If your company produces nothing you can drop on your foot, works in the service sector and is expanding internationally, you can probably deliver your digital offering from anywhere in the world. There are, however, a few things that you might consider before relocating your business to the Ross Ice Shelf. It would help if you and your clients could benefit from these:
- World-class telecommunications and infrastructure
- Abundant multi-lingual IT resources trained in a good local university
- Low operating costs and payroll taxes
- Access to a dedicated on-site datacenter, science park and several co-working hubs
- Reliable energy based largely on renewables
- An EU location, a welcoming work environment and year-round moderate climate
- Available accommodation at reasonable prices
Yes, Madeira has all this and more. And it’s no longer a well-kept secret — 9.000 digital nomads have registered in the Startup Madeira website. The island also has many attractions for more stable digital businesses like yours.
Madeira is an integral part of Portugal and the EU. Its tax regime has existed for over 30 years, never black- or grey-listed and fully approved by the European Commission. You will obtain an EU VAT number on registering your business, a procedure that takes two weeks on average. Employer social security taxes (24%) and corporate tax (5%) are among the lowest in the EU.
SDM will be happy to brief you on the advantages for start-ups and others. Fully owned by the Regional Government, SDM issues licenses for companies to operate within Madeira’s IBC, the International Business Center. This, like your digital business, is not a physical entity, and enables you to have your own corporate space anywhere on this beautiful island. You can find out more from the IBC website at e-Businesses and Technology.
Or contact us. We are SDM’s representative in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, locating digital businesses in the EU’s most congenial and business-friendly island.