Accounting Burden
Detailed comparison of accounting burden across major business jurisdictions.
🟢 Low Burden
Wyoming LLC low
2–3 hrs / month · $200–400 / year
Tools: Mercury, Wave, QuickBooks
No audit required. Annual report $60. Tax: pass-through to personal return (or deemed non-US income if structured correctly).
Estonia OÜ low
2–4 hrs / month · €500–1,500 / year
Tools: Xolo, LeapIN, Clio
e-Residency makes digital management easy. Annual report required. VAT filing if registered. No mandatory audit under €1M.
Georgia Virtual Zone LLC low
2–3 hrs / month · ~$500–800 / year
Tools: TBC Bank app, local accountant
Minimal reporting. Annual report + tax return. Low complexity if only foreign-source income at 0%.
🟡 Medium Burden
Bulgaria EOOD medium
5–8 hrs / month · €1,500–2,500 / year
Tools: Local accountant required
Monthly VAT returns, quarterly social contributions, annual audit for larger companies. Accountant €100–200/mo.
Cyprus Ltd medium
6–10 hrs / month · €3,000–6,000 / year
Tools: Local accountant + director
Annual statutory audit required for all companies. DAC6 reporting. Complex if non-dom structure. Nominee director ~€2k/yr.
Singapore Pte Ltd medium
5–8 hrs / month · S$2,000–4,000 / year
Tools: Osome, BoardRoom, local ACRA agent
Annual return to ACRA. Audit required above S$10M revenue. Corporate secretary required (local).
Hong Kong Ltd medium
5–8 hrs / month · HKD 15,000–30,000 / year
Tools: Tricor, ONC Lawyers
Annual Profits Tax return. Audit required. Company secretary required. Annual government renewal fee ~HKD 105.
🔴 High Burden
Malta Ltd high
10–15 hrs / month · €5,000–10,000 / year
Tools: KPMG Malta, Nexia
High compliance burden. Annual audit required. 6/7 refund mechanism requires detailed bookkeeping. BOV banking compliance ongoing.