Tools/Country comparison
Free tool · no sign-up · 8 jurisdictions

Country comparison tool: put two jurisdictions side by side and watch the differences appear.

A country comparison tool built on eleven criteria: tax, formation cost, timelines, capital, ownership limits and ongoing compliance, eleven criteria, colour-coded so the trade-off is visible at a glance.

Pick 2 or 3
Criterion
UAE / Dubai
FZ-LLC or LLC
Singapore
Pte Ltd
Corporate tax
Headline statutory rate
9%
0% in qualifying free zones
17%
Exemptions cut the effective rate
VAT / GST
Standard consumption rate
5%
Lowest VAT here
9%
GST, registration above S$1m
Formation cost
Government plus typical agent fees
$3,000 to 8,000
Free zone licence included
$1,500 to 3,000
ACRA plus agent
Time to register
Documents prepared correctly
2 to 5 days
Free zone fastest
1 to 3 days
ACRA BizFile+
Minimum capital
Paid up at formation
None
No paid-up requirement
S$1
Nominal
Foreign ownership
Maximum permitted
100%
Full foreign ownership
100%
Resident director required
Remote setup
Without flying in
Partly
One visit usually required
Yes
Nominee director needed
Annual audit
For a small company
Required
Annual audit in most free zones
Small-co exempt
Below S$10m revenue
Hiring foreigners
Work permit route
Visa quota
Tied to office size
Employment Pass
Salary threshold applies
Registry
Where the company is filed
Free zone authority
DMCC, IFZA, ADGM and others
ACRA
Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority
Typically chosen for
Most common use case
Trading, holding, crypto
Zero-tax structures
Asia HQ, fintech, funds
Banking and treaties
Full guide
Most favourableMiddleLeast favourableColour reflects the selected jurisdictions only, not a global ranking.

How to read this table

Statutory figures, not quotes. They tell you which jurisdiction is structurally cheaper or faster, they cannot tell you what your particular business will pay.

Tax rates are statutory
Free zone status, treaties and structure can move the effective rate a long way from the headline.
Costs are government plus typical agent
For a standard LLC-equivalent. Virtual offices, licences and premium services are extra.
Timelines assume clean documents
Bank accounts, visas and post-incorporation steps are not counted and usually dominate.
Informational only. Not legal, financial or tax advice, take local advice before you file.
Common questions
  • Because a decision between six columns is not a decision. Two or three keeps every row readable and forces the real trade-off into view. Reset and run another pair as often as you like.
Next step

Now put your own numbers through it.

A statutory rate is not a bill. The calculator applies your revenue and margin; the estimator adds the fees nobody quotes up front.

Tax calculatorYour revenue and margin across eight regimes.Cost estimatorSetup, agent, renewal and accounting.Document checklistWhat each registry will ask for.Formation guidesThe full write-up per jurisdiction.

We email when a rule changes

Fee increases, new thresholds, ownership rules that move. One email, no pitches.