Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · Hungary
Company registration in Hungary thelowest corporate tax rate in the EU
Nine per cent corporate income tax with full access to the European single market. The rate is genuinely low, but local business tax and the highest VAT rate in the Union belong in the calculation.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Name check and preparation of the deed of foundation
- 02Filing with the court of registration
- 03Registered seat for the first year
- 04Full set of corporate documents
- 05Tax registration and a Hungarian accountant
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who Hungary suits
- Trading companies working across the European Union
- Services and consulting with EU clients
- Manufacturing and assembly in central Europe
- Logistics and distribution across the region
- Businesses that want an EU company at a low tax cost
- A fully remote company with no local accountant
- Businesses sensitive to a 27% VAT rate on domestic sales
- You are counting on anonymity: the registry is public
- There is no willingness to work with Hungarian-language filings
Company types
What company you can open in Hungary
The limited liability company is the working form for almost every case.
A company with limited liability and a modest minimum capital.
- For whom
- Trading, services, manufacturing, holdings.
- Advantage
- Simple management and low state costs.
- Limit
- Capital must be declared and, in most cases, contributed.
A private or public company with share capital.
- For whom
- Larger businesses and structures raising capital.
- Advantage
- Flexible share classes and higher standing.
- Limit
- Higher capital requirement and stricter governance.
Registration of a foreign company presence.
- For whom
- An existing group entering the EU market.
- Advantage
- No new legal entity is required.
- Limit
- The parent company carries the liability.
Every company needs a registered seat in Hungary and a Hungarian accountant. Filings are made in Hungarian.
Comparison
Hungary or Bulgaria
The two lowest corporate tax rates in the European Union.
| Hungary | Bulgaria | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 9% | 10% |
| Local business tax | up to 2% of adjusted revenue | none |
| VAT | 27% | 20% |
| Incorporation time | 5-10 days | 1-2 weeks |
| Currency | forint | lev, pegged arrangement |
| Upkeep cost | low | low |
| Who it suits better | manufacturing and regional distribution | services and simple trading |
Hungary has the lower headline rate, but local business tax and a 27% VAT rate change the picture. We compare on the actual numbers.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in Hungary
The real burden depends on where you operate and who your customers are.
What we check
- Whether customers are domestic or across the EU
- In which municipality the company will be seated
- Whether local business tax will apply and at what rate
- Whether a VAT number is required from day one
- Whether staff will be employed and at what salary level
- Whether goods will be stored in the country
- Who will act as managing director
- Which bank is prepared to work with the profile
- How the source of capital is evidenced
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
Local business tax is set by the municipality and is charged on adjusted revenue rather than on profit. It has to be modelled alongside the 9% rate.
Licensing
Activities and licences
Most business needs no licence; regulated sectors do.
No licence in most cases; VAT registration is standard.
Requires sector permits depending on the industry.
Authorised by the central bank.
Requires operator licences and permits.
Requires health and safety authorisations.
Subject to registration and sector rules.
What sets the licence
- Whether a licence is required
- Whether a VAT number is needed
- Whether staff will be employed
- Where the company will be seated
- Planned turnover
- Which bank will serve the company
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on VAT and on the level of accounting support.
from $1 700
An EU entity for contracts and invoicing
1-2 weeks
Included
- Name check and preparation of the deed of foundation
- Filing with the court of registration
- Registered seat for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Tax registration and a Hungarian accountant
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Registration and publication fees
Not included
- EU VAT number
- The bank account — handled as a separate stage
from $3 300
An operating business with EU settlements
3-8 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- EU VAT number and set-up of returns
- Bank profile and submission to suitable banks
- Monthly accounting set-up
- Support with correspondence with the tax authority
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the bank decides
by project
A company with employees and real operations
from 4 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company, VAT and account package
- Employer registration and payroll administration
- Office search and lease support
- Monthly bookkeeping and filings
- Annual report and the corporate tax return
- Annual support of the structure
Government fees, paid separately
- Employer contributions
- Office rent
Registration fees, local business tax and employer contributions appear as separate lines in the quote.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, VAT, staff and banking. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: projects with payroll are priced individually.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
Application and set-up of periodic returns.
A legal address with mail handling.
