model companies such as Amazon FBA. With Estonia being a member state of the European Union, local businesses rarely have trouble with Western service providers like Amazon and eBay or payment services like PayPal and Stripe. When starting a company in Estonia, the founder of the company gets access to all service providers operating in the EU and the USA.

When will an Estonian company serve as a bonus?

An Estonian limited liability company (OÜ) benefits:

  • As a vehicle for investment, real estate, and contingencies in the long term
  • For import-export business, since Estonia has an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation with 59 countries
  • As a subsidiary for businesses looking for a company from a country with a good reputation
  • When launching a startup
  • When starting an IT-business

How does the administration of an Estonian company look like?

In order to maintain a prestigious reputation of enterprises in Estonia, a company’s capital flows must be reflected in its accounting records. Thanks to an e-Resident card, you can independently manage your business and administer an Estonian company in just a few minutes a month.

Advanced digital business in Estonia

Estonia ranks among the most digitally integrated countries in the world with a thriving tech start-up environment, a multitude of innovative e-services, and a government committed to eliminating red tape. Below are 5 examples of an advanced digital business environment in Estonia that can be key in deciding to establish an Estonian company.

1. Innovative e-Residency program

e-Residency is available to everyone who is interested in starting and running an online business in Estonia. By becoming an e-Resident, you will receive a government-issued digital ID, which allows you to create, register and run an Estonian business online, as well as:

  • Sign documents and contracts digitally
  • Encrypt and send documents in secure mode
  • Make transactions and declare taxes in Estonia

The process of applying for e-Residency is not complicated and will take on average about a month:

Online application submission – Payment of the fee – Background verification – Obtaining a digital ID at the nearest Estonian embassy.

2. Business registration in just one day

In Estonia, all business processes carried out over the internet are legal on all grounds. The Estonian business environment is considered to be completely transparent, as all business-related processes are digital and therefore easily traceable.

This is exactly how, after becoming an electronic resident, a registration of an Estonian company for all our clients will take only one day. It is worth noting that in order to register a business in Estonia, you need a legal address and a contact person in Estonia.

3. Modern banking solutions

As mentioned earlier, payment orders and tax returns in Estonia are carried out via the internet. Local online banking is convenient because it allows you to make secure transactions from anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. Identity verification in online banking is carried out using your digital identifier (instead of a card with passwords), therefore the modern Estonian banking authentication system is considered the most secure solution for executing financial operations of a company.

In addition, Estonia has a convenient tax system that allows you to pay taxes directly from your bank account. All banking transactions and tax returns are available online in English, Russian or Estonian.

4. Remote business management

The Estonian e-Residency programme is designed specifically for those interested in running an online business, regardless of location. Every step of the process of starting a company and in general doing business can be done online.

Capabilities:

  1. Business creation and management completely remotely
  2. Founding and running a company from anywhere in the world
  3. Signing and verification of documents in digital format (contracts, annual reports)
  4. Encryption and secure transmission of signed documents
  5. Convenient and fast online banking

Public access of information about Estonian companies helps Estonia to have a transparent and reliable business environment on the internet and in the labor market. This includes basic information about the firm, such as ownership, contacts, and basic financial reports.

5. Low administrative burden

One of the features of doing business in Estonia is the fact that red tape with administration and bureaucracy is minimised here. The digitisation of these processes, from obtaining e-Residency to starting a business and declaring taxes, is designed to ensure that the system of running an Estonian business runs smoothly.

With digital business and minimal bureaucracy, Estonia offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to do Estonian business transparently and cost-effectively from anywhere in the world.

Wisor Group OÜ offers assistance in improving your business efficiency. We have accumulated successful experience in various business fields and are currently engaged in the development of more than 900+ companies in Estonia and abroad. Therefore, our firm offers consulting services to our new clients in order to develop their business and provide a vibrant business environment in Estonia and abroad.

At the initial stage in a new business environment, it is especially important to perform a high-quality market analysis and develop a company development plan. If you wish to rent or buy real estate, our specialists will help you find the best option, since we have established a partnership with the largest real estate bureaus in Estonia. If you wish to search for employees in Estonia, our company will be glad to provide a full range of recruitment services to meet your criteria.

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