Best Countries to Start a Crowdfunded Boat Trading and Leasing Business?

[louddave]

I'm looking to start a company where people can crowdfund projects and buy/sell "shares" of the company as they wish. Essentially, it is a crowdfunded company that would continually attract investors as it grows.

The business will focus on 50-foot catamarans with three main activities:

1. Buying 1 and sailing to boat shows: Using one catamaran to attend boat shows, getting orders for the factory, and earning commissions on the boats ordered.
2. Buying and reselling: Purchasing catamarans and selling them at a profit.
3. Building and leasing: Constructing catamarans to lease to chartering companies.

Additionally, I do not want to offer this to U.S. citizens, so I must exclude U.S. territories.

Does anyone know which countries have favourable regulations and environments for this kind of business? Key considerations are:

Legal framework for crowdfunding and equity trading
Ease of setting up and operating a business
Investor protection laws
Ease of use for banking and business operations

Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

 

[khinkali]

I'm surprised you've had zero suggestions; there ought to be some jurisdiction that is suited to crowdfunding a leasing business.

 

[Don]

Obtaining a license in the EU seems logical, as this allows you to operate across the whole EU market. However, you need to notify local regulators for each market, so ask yourself which regulator and lawyers you want to deal with the most.

France has the highest number of licenses so far.

Bulgaria has the lowest CIT in Europe and relatively low labour costs.

Cyprus has no capital gains tax on the sale of shares, so if you have your own skin in the game, you could benefit from tax-free income.

Estonia could be an excellent vehicle for SPV-s, as

1. you can change shareholders without notarization
2. private limited companies can have an unlimited number of shareholders
3. no tax before profits are distributed, no WHT, profits from foreign PE are generally exempt

https://thecrowdspace.com/platforms/?ecsp=yes