Lex-Icon, Law & IT

Norway

It is not generally known that Norway is one of the best locations for setting up your Gateway to Europe. Not only does Norway have a very favorable overall business environment with surprisingly low corporate taxes (28% corporate income tax) but the country’s EFTA membership is a definite — and little known — plus for anything Business and Europe. EFTA has full-blown Free-Trade status with all of the EEC on a bilateral basis rather than an all-inclusive and sickeningly bureaucrat Union-treaty. EFTA offers additional Free-Trade advantages ranging far beyond European markets as there are additional trade agreements with places such as India and the Hong Kong special zone in China covering gems, precious metals, watches and many other products.

Trade with all of Europe is tax-free from Norway, and all transactions done from Norway are treated as “intra-community commerce” under European Law.

This means, that businesses registered in Norway can access the entire European Common Market with its 450+ million consumers the same way as Luxembourg-based businesses. If operating through Norway rather than any EEC member countries, this comes with the added benefit of not being subject to all the regular Directives and other EU red-tape. When it comes to special areas of business like precious metals, oil or forestry, Norway offers numerous additional advantages, special tax rebates and exemptions though. These may particularly appeal to investors seeking to diversify into commodities-related asset classes.

Norway has an extremely highly skilled population including some pockets of English-speaking personnel suitable for overseas businesses. As part of legal and structuring matters, Lex-Icon Law & IT can offer company formation and management services on the spot in Norway including local compliance packages.

Due to its stability, hard currency outperforming even the Swiss franc, and also its largely commodities and oil-based affluence, Norway continues to particularly appeal to safety-aware investors and businesses during current economic times.

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Ireland

Ireland is often the natural gateway into Europe for many U. S. and Canadian Businesses, and this generally continues to be true when direct customer service or Call Centre divisions are planned overseas. Located conveniently on the westernmost tip of Europe and “half-way” between North America and the large European business centers, Ireland offers easy entry into a very affluent and attractive market of over 460 million people.

Both an integral part of the European Community and English-speaking, Ireland is very accessible to North American businesses and, unlike many locations on the European continent, has a business-friendly tax regime. Ireland also has an open-minded climate free of unnecessary hurdles found elsewhere.

In Ireland, there is both a pool of skilled locals to assist foreign businesses and a number of highly qualified professionals from other parts of Europe to provide world-class solutions to overseas clients.

Setting up an Irish subsidiary for U. S. or Canadian companies is straightworward and offers the benefit of Free Access to the entire European Economic Area (that is, all EEC countries plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) plus freedom from overly onerous Eruopean-style tax regimes common in many of the mainland-European countries. At Lex-Icon Law & IT, we offer full-service packages and complicance services for satisfying the Irish domestic director requirement or other statutory services including document filing on a per-contract basis.