How to start a business in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a small country that manages to present numerous and important business advantages. It is conveniently located in the heart of Europe, with an attractive business and work environment and it has a highly skilled workforce. Investors can open a company in Luxembourg by following a few key steps and afterward enjoying all that the Grand Duchy has to offer. Investors can learn how to start a business in Luxembourg in this short guide.

Company formation in Luxembourg

When choosing to open a business in Luxembourg, investors must first choose between working as a sole trader, starting a partnership or a corporation with the required minimum capital. All of the business forms present various types of advantages, with the sole proprietorship being the easiest to incorporate and suitable for one-man small businesses and the companies being suited to small, medium or large businesses, with the advantage of limited liability for the founders.

The steps for opening a private limited liability company are summarized below:

• Check the company name: this is only mandatory for corporations. The company name needs to be available;

• Draw up the company documents: these are the Articles of Association, the constitutive documents of the business;

• Providing the share capital: the required minimum share capital is deposited in a bank account opened for the company;

• Registration: the company is registered with the local trade and company register;

• Post-registration steps: these are registering the business for VAT and social security purposes.

Company requirements in Luxembourg

Apart from having to observe the conditions for registration (when applicable as per the chosen business form), investors also have to observe the taxation, accounting and reporting obligations once they start their business in Luxembourg. The corporate income tax rate in Luxembourg is 18% for companies with a taxable income that exceeds 30,000 euros and a lower value, of 15%, for a company with an annual taxable income less than 25,000 euros. Businesses are required to pay the corporate income tax and make the other applicable tax contributions by observing the annual filing date.

Located at the heart of Europe, Luxembourg not only offers great connectivity to the rest of Europe, it is also a location with numerous business advantages. The Grand Duchy can be ideal for basing the company headquarters.