Ask HN: Founders of estonian e-businesses – is it worth it?

Hey there,

I'm currently considering opening an Estonian e-business for a small SaaS project. As somebody from Germany, establishing a company is a bit tedious and bureaucratic. Now I've come across the Estonian e-residency program and the option to run a business there. I don't care so much about the tax implications, but more about the bureaucracy aspect. It all sounds quite good. But marketing is marketing and real life often is something else. So, long story short: I would be happy if somebody could share their real-life experiences. Was it/is it worth it? Are there any pitfalls?

Thanks!

6 points | by udl 9 hours ago

2 comments

  • dsnr 8 hours ago
    Not answering your question directly but accounting and taxes are a thing everywhere. EU rules make accounting for companies quite complicated.

    Focus on your business, open the smallest and simplest entity you can to validate your product before spending time and money optimizing or scaling things. That being said, I’m familiar with GmbHs in Germany and I would advise against going this route unless funding is available. Try a sole proprietorship instead if possible.

    [-]
    • udl 6 hours ago
      Thank you! Yes, that's why I'm looking for a simpler and less bureaucratic alternative. I'm totally fine with general accounting and taxes. But I would be happy if there was an alternative somewhere where you don't have to go to a notary for every little change and don't necessarily need a tax advisor because you have to talk to five different tax offices. Germany really makes it more complicated than it needs to be.

      edit: just stumbled upon this really good blog post about the topic, in case anyone is interested: https://eidel.io/posts/estonias-e-residency-is-awesome-and-s...

  • golubovski 3 minutes ago
    [dead]