Sole proprietor (FIE)

A sole proprietor (FIE in Estonian) is a form of business that is best suited to those who are going into business alone or with their family.

The advantages:

• no minimum capital requirement,
• registration is simple,
• sole proprietors are not required to have articles of association.

For registering as a sole proprietor, you must only apply. The requirement is the existence of a bank account suitable for business activity.

It is possible to become FIE:

electronically, using an ID card or e-Residency card:

• you have to have a place of residence in Estonia,
• the state fee has been paid electronically via the e-Business Register
• you indicate information on the area of activity according to level 4 of the Estonian Classification of Economic Activities,

or through notary:

• have a look at the list of notaries in Estonia here.

Registering electronically takes only a few hours in the best case, registering through a notary will take 2-3 days.

The costs:

• the state fee is 13 euros,
• if using the services of a notary – 12.75 euros for notarizing the authenticity of a signature, 18.20 euros for preparing a draft application.

If the annual turnover exceeds 40,000 euros, one will have to register as a VAT payer with the Tax and Customs Board.

Read more about doing business as an FIE here.

Read more about legal forms in Estonia.

Need more information about establishing a company? Request e-Consulting to get advice relevant to your business needs.

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