JURISDICTION COMPARISON · 2026

Armenia vs UAE vs USA: where should you register your company?

A side-by-side breakdown for founders. Tax, banking, residency, registration time, and real costs — built from how MOSTAR actually structures clients in each jurisdiction.

At a glance

The headline differences
that actually matter

Armenia UAE USA (Delaware)
Registration time 1 working day 3–7 working days 1–14 working days
Starting cost (MOSTAR fee) $510 (IE) · $600 (LLC) $3,500 + $1,200 +
Corporate tax (default regime) 18% on profit 9% (with $100K exemption) 21% federal + state
Lowest available rate 1% IT (turnover tax) 0% freezone qualifying 0% LLC pass-through (non-resident)
VAT / sales tax 20% (General); 0% Simplified 5% VAT 0–10% state-by-state
100% foreign ownership No restrictions In freezones No restrictions
Local director required Not required Sometimes (varies by zone) Not required
Bank account opening Local Armenian banks; in-person preferred Premium tier (Mashreq, Emirates NBD, ADCB) Mercury / Wise (online); traditional banks need US presence
Residency permit included 1 or 3 years via company 2-year visa + Emirates ID Not via company alone
VC / fundraising friendly Limited Regional Gold standard for US VCs
Double tax treaties 50+ countries 140+ countries 60+ countries
Annual maintenance $300–800/year $3,000–6,000/year $300–500/year

Armenia

When Armenia is
the right choice

Pick Armenia if…

  • You run an IT or SaaS business and want the 1% turnover-tax regime
  • You need a company live in 1 working day with no travel required
  • You're based in CIS / Russia / Eastern Europe and value Russian-speaking legal counsel
  • Annual revenue is under ~$291K (the Simplified Regime cap) — for highest IT tax savings
  • You want a residency permit tied to the company (1 or 3 years)
  • You want low setup cost and low annual maintenance
See Armenia services + pricing →

UAE

When the UAE is
the right choice

Pick the UAE if…

  • You want 0% personal income tax and a 2-year residency visa with Emirates ID
  • You operate a fintech, crypto, or trading business that needs premium banking
  • Annual revenue exceeds $1M and 9% corporate tax with $100K exemption is favourable
  • You want access to 140+ double tax treaties (the largest network of the three)
  • You're targeting Middle East / Asia markets and want a regional HQ
Talk to us about UAE setup →

USA

When the USA is
the right choice

Pick the USA if…

  • You're raising venture capital — a Delaware C-Corp is the standard most VCs require
  • You sell to US customers and want a US-based legal entity for trust + tax efficiency
  • You want predictable, battle-tested corporate governance (Delaware Court of Chancery)
  • You're a non-resident running an LLC for pass-through tax (0% federal corporate)
  • Mercury or Wise online banking is enough for your business
Talk to us about USA setup →

Still deciding?

Two ways to
get clarity in 5 minutes

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Talk to Arianna directly. No commitment — we'll map your situation across all three jurisdictions.

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