IN THIS LESSON

Get the structure right from day one.

How you set up your business will shape everything that follows: taxes, liability, scale, and optionality. Cut through the complexity with three questions that determine the optimal structure. You can be operational in days.

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  • ©️ Sunny Future (Polymaths BV). June 2026.

    “Stay practical.”

    How you structure your operations will vary with country, sectors, scale, and risk profile. You can be up and running in a days in most jurisdictions once you address these 3 questions (set your setup as a Claude Project):

    Sole trader or limited company?

    Most countries have arrangements for the self employed, usually with limitations. Research it. And limited liability exists for a reason.

    Where/how to incorporate your business? 

    Many options, from business friendly to Kafkaesque: paperwork, corporation tax, VAT, tax treaties.

    Other things to consider

    Family, healthcare, pension provisions, or even immigration rights. Make it work for you and your personal circumstances.

    Don’t Chase Shiny Tax Objects

    Go for what makes sense: where you operate, cost of compliance. Running a business in your country is the easiest but depending on your activities and taxes - other structures could be more relevant.

    Case Study #1

    Jean is a Paris-based marketing consultant, yoga teacher and owner of an online store. He’s set up with the French sole trader scheme (autoentrepreneur) that allows him to operate up to €77,700 per year. He runs his accounting through Pennylane.

    Case Study #2

    Emma (UK) moved to Lisbon (Golden Visa + NHR 2.0). She runs a successful online business out of Estonia (e-residency). Additional work is carried out as a UK sole trader, allowing her to limit foreign income tax. Her life is an admin vortex: UK, Estonia and Portugal.

    The Fun Part

    How you go about your new business is up to you. Once your structure is out of the way, you can operate within days. For transparency, we’re sharing the Sunny Future setup and how it was built.

    Ignore online advice, always seek professional advice on tax and finances.

    Our Playbooks (Sprinters only)

    • We are affiliated with tax & accounting experts across Europe.

    • Ask for our Sunny Future Setup list.

    • What is the optimal corporate setup for your career portfolio or first business?

    • Build your corporate architecture. Research, ask around, and fine tune. Don’t overthink your structure for now until business picks up and/or if you move countries.

    • Access our resources, playbooks, and AI learnings.

    • Ask us for best practices. Talk tax, finance and immigration with our experts.

    • Work with our coaches and leverage the Sunny Future network.