Imagine this: waking up every morning to a beautiful view that YOU get to choose every week or every month! Want a sea-view? You got it. Want a city view? Again, got it! This is one of the (many) perks to freelancing life. 

Yes, you read right. In a time where working remotely is rapidly growing, are you having difficulty figuring out which countries are tax-friendly as a freelancer? Well, there are some countries which are tax-generous, in an attempt to attract remote workers (like you) from around the world. 

In this blog, we are going to let you know which are the most suitable and beneficial countries to set your roots.

Here’s the list of the top 5 tax-friendly countries for freelancers, with the added bonus of having a relatively low cost of living (these are in no specific order). You can thank us later!

1. Estonia

We start off with Estonia, which is amongst the top countries to work remotely and live, because of a few benefits it has such as: low cost of living, easy for English-speaking people, good transportation systems, and beautiful landscapes. On top of this, Estonia’s social security system is known to be one of the best in Europe, along with a low income tax of 20%. 

Highlights of working in Estonia

English is widely spoken 

Low cost of living + low income tax

Social security benefits (such as long maternity & paternity leaves). 

2. Czech Republic

Like Estonia, Czech Republic’s cost of living is also low, with an added benefit of a lower income tax in fact, at 15%. In fact, this is lower than many (Western) European countries, but even amongst the Eastern countries. 

The downside is that English is not as widely spoken, however if you find yourself in one of the main cities such as Prague, Brno or Cesky Krumlov, you will find that most people do speak even a little bit of English. 

Highlights of working in Czech Republic:

Very low income tax 

Boasts beautiful historical sites 

Low cost of living 

3. New Zealand

Heading to a different part of the world, down under, New Zealand is amongst the top countries in the world for freelancers or remote workers (including self employed) thanks to the easy processes it takes when needing to start your own business. 

Other benefits include fast internet connections, a lot of ex-pats to network with, and it is a neighbour to one of the most beautiful countries in the world. 

Unlike Europe though, New Zealand can be pricier, but not as pricey as its neighbouring country, Australia. So a good alternative if you wanted to move to Aussie, is New Zealand. 

Highlights of working in New Zealand

Simple procedures for setting up a business

Fast internet speeds

High standard of living

4. Spain

Spain has been voted the best EU country for self-employed people. 

Advantages of working and living in Spain include its warm weather all-year round (almost), low cost of living (in the smaller cities), good transportation network and good WiFi networks. 

Income tax for self-employed is 21%, a reasonable amount for an EU country. 

Highlights of working in Spain

Reasonable cost of living 

Reasonable income tax

Plenty of Wi-Fi in public spaces

5. Dubai

As we saw in our previous blog, Dubai is a hot-spot for expats and is an ideal location for freelancers and self-employed thanks to its tax-free lifestyle. 

Due to the amount of expats that reside in the UAE, English is very widely spoken. 

Apart from its beautiful beaches and luxurious city lifestyle, Dubai offers a high standard of living for its locals and remote workers. 

Highlights of working in the UAE

0% income tax 

English widely spoken

High standard of living

As someone who is a freelancer or self-employed, you will most likely be making a pros & cons list for the country you will be choosing, so we hope this blog has made it easier for you to make a decision or added to your pros & cons list. 

As self-employment continues to rise in popularity, we will most likely see more countries finding new ways to accommodate a remote work lifestyle.