Why Do Banks Ask So Many Questions? Understanding the Compliance Process.
Setting up a company is rarely the most challenging part of starting a business today. The real challenge often begins when it is time to establish a business relationship with a bank or another financial institution. At this stage, entrepreneurs frequently receive requests for additional information, supporting documents, or, in some cases, even a rejection. […]
Opening a Business Account: What Should You Consider in Advance?
Setting up a company is only the first step. Before your business can start operating, you will usually need to open a business account. Depending on your business model and requirements, this can be done with a traditional bank or an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), which may offer a suitable alternative to a bank. This […]
Company Formation in Lithuania: why choosing the right partner matters
Company formation begins long before the incorporation documents are signed. Choosing the right legal structure, defining an effective management framework, and assessing the relevant tax implications are all key decisions that should be made before registering a legal entity. The two most common business structures in Lithuania are the Private Limited Liability Company (UAB) and […]
Beyond Wealth Creation: Malta Private Family Foundations for LithuanianFamilies
For many successful entrepreneurs and wealthy families across Eastern Europe, the key question is no longer how to earn another few percentage points of investment return. Instead, attention is increasingly turning to a more fundamental challenge: how to preserve family wealth, values, and decision-making capacity for future generations. As wealth grows, so does the complexity […]
From BVI to Estonia: The Evolution of International Business
For decades, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) was the world’s preferred jurisdiction for international business companies. During the 1990s, 2000s and much of the 2010s, hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and multinational groups chose the BVI for its simplicity, flexibility and tax neutrality. The world has changed. International business today is driven by transparency, […]
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Don’t Hold All Their Assets in Their Own Name – And What We Can Learn from Them?
Many entrepreneurs ask the same question: if wealth has been earned legitimately, why hold it through international structures? The answer is simple: in most cases, not to reduce taxes, but to protect assets, plan succession, and manage legal, business, and geopolitical risks. Recent years have reinforced this approach. The war in Ukraine demonstrated that having […]
Company Formation in Lithuania (2026): UAB vs MB, Taxation, and Why It Works for International Business
Why Lithuania? Most founders choose Lithuania because it’s a clean EU base that’s predictable, credible with international partners, and usually less painful administratively than you’d expect for an EU jurisdiction. If your goal is to sell cross-border, invoice EU clients without drama, and run a company that banks and counterparties recognize, Lithuania hits a sweet […]
CJEU Ruling: Participation Exemption and Artificial Subsidiaries
On 3 April 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered its decision (Case C‑228/24). The case centered on whether a Lithuanian tax authority could deny the participation exemption for dividends received from a UK subsidiary that lacked substance (e.g., no premises or staff), even though the subsidiary generated profits in its own […]
Lithuania vs. Estonia — which program is better?
Here are the main differences between the Estonian and Lithuanian e-residency programs. Estonia Lithuania Online application Yes Yes Cost of application 100-130 EUR 90 EUR Application time 30 mins 10-15 mins Ease of Doing Business rating (2020) 18th 11th Cost of starting a business 190 EUR 73 EUR Annual company running costs Legal address +contact […]
