COMPANY FOR BUSINESS
Expert bookkeeping, tax compliance, and financial management — tailored to your sector, built on Estonian law.
Five Key Things This Page Covers
Each sector faces a different mix of tax obligations, VAT rules, and reporting standards. Generic accounting creates compliance gaps.
All guidance aligns with EMTA requirements and EU directives — from the 0% retained-earnings tax model to OSS and DAC7.
Start-ups, Freelancers, E-commerce, IT/SaaS, and Crypto/Web3 — each with its own dedicated set of service topics.
No handoffs, no gaps. A single senior accountant handles all your accounting, VAT, payroll, and filings from day one.
Flat-fee retainers from €150/month based on complexity — no variable pricing surprises at year-end.
What accounting services does Company for Business provide by industry? We provide full-cycle accounting, tax compliance, payroll, and financial reporting — tailored to start-ups, freelancers (FIE), e-commerce businesses, IT/SaaS companies, and crypto/Web3 companies operating in or through Estonia. Every client is assigned a dedicated accountant with direct expertise in their sector.
Why Industry-Specific Accounting Is Not Optional
A freelance designer, a SaaS start-up, and a crypto exchange all operate under Estonian law — but the accounting for each looks nothing alike. The freelancer calculates FIE income and social tax on a cash basis. The SaaS company must apply revenue recognition rules across subscription tiers. The crypto exchange needs to track cost-basis on hundreds of token transactions and apply market-value rules on every disposal.
Using a generalist accountant for any of these businesses creates real risk: misreported VAT, incorrect expense deductions, missed credits, or wrong withholding on royalties. Industry-specific accounting is the baseline for staying compliant and tax-efficient — not an upgrade.
| Business Type | Core Tax Challenge | Common Mistake | Key Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up (OÜ) | Dividend tax + equity structures | Treating investment as revenue | Income Tax Act §50 |
| Freelancer (FIE) | Income + 33% social tax | Missing deductible expenses | Income Tax Act §14–22 |
| E-commerce | EU multi-country VAT | Missing OSS registration | EU VAT Directive 2021 |
| IT / SaaS | Deferred revenue recognition | Cash-basis revenue reporting | IFRS 15 |
| Crypto / Web3 | Cost-basis per transaction | Not reporting swap events | EMTA crypto guidance 2023 |
1. Start-ups
Accounting, tax, equity structures, and investor reporting for early-stage companies in Estonia
Who this is for
Estonian OÜ companies at pre-seed, seed, or early growth stage — including companies founded by e-residents and non-resident founders building remote-first businesses through the Estonian legal system.
Investment vs Revenue — Many early-stage founders incorrectly record investor capital as income — triggering wrong tax calculations.
VAT Timing — As revenue grows, the €40,000 VAT threshold is often crossed without a registered accountant noticing in time.
Investor-Ready Books — Disorganised accounts regularly delay or derail funding rounds. Investors expect clean, auditable financials.
Core Accounting — Bookkeeping structure, monthly close, financial statements for OÜ.
Taxes in Estonia — 0% retained earnings tax, dividend tax, salary vs dividend optimisation, EMTA filing deadlines.
Equity & Shareholders — Cap table management, convertible notes, SAFE agreements, ESOP/option pool setup and vesting.
Investor Reporting — KPI dashboards, management accounts, board pack structure, and data room preparation.
Burn Rate & Forecasting — Monthly burn tracking, runway calculation, unit economics, and cash flow forecasting.
Remote & e-Residents — Payroll for distributed teams, permanent establishment risk management, e-Residency obligations.
2. Freelancers & Sole Traders (FIE)
Tax, VAT, expense deductions, and income optimisation for self-employed in Estonia
Who this is for
Individuals registered as FIE (füüsilisest isikust ettevõtja) in Estonia, as well as freelancers considering whether to operate through an OÜ instead — and the break-even point between the two models.
Hidden Tax Burden — Income tax (20%) + social tax (33%) combine to create an effective marginal rate that surprises most new FIEs.
FIE vs OÜ Decision — The right structure depends on revenue level, personal income needs, and industry — there is no universal answer.
Expense Deductions — Many FIEs miss legitimate deductions — home office, vehicle, equipment, travel — simply because they are undocumented.
FIE Accounting — Bookkeeping requirements, income/expense register, annual income tax return (Form A), EMTA filing.
Taxes for Sole Traders — Income tax, social tax, unemployment contributions, advance payment schedules, FIE vs OÜ comparison.
Expense Deductions — Full guide to deductible costs: home office, vehicle use, equipment, travel, professional development.
VAT for Freelancers — Mandatory registration threshold, voluntary registration, VAT on EU and non-EU client invoices, reverse charge.
Income Optimisation — Timing of income recognition, tax-free allowances, pension contributions, and legitimate deferral strategies.
3. E-commerce Businesses
VAT compliance, OSS scheme, platform accounting and cross-border taxation for online sellers
Who this is for
Estonian OÜ companies selling physical goods or digital products online — including Shopify stores, Amazon FBA sellers, dropshippers, and direct-to-consumer brands shipping across EU and non-EU markets.
