Which countries are tax havens?

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Table of contents:

1. TOP 3 tax haven countries

2. How to do it right

3. Company formation Bulgaria

The 3 largest tax havens in Europe and worldwide.

24 March 2025 11895 10

"In Bulgaria, the 10% flat tax generally applies. However, hardly anyone is aware of this: If you are resident in Bulgaria, a special setup can be created that authorizes you to pay corporate income tax to the tax authorities for newly established companies in Bulgaria of 7.5% instead of 10% and this on a permanent basis!"

In 2024, many changes have taken place, so that countries that were once very attractive in terms of tax, such as Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, etc., have become completely unattractive. The special tax regime for collecting foreign income tax-free when resident in the above-mentioned countries was only recently eliminated across the board. The so-called Beckham Law is therefore suitable for tax savings. In the years 2025 to 2027, this is set to become even stricter.

The EU is introducing more and more restrictions with a wealth register, burden sharing and the removal of cash! Doesn't it make sense to leave Europe altogether?

Outside the EU, there are often other obstacles. However, they still exist, the real tax havens in Europe! Here are the 3 largest EU tax havens in 2025!

There are countries within Europe that have been attractive in terms of taxation for years. Particularly stable in terms of tax changes also!

3rd place: Bulgaria

Most people have heard of Bulgaria, often in the form of many pensioners wanting to spend their retirement on the Black Sea coast. Yes, the country offers low living costs and is ideal for pensioners who can afford much more with their small pension than in Western Europe.

However, is it also tax-attractive for self-employed people and entrepreneurs? Regardless of whether I want to emigrate to Bulgaria or not?

Yes, absolutely, and even more: it has remained the same for decades!

Corporate and income tax in Bulgaria is very straightforward. It amounts to 10% of profit.

So if you open a company in Bulgaria, you will have to pay a profit tax of just 10% on all company turnover. Any profit distributions are taxed at 5%, the so-called dividend tax.

The only disadvantage: If you do not live in Bulgaria, company expenses outside of Bulgaria will not be accepted by the tax office. This means that you can hardly deduct any costs, which directly impacts your profits.

An advantage from another perspective: If you relocate your primary residence to Bulgaria, all locally customary expenses can be deducted from taxes.

But here is the biggest advantage of emigrating to Bulgaria!

In Bulgaria, the general tax rate is 10% flat tax. However, hardly anyone knows that if you are resident in Bulgaria, you can create a special setup that allows you to be authorized by the tax authorities to apply a corporate tax rate of 7.5% instead of 10% for newly founded companies in Bulgaria. And this applies permanently!

And it's completely legal and can be implemented by almost everyone, exclusively via GO EU!

The emigrant's dream: living in the Balkans and saying to yourself and your family, ay caramba I did it! Absolutely! But aren't there alternatives to Bulgaria? Yes! We have the insider tip!

Is there still a place on earth where costs and taxes are in balance and an entrepreneurial mentality prevails?

Yes, there is, and in Eastern Europe. In our example: Romania

Please ask yourself the following question:

Do you want to give your all for a few years with your self-employment and build up a private fortune so that on average

90% of your income remains in your private account? Affordable rent and moderate living costs, as well as employees that you can afford?

Here is the solution:

Short and effortless: Emigrate to Romania and only pay 1-3% tax when founding a corporation? (plus 10% profit tax for distribution into private assets) Yes, you heard correctly, if you live in Romania, you will have around 900,000 EUR left over from, for example, 1 million EUR company profits on a private level.

Be skeptical and question this, but we at GO EU have accompanied hundreds of entrepreneurs based in Romania, where exactly only 10% of taxes are due and the rest ends up in private assets.

If the topic of starting a company and emigrating to Romania or Bulgaria is of interest to you, we look forward to hearing from you. You can find further information in the video description.

Based on this expertise, we have created a setup that enables us to set up a company, including a bank account, 100% remotely, i.e. without any travel. And it's completely legal and can be implemented by almost anyone, via GO EU!

Update 2025: 10 Minutes initial consultation, 100% free.

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2nd place: Romania

For those who are not yet self-employed or even dependent on an employment relationship, Romania is not without risk. Although salaries in Romania have increased yearly, they have hardly increased significantly in relation to the inflation rate. It is possible to live on an average salary, but without Romanian home ownership, as is the case with 80% of all Romanians, it is only possible to survive.

On the other hand, as a self-employed person or entrepreneur, you benefit from the lowest tax burden in the entire EU. 1-3% tax on annual turnover, as well as 10% dividend tax on profit distribution.

Yes, you heard right! 1% tax up to 60,000 EUR annual turnover, and 3% tax up to 250,000 EUR annual turnover. The whole thing can be increased to up to 3 companies, so that you can enjoy almost tax exemption up to 750,000 EUR in sales per year.

A fundamental requirement is always the hiring of an employee. The minimum wage is just 700 EUR gross. This corresponds to 400 EUR net wages, so around 300 EUR goes to the Romanian state in social security contributions.

You can hire a Romanian employee who can provide you with real value-added work full-time, or you can simply hire yourself. Employment with an employment contract is normally only available to residents in Romania.

Similar to Western Europe: If you need employees on a payroll basis, the employee must be resident in the same country.

Here is the special advantage:

Due to our expertise and high-ranking lawyer, we have created a setup that allows us to establish a company in Romania including a bank account remotely - without any notary appointment on site.

And here is the best part: We have solved what normally seems impossible thanks to our lawyer with notarial authority. A diplomat has special rights. Therefore, the following applies exclusively to GO EU:

Employ yourself as a managing director at the minimum or desired salary - even without residence in Romania!

3rd place: Monaco

Live among film stars, top athletes and business leaders and all with 0% income tax. Monaco is one of the most popular places to live for the rich and those who want to be rich.

The only tax in Monaco that you cannot avoid is the sales tax of 20%, as well as a reduced tax rate of 5.5% for certain products.

In addition, there is a "Stamp Duty" tax in Monaco for real estate or company sales of 5-7.5% on the sales value.

Companies based in Monaco are subject to a corporate tax of 33% if more than 25% of the company’s activities take place outside the Principality.

No inheritance tax when transferring the inheritance to one's own children, and a moderate 8-16% for close relatives or even outsiders.

Big disadvantage: To obtain residency in Monaco, you have to deposit half a million euros in a blocked account at a Monegasque bank. Added to this are horrendous rent and property purchase prices.

So you have to be able to afford it. If you haven't yet reached millionaire status, we recommend the countries mentioned above.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If the topic of starting a company in Romania, Bulgaria or the USA is of interest to you, we look forward to hearing from you.

Update 2025: 10 Minutes initial consultation, 100% free.

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Call us: +49 (0)89 90 42 23 60

(NEW: Company formation including opening a bank account 100% remote)

Starting a company in Bulgaria