Company Registration in Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica and Panama are two Central American jurisdictions that have long attracted investors seeking privacy, simple registration and favourable taxation, while retaining credibility on the international stage.

Panama

Thanks to its location and long tradition as a financial centre, Panama is a well-established centre for international companies. Key features of this jurisdiction:

• No taxation of income earned outside Panama – a company that does not operate locally pays 0% tax, with no foreign exchange controls.
• Fast registration – the process takes about 5 days, with no minimum share capital requirement.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica bases its tax system on the territorial principle – only income earned within the country is taxed, and foreign income remains outside its reach. This is particularly attractive for businesses based on foreign servers or digital services. The most important features of this jurisdiction include:

• Confidentiality and discretion for the owner, while remaining compliant with OECD standards.
• Capital flexibility – share capital can be contributed in any currency, with no requirements as to the nationality of directors or shareholders.
• Opening a bank account is not automatically made difficult, as it is with blacklisted jurisdictions.

What should you pay attention to?

Both jurisdictions require a careful approach to economic substance – real evidence of conducting business abroad, which protects the company from being treated as an artificial construct serving only to circumvent tax rules in Poland.

How do we help?

We analyse your business model and indicate which of these jurisdictions – or another – better suits your goals. We guide you through the whole registration process, prepare the necessary documentation and advise on protecting the company from tax risk on the Polish side.

Result: a company registered efficiently in a jurisdiction matched to real business needs, with appropriate protection against the risk of it being treated as an artificial structure.