IE and the 1% rate
IE Registration in Georgia: registered in 1–2 days, at 1% if the status is actually yours
The IE (Individual Entrepreneur) is the fastest legal status for a freelancer in Georgia (the country): registration in one or two business days, and Small Business Status at 1% of turnover up to ₾500,000 a year. We confirm your eligibility for the 1% before you pay, then register you in person or by power of attorney.
Who it's for
The 1% status is not for everyone — better to know that first
This fits if
- You are a developer, designer, marketer, copywriter or online teacher with clients abroad
- Your turnover stays under ₾500,000 a year (roughly $180,000)
- You want a legal status, a bank account and predictable tax
- You are planning a residence permit through entrepreneurship
A different route fits better
- Consulting, legal, medical and audit services are excluded from Small Business Status
- Turnover above ₾500,000 — the excess is taxed at 3%, and from the second year the status is lost
- You work with Georgian clients — that also calls for a work permit
If your activity does not clear the 1% list, we say so and quote an LLC or an IE on the standard regime instead — before registration, not after.
How it works
How registration runs: from the assessment to your first declaration
Checking the 1% eligibility
We match your activity against the excluded list and look at your turnover. If it does not clear, we say so straight away and you choose another route.
Registration at the Public Service Hall
Passport, an address in Georgia, an application. Registration takes one business day, or the same day expedited — and by power of attorney, without you present.
Small Business Status
We file with the Revenue Service. The status starts on the 1st of the following month, so we register close to the end of a month.
Account and first declaration
We open the bank account with escort or remotely, then show you how the monthly declaration is filed by the 15th, or bring in an accountant.
Documents
Documents for IE registration
- Passport
- An address in Georgia: a lease or the owner's written consent (we suggest options if you have none yet)
- A Georgian phone number and an e-mail address for the tax portal
- A notarised power of attorney on our template — if we register remotely
- A description of your activity, so the code is right and the 1% is verified
Price
Price: 400 ₾ in person, $800 remotely with the bank account
Both prices cover the work end to end: registration, Small Business Status and tax regime set-up. State fees are separate.
| Service | Price | Timeline | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| IE + Small Business Status (1%) | 400 ₾ | 1–2 business days | in person |
| Remote: IE + bank account | $800 | 1–3 weeks | by power of attorney |
| Bank account with escort | 550 ₾ | usually 1–2 weeks | in person, with an interpreter |
| Work permit | 350 ₾ | 10–30 days | in person |
| Residence permit through an IE | 800 ₾ | 30 days of state processing | in person, biometrics |
What the price covers
- The 1% eligibility check — before you pay
- IE registration at the Public Service Hall
- Small Business Status and tax regime set-up
- Access to the tax portal and instructions for the monthly declaration
- A named manager
Paid separately
- Public Service Hall state fee — paid against a receipt
- Bank account — 550 ₾ (already included in the remote format)
- Monthly accounting — optional; we do not provide it, we refer you to an accountant we trust
A written quote before work begins, and it does not change afterwards. Would rather land and think about nothing? See VIP “Business Turnkey” for €1,000: airport pickup, interpreter, IE, bank account and SIM card.
Rarely said out loud
What to know about the 1% before you register
The 1% is charged on turnover, not on profit. Expenses are not deducted. For a freelancer with few costs that is a gift; for low-margin trading it is not.
The status starts on the 1st of the following month. Income earned before that date is taxed at the standard 20%. We time the registration so the gap is as short as possible.
Work done from Georgia is Georgian-source income. Even when the client is abroad. That is why the status matters: without it the income is taxed at 20%, and why "just live here and get paid to a foreign card" is not a plan.
A declaration every month, by the 15th. Including a nil one. Missing it means a fine. We show you the five-minute version, or bring in an accountant.
Questions
Common questions about IE registration
Yes, on a notarised power of attorney. The $800 "Remote: IE + bank account" format covers registration, Small Business Status and an account at a bank that accepts one.
No. An IE is registered on your passport under visa-free entry. The reverse is true: an IE with real turnover becomes grounds for a residence permit through entrepreneurship.
Not for the IE itself. A minimum appears only for a residence permit through the IE: there is a set threshold of confirmed turnover, which we go through on the assessment.
VAT registration becomes mandatory above ₾100,000 of taxable turnover in 12 months. Exported services are zero-rated, but the registration duty still applies.
You can, but a foreigner without permanent residency needs a work permit for it. We file it alongside the IE for 350 ₾.
From the day the IE is registered. The 1% status starts on the 1st of the following month, so the first invoice is better dated after that.
Related pages: bank account in Georgia, residence permit through an IE, work permit, who is excluded from the 1%.
Next step
What it costs in your case — we'll price it on a free assessment
Half an hour, and you have a written quote: work, timelines and state fees itemized. Free and with no obligation.