[embedding-shape]

> USA is/was easier to start business and get funding

I think this would highly depend on the country. With a solid business plan, I could easily get funding via banks and literally start a company with the press of a button in web portal, in Sweden. Similarly, Estonia seems to have made it ridiculously easy as well. In Spain it's slightly harder, I have to fill out some forms, but with stable income, very easy to get a bank loan even for business ideas that probably shouldn't.

Sure, you won't attract multi-trillion VCs that route, but is that exclusively what you're talking about? How much easier can it be to start the company than the press of the button, since you seem sure it's much easier in the US than all the countries in the EU?

[mrtksn]

Seden is a success story, just as Estonia but instead doing that and god knows what complications it creates across EU borders you can just create a company for pretty cheap in US and be clear on the situation across all the EU since US is a 3rd party with much clear rights and obligations towards EU. AFAIK that's why the EU wants to have a 28th regime.

[embedding-shape]

So is the US easier than the EU or not? Now you're saying Sweden is a "success story", does that mean it's easier than the US then?

> god knows what complications it creates across EU borders you can just create a company for pretty cheap in US

What? That doesn't make any sense. If I'm a Swedish resident, and I want to sell to Danes, then in no way is it easier for me to start a US company (?!) then sell to Denmark from outside the EU, than just starting a Swedish company and selling directly to Danes inside of the EU.

This is starting to sound like someone who never done intra-EU B2B or B2C at all. Where are you getting this from?

[mrtksn]

Sweden is a success story by European standards but meh by US standards.

> If I'm a Swedish resident, and I want to sell to Danes, then in no way is it easier for me to start a US company (?!) then sell to Denmark from outside the EU

Starting a US company from EU costs a few hundred dollars depending on the broker etc. and indeed you may find it much more useful depending on how you do business(who you employ, what you sell and where are your clients). This is because EU single market isn't that single at all, you will need to figure out pensions, social contributions taxes etc across the EU borders for example but if you incorporate in US, life becomes much more easier as there are already many services geared to fascinate the trade between EU and US. So it depends.

Maybe things are easier from Sweden but then why not Europeans start company in Sweden instead of dealing with Germany for example? Do you by chance require residence and have residence-related obligations and costs? Why Sweden isn't Europe's Delaware and EU is trying to create 28th regime and the EU-inc then?

[distances]

> then why not Europeans start company in Sweden instead of dealing with Germany for example? Do you by chance require residence and have residence-related obligations and costs?

You can open a company in another EU country, but if you don't live there, your domestic tax agency may/will interpret the company to be under their jurisdiction based on your residency. Now you have double the paperwork, and likely a more complex tax situation to deal with.

[embedding-shape]

> Starting a US company from EU costs a few hundred dollars depending on the broker etc

And in Sweden it's free, if that somehow would stop anyone anyways.

> and indeed you may find it much more useful depending on how you do business(who you employ, what you sell and where are your clients

Agreed, if you have US clients, US customers and generally like the vibe of the US, then makes a lot of sense to incorporate in the US. For basically anything else, it doesn't.

> This is because EU single market isn't that single at all, you will need to figure out pensions, social contributions taxes etc across the EU borders for example

You misunderstand what "EU single market" is referring to if you think it's supposed to mean pensions and similar stuff is shared across the entire EU. Of course it isn't, and no one of us who actually live and work here have that fundamental misunderstanding you seem to have.

> example but if you incorporate in US, life becomes much more easier as there are already many services geared to fascinate the trade between EU and US

Your arguments here make zero sense. Say I'm a Swedish resident, open up a company in Sweden and hire a Finn, now I need to ensure this employment is fully legal. Same goes if the company is in the US, and in fact, would add additional things to do, as suddenly it's not only within EU and EEA, but the legal entity is outside.

> but then why not Europeans start company in Sweden instead of dealing with Germany for example?

I don't know why you would? EU and Europe isn't like the US in that it's many states under one country, we're all different countries with our own laws and so on, there is no "EU-law" or whatever, it's just an umbrella for us to unite under. Why on earth would an German start a company in Greece, if there is nothing particular about Greece in their business? The question doesn't even make sense.

> Why Sweden isn't Europe's Delaware and EU is trying to create 28th regime and the EU-inc then?

Ireland and Malta are the "Delaware of Europe" which are popular to incorporate, but generally, I think people prefer to own businesses in countries where they already live, incorporating on the other side of the continent just doesn't make sense.

[Schiendelman]

In Spain, if you fail at the business, do you have to pay back the bank loan?

[embedding-shape]

Not automatically. If the loan is in your name, or you personally guaranteed it, you still have to pay even if the business fails. If it's only in the company's name, usually the company is liable, not you personally. There's also insolvency/"second chance" options, but that’s a legal process, not automatic.

Basically, depends on how you setup the company in regards to liabilities (which I'm guessing is true in the US too), and the exact terms of the loan.