One of Georgia's greatest advantages in terms of economic attractiveness is the simplicity of its administrative procedures for setting up a business and above all, the country's very advantageous tax system: the Georgian government's policy has been aimed, for about ten years now, at attracting as much foreign investment as possible, by enacting, law after law, new tax exemptions for foreign investors who plan to set-up a company in Georgia. So much so that Georgia has become the ninth lowest taxed economy in the world.
The new corporate tax regime came into force in 2017 and allows companies incorporated in Georgia (with some exceptions) to pay corporate income tax after the distribution of dividends. In other words, if these companies reinvest their profits, they do not pay tax on the amount reinvested. This is already a very interesting tax benefit when starting a business in Georgia, but the country offers an even better tax system for IT companies to develop their activities. If you are planning to set up an IT company in Georgia, and in order to make the most of it, you must apply for "Virtual Zone Status" to benefit from other tax incentives with the Georgian government.
In accordance with Article 8 of the Georgian Tax Code, a legal entity with the status of Virtual Zone Person, is a legal person operating in the IT sector, having been granted a certificate issued by the Georgian Government attesting to this status.
IT or Information Technology includes the study, support, research and development, design and deployment of computers and related technologies to produce software products, applications and IT services.
In accordance with Article 99 of the Georgian Tax Code, a company with this VZP Status has the advantage of not paying corporate income tax in Georgia. The sole restriction is that this income must come from the supply of IT services and products (in the very broadest sense: website development, application development, software development, etc.) to non-resident customers.
The tax benefits granted to IT companies are not limited to direct taxes. Articles 160 and 161 of the Georgian Tax Code provide that VAT is only due in Georgia for transactions carried out on its territory. The terms of Article 166 also provide that VAT may not be charged if IT services are supplied to non-residents, such services are considered to be carried out outside the territory.
The taxation of companies and freelancers in the Virtual Zone complies with the rules and standards established by the Georgian Tax Code. Any company or individual holding this status is exempt from:
An IT company that provides services outside Georgia after obtaining Virtual Zone status will only pay withholding tax on dividends, at 5%, in accordance with article 130, paragraph 1, of the Tax Code.
If you pay salaries in Georgia, 20% will be withheld at source from the salaries of employees, as well as a property tax, if any, of up to 1% of the average value of the company's assets.
It should be noted that Georgia has concluded 55 double taxation treaties, including with most European states, and provides additional protection for taxpayers against the risk of double taxation. Most of these treaties are based on earlier versions of the OECD Model Tax Convention (2008 and earlier). The list is here, you can download the tax treaty of the country in which you are a resident.
Overall, an IT company that chooses to operate in Georgia to provide services to its foreign customers will not only save taxes, but will also benefit from tolerant regulation, simple administrative procedures, ultra-simplified accounting, low costs, and will be able to take advantage of the available workforce trained in this sector in Georgia.
Our service for the incorporation of an LLC company in the IT sector in Georgia includes ALL the services and fees necessary for the incorporation and proper functioning of such an entity, namely:
All the procedure can be done remotely via a Power of Attorney if you cannot move to Georgia, but to get a bank account opened for your company are slimmest than if you come in person.
Important notes :
- No minimum capital is required to establish a limited liability company in Georgia.
- Only one registration is required and it is not necessary to renew the registration each year.
- The number of shareholders can be from 1 to 50 people and there are no requirements regarding the existence of local partners. The company can be wholly owned and managed by foreign citizens.
