Country: Sweden
Region: Europe
Currency: Swedish krona (SEK) (kr)
Languages: Swedish
Time Zone: UTC +1
Phone Code: +46
Communications: Very Good
Formation Cost: 4400 – 6800 USD$
Formation Time: 14 – 20 days
Maintenance cost: 2400 – 3600 USD$
Executive Summary:
Sweden is located in Northern Europe, between Finland to the east and Norway to the west, with the Baltic Sea to the south and the Arctic Circle to the north. Most of Sweden’s population of 10m live in the south of the country where climate is more temperate. Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits, although recently the Government has tried to reduce the size of the state. The country has a highly-skilled and educated workforce and excellent communications infrastructure. Sweden’s economy is heavily oriented to foreign trade, and privately-owned firms account for vast majority of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for about 50% of output and exports. Sweden slipped into recession in 2009 as export demand declined. The economy bounced back strongly, but growth slipped to 1.2% in 2012, although the country has weathered the financial crisis better than most. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but voters rejected a proposal to join the eurozone in 2003. The currency is the Krona (SEK), and USD1 = SEK6.4 in late 2013. The overall tax burden is high, and personal income tax reaches 57%, but corporate tax is comparatively low at 26.3%, and the regulatory environment is highly efficient. However, Sweden’s labour laws remain among the most rigid in Europe.
Suitable for: Wealth Management, Banking, Insurance, Fund Management, Shipping, Aviation, Yachting, Intellectual Property/Licensing, Holding Companies, E-commerce, E-gaming
Company Types: Limited liability companies, branches, sole proprietors, general partnerships and limited partnerships
Capital primary business districts: Stockholm
Good Relationships: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States
Bad Relationships: Burma, Iran, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria
Tax Burden – Business: Light
Tax Burden – Individual: Light
Headline tax rates: CIT 22%, PIT 0%-25%, VAT 25%
Treaty Jurisdictions: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Republic of, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
TIEA Jurisdictions: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guatemala, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macao, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Niue, Panama, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Vanuatu