How the numbers work
The three totals
| Total | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Legal minimum, year 1 | Government fee, plus the cheapest price of every required setup item, plus the cheapest price of every required running item for the first year. |
| Legal minimum, per year after | The cheapest price of every required running item. |
| Typical year 1 | Government fee, plus the midpoint of the full setup range and the midpoint of the full running range, including practically needed and optional items such as an accountant. |
Share capital is excluded from every total: it stays in the company. Where a licence fee paid at setup already covers the first year's renewal, as with UAE free zone licences, the renewal is counted once.
Item types
| Required | Legally required. |
| Practically needed | Not legally required but needed in practice. |
| Optional | Optional. |
Data status
Every jurisdiction page shows the date its figures were last checked and links to its sources.
Currency
Figures are stored in pounds sterling and converted at the European Central Bank's daily reference rate, updated every day. Each jurisdiction's detail shows the government fee in local currency.
Updates
The dataset was last reviewed on 5 Nov 2026. Each jurisdiction is rechecked at least every six months.
Independence
Rankings and figures never depend on whether a provider pays us. How we make money.
Indirect setupNotary, lawyer or formation agent, mandatory registered agent or address for the first year, nominee or resident director where the law requires one, translations, apostilles and ID cards like Estonian e-Residency.
Running costsAnnual government filings, accountant or bookkeeper, mandatory audit where it applies, registered agent, address and company secretary. Excludes payroll, insurance and office rent.
TaxHeadline rates only. Where a company is taxed depends on where it is managed and where the owners live.