A Hungarian accountant, monthly filings and the annual report.
Employer registration and monthly administration.
With the municipality where the company is seated.
Selection of a bank or a payment institution.
Managing director, member and capital changes.
Proper closure of the company.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
Hungarian banks work with foreign-owned companies, but they want to meet the managing director.
The activity, the customers, expected turnover, the local presence and the source of funds.
The corporate set, managing director identification, contracts and a description of the business.
With Hungarian banks, and with European payment institutions for cross-border flows.
We prepare the file, arrange the meeting and run the submission through to the result.
Most Hungarian banks expect the managing director to appear in person at least once. We arrange the visit or find institutions that work remotely.
Tax
Taxes in Hungary
The lowest corporate rate in the Union, with two local factors to plan for.
A flat rate of 9% on taxable profit.
Charged by the municipality on adjusted revenue, up to 2%.
The standard rate is 27%, the highest in the European Union; reduced rates apply to some supplies.
Dividends paid to corporate shareholders are generally not subject to withholding tax.
Employer contributions apply on top of gross salary.
Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: the effective burden is modelled for a specific business.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected remotely; documents are translated into Hungarian.
- 01Passport with a certified copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Specimen signature
- 04Description of the planned activity
- 05Evidence of the source of funds
Documents are filed in Hungarian; translation and certification are handled by us as part of the process.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Upkeep is inexpensive, but the reporting is monthly.
Renewed annually.
Maintained by a Hungarian accountant.
Filed monthly or quarterly depending on turnover.
Prepared and filed after the financial year ends.
Filed together with the annual report.
Filed with the municipality.
Submitted monthly where staff are employed.
Periodic requests from the bank.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Registered seat
- Monthly accounting
- VAT returns
- Annual report
- Corporate tax return
- Local business tax return
- Payroll filings
- Bank compliance
- Registered seat
- Monthly accounting
- VAT returns
- Annual report
- Corporate tax return
- Local business tax return
- Payroll filings
- Bank compliance
- Registered seat
- Monthly accounting
- VAT returns
- Annual report
- Corporate tax return
- Local business tax return
- Payroll filings
- Bank compliance
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, tax model, VAT, seat, banking.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 daysCollection of the set, translation and certification.
3-7 daysFiling with the court of registration and issue of the documents.
5-10 daysApplication and issue of the EU number.
1-4 weeksBank file, the meeting and account opening.
The bank sets the timingThe outcome is an EU company with the lowest corporate rate in the Union: full documents, a VAT number, an account and a Hungarian accountant in place.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessThe customers are EU companies; an EU counterparty and VAT are required.
DirectionAn operating company in the EU with a VAT number and reporting.
BankingAn EU bank looks at contracts, turnover and presence.
BusinessDevelopment, consulting and digital work for European clients.
DirectionA company with the relevant activity and local accounting.
BankingCustomer contracts and payment providers are required.
BusinessSupplies of goods between EU countries.
DirectionA company with VAT and VIES registration.
BankingThe bank checks the supply chain and the counterparties.
BusinessHolding shares in EU companies and distributing profit.
DirectionA holding structure set up with the directives and tax treaties in mind.
BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
9% is only part of the picture. Local business tax and VAT go into the model from the start.
Filings are in Hungarian and monthly. A local accountant is part of the package, not an afterthought.
We know which banks accept foreign owners and which require a personal visit.
Seat, accounting, VAT and payroll — three years ahead.
Reports, returns and changes stay with us.
Where Bulgaria or Romania fits better on the numbers, we say so.
FAQ
Questions and answers
Yes, it is the lowest in the European Union. Local business tax of up to 2% of adjusted revenue is charged in addition.
27% is the standard rate, the highest in the Union, with reduced rates for certain supplies.
5-10 days with the court of registration once the translated documents are ready.
No, but a registered seat and a Hungarian accountant are required.
Realistic, though most banks expect the managing director to attend in person at least once.
Yes, and it is issued within one to four weeks of incorporation.
Only above the statutory size thresholds.
Yes. Accounting and tax filings are made in Hungarian, which is why a local accountant is part of the service.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do and where its customers are. We will model the full tax burden, arrange the seat and the accountant and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.