EU VAT Reform — The 2021 EU VAT reform replaced country thresholds with a single €10,000 EU-wide limit — most sellers need the OSS scheme but have not registered.
Marketplace Rules — Amazon, Etsy, and Zalando shift VAT liability to the platform in certain transactions — your accounting must reflect this correctly.
Multi-Currency Books — Stripe, PayPal, and Wise payouts in different currencies must be reconciled into EUR-denominated accounts monthly.
E-commerce Accounting — Revenue recognition across processors, returns/refunds, inventory valuation, multi-currency.
EU VAT Rules — Place of supply for goods and digital services, fiscal representation, IOSS for imports under €150.
OSS VAT Scheme — Registering for One-Stop-Shop via Estonia, quarterly return structure, OSS vs local registration decision.
Shopify Accounting — Shopify Payments reconciliation, VAT configuration, chart of accounts setup, software integration.
Amazon Sellers — FBA fee accounting, commingled inventory, DAC7 platform reporting obligations, multi-country P&L.
Cross-Border Tax — Permanent establishment risk for warehouses, customs duty accounting, import VAT recovery.
4. IT & SaaS Companies
Revenue recognition, subscription accounting, IP taxation and global payroll for software businesses
Who this is for
Estonian OÜ companies providing software products, SaaS subscriptions, API services, or professional IT services to clients in Estonia, the EU, and globally — including companies with distributed remote engineering teams.
Revenue Recognition — A €12,000 annual subscription paid upfront on 1 December is only €1,000 of December revenue. Most SaaS companies overstate monthly P&L.
Distributed Payroll — Paying developers across multiple EU countries creates four different social security regimes and PE risk in each jurisdiction.
IP Structuring — Software IP held in the wrong entity attracts full withholding tax on royalties. A correct IP holding structure in Estonia can be significantly more efficient.
SaaS Accounting — Chart of accounts, deferred revenue waterfall, MRR/ARR reconciliation, churn impact, monthly close.
Revenue Recognition — IFRS 15 applied to SaaS: performance obligations, transaction price, timing for freemium and usage-based models.
Subscription Accounting — Billing system integration, dunning recovery, contract modifications, upgrade/downgrade impact.
Remote Teams Payroll — Employer of record vs local entity, A1 certificates for EU postings, social tax treaties, EMTA reporting.
IP & Royalty Tax — IAS 38 intangible asset capitalisation, IP holding structure Estonia, withholding tax on royalty payments.
Global Clients Tax — VAT on B2B/B2C digital services to EU and non-EU, reverse charge, US sales tax nexus awareness.
5. Crypto & Web3 Companies
Token accounting, DeFi taxation, NFT treatment and crypto compliance in Estonia
Who this is for
Estonian OÜ companies that trade, issue, or hold crypto assets — including crypto trading desks, DeFi protocol operators, NFT projects, Web3 gaming studios, and companies holding crypto as treasury assets.
Transaction Volume — A single DeFi interaction can generate dozens of taxable events. Manual tracking at scale is not viable — you need the right tooling and methodology.
Regulatory Updates — Estonia updated its Income Tax Act for VASPs significantly in 2022–2023. Outdated accounting policies create direct EMTA compliance exposure.
Novel Transactions — Staking rewards, liquidity pool fees, and airdrop income have no explicit GAAP treatment — each requires a documented accounting policy decision.
Crypto Accounting — Balance sheet treatment, cost-basis tracking, software integration, monthly close.
Crypto Taxation Estonia — Capital gains vs business income, taxable events (sales, swaps, spending), tax-loss harvesting, EMTA reporting.
Token Transactions — Accounting for token sales, token-as-payment, employee token grants, and vesting schedules.
DeFi Taxation — Liquidity provision, yield farming rewards, borrowing against crypto collateral, impermanent loss, wrapped tokens.
NFT Taxation — Mint revenue, royalty income, inventory vs intangible asset treatment, VAT on NFT sales to EU consumers.
How Company for Business Works
Every client gets a single point of contact — a dedicated senior accountant who manages all filings, reporting, and communications. No departments, no handoffs.
30-minute call to assess your current setup and identify any compliance gaps.
We set up your chart of accounts, connect your payment tools, and brief you on the compliance calendar.
Bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll, and any regulatory filings handled on a fixed schedule.
Monthly management reports, annual financial statements, and audit preparation when required.
We work with Merit Aktiva, Xero, and QuickBooks for bookkeeping. We integrate with Stripe, Shopify, WooCommerce, Wise, and major crypto accounting platforms. Software setup is included in onboarding — no additional fees.
We work in Estonian and English. All documentation, reports, and communications are available in both languages.
Compliance Deadlines — We Track These For You
| Filing | Frequency | Deadline | Who It Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAT return (KMD) | Monthly | 20th of following month | VAT-registered companies |
| Payroll declaration (TSD) | Monthly | 10th of following month | All employers |
| Annual report | Annual | Within 6 months of FY end | All OÜ companies |
| Income tax return (FIE) | Annual | 30 April | All registered FIEs |
| OSS VAT return | Quarterly | Last day of month after quarter | OSS-registered companies |