At the beginning of their venture, every entrepreneur faces the dilemma: how to secure funding for their company's successful launch and growth? Estonia, with its enticing business climate and advanced tax system, offers various financing avenues to entrepreneurs. In this article, we'll explore how to funnel money into your company in the early stages in Estonia, focusing on two primary methods: loans from the owner and capital increase, along with their tax implications and associated costs.
Loan from the owner
One of the most popular and straightforward methods for attracting funding at the initial stage is a loan from the owner. This approach has a significant advantage within the Estonian tax system: the repayment of borrowed funds to the owner is not taxed. This makes the owner's loan an effective tool for start-up enterprises, as it allows for the minimization of the company's tax burden.
With this method, it's crucial to properly draft the loan agreement, specifying all key terms: the amount, repayment terms, interest rate (if applicable), and other conditions under which the loan was provided. Despite the absence of taxes on the loan repayment, it's important to remember the need for accurate accounting and tax records to avoid potential issues with tax authorities.
Share capital increase
Another method of attracting funds into a company is through share capital increase. This approach involves injecting additional funds into the company's capital, which can also have tax implications and is associated with additional expenses in the form of legal services and state duty.
Increasing the share capital provides additional financial resources to the enterprise, but unlike a loan from the owner, this method requires a more complex procedure for registering changes in the Estonian Commercial Register. The company must prepare the appropriate corporate documents, including the decision of the founders' meeting on increasing the share capital, and pay the state duty. Besides, there may be expenses for legal services related to the preparation and registration of the necessary documents.
You can also order legal support for this operation from us. More details about the service cost can be found here.
Which method to choose?
The choice between a loan from the owner and increasing the share capital depends on the specific goals and needs of your business. A loan from the owner might be more preferable for quick and less costly fund raising, especially if a short-term repayment is anticipated. On the other hand, increasing the share capital can be considered a long-term investment in the company's development, despite the associated initial expenses.
Conclusion
The choice of financing method at the initial stage of a company's development in Estonia should be based on a thorough analysis of both the financial needs of the business and the tax and legal aspects of each option considered. Regardless of the chosen method, it is important to ensure proper documentation of all related documents and to maintain accurate records of all transactions to avoid potential issues with tax and regulatory authorities.