1. Corporate Tax: Sweden is often thought of as a place with high taxes for individuals. However, for companies, it's a different story. Swedish corporate tax rates are reasonable at 20.6%, which is moderate compared to other countries. Moreover, companies often end up paying even less by using profit allocation reserves. Furthermore, the companies are also allowed to carry forward losses for an indefinite period.
2. Double Tax Treaties: Sweden, being part of the EU, has many double tax treaties. This means it doesn't have thin capitalization rules and doesn't tax interest payments. This makes Sweden an attractive place for holding companies, even for those with smaller holdings.
3. No Withholding Taxes on Interest Paid Abroad: Sweden doesn't charge withholding taxes on interest, even for transactions involving investors from tax havens. This makes loans to holding companies more favourable than using equity.
4. Dividend Exemption: In Sweden, dividends from certain shares are tax-exempt if they meet specific criteria. This includes shares not listed on any stock exchange, representing at least 10% of voting power, and held for a year. Shares in EU resident companies or similar to Swedish entities may also qualify. This often means dividends received from subsidiaries are tax-exempt for Swedish holding companies, except those from tax haven jurisdictions due to controlled foreign company rules (CFC- rules).
5. Capital Gains Exemption: Swedish holding companies don't pay taxes on capital gains, but there are exceptions for "shell companies" and careful planning is needed to avoid issues with capital gains tax.
6. No Stamp Duty: There's no stamp duty or incorporation tax when establishing a Swedish company, making the process easy. Additionally, accounting can be done in Euros, and advisor fees are usually low compared to international standards.
7. Fund the Company with Loans: Unlike many other countries, Sweden doesn't have thin capitalization rules. This means investors can fund the company with loans instead of needing a lot of share capital.
8. Deductible Interest Expenses: Interest expenses on external loans are fully deductible, with some exceptions for affiliated companies following certain principles.