The ranking
There is no single best country for everyone, so we rank the most popular EU jurisdictions on what founders actually weigh: tax, cost, setup time and whether you can do it remotely. Verified figures, last reviewed June 2026. Every country links to its full profile.
| # | Country | Corporate tax | Setup | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇪Estonia | 0% retained / 22% distributed | ~1 day | Fully digital, fast, 0% tax on reinvested profit. Best all-round. |
| 2 | 🇮🇪Ireland | 12.5% trading | ~3-5 days | Low 12.5% trading tax in an English-speaking, common-law EU jurisdiction. |
| 3 | 🇱🇹Lithuania | 17% (2026) | ~3-5 days | Fast, low-cost and fintech-friendly, with easy remote setup. |
| 4 | 🇬🇪Georgia | 0% retained / 15% distributed | ~1-2 days | Estonian-model 0% tax, a 1% small-business regime, fully remote (non-EU). |
| 5 | 🇱🇻Latvia | 0% retained / 20% paid out | ~1-3 days | 0% tax on reinvested profit and a fully online setup. |
| 6 | 🇵🇱Poland | 19% (9% small) | ~1-5 days | Low fees and a large talent pool; among the cheapest to run. |
| 7 | 🇨🇾Cyprus | 15% (from 2026) | ~8-12 days | 15% tax, no dividend withholding, and an IP Box for tech income. |
| 8 | 🇧🇬Bulgaria | 10% flat | ~3-7 days | The EU flat 10% corporate tax with EUR 1 capital. |
| 9 | 🇵🇹Portugal | 19% (15% SME band) | ~1-3 days | Same-day setup and EUR 1 capital, with a reduced SME band. |
| 10 | 🇭🇺Hungary | 9% | ~4-5 days | The lowest headline corporate tax in the EU at a flat 9%. |
Showing the top 10. Compare every European jurisdiction side by side in the hub.
The top picks explained
Estonia takes the top spot for most founders. e-Residency lets you form and run the company entirely online, it is usually ready in about a day, and the distributed-profit tax system means you pay 0% until you take money out. It is the closest thing to EU Inc you can register today.
Ireland is the pick when tax and credibility matter most: a 12.5% trading rate, English language, common law and easy access to investors. Lithuania and Poland win on speed and cost, while Cyprus and Malta suit holding and trading structures chasing a low effective rate.
How we compare
We score on four factors: headline and effective tax, total cost to form and maintain, setup time, and how much can be done remotely. We do not rank on tax alone, because the cheapest rate is rarely the right company. For a side-by-side of all of them, use the company formation in Europe hub.
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