How much do you really have left when your company makes €100,000 net? And what difference does it make whether you are in Athens, London or Dubai?

In the era of digital entrepreneurship and globalisation, where you establish your headquarters can be more important than how you work. On the basis of a simple but revealing tax exercise – €100,000 profit, 2 employees on a net salary of €1,800 – we compare three key headquarters locations: Greece, the United Kingdom and Dubai.

The result? A cold truth about taxes, contributions and the real business performance behind the words “investment environment”.

If you are thinking about expansion, tax relocation or simply want to know where it is worth fighting , this article is for you.

Below follows a comparative tax exercise for net profits of €100,000 , with embedded payroll cost for 2 employees receiving a net €1,800/month (i.e. €25,200/year each). The exercise includes Greece , the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) :

  • 🔹 GENERAL DATA
  • Company Net Profit: €100,000
  • Employees: 2
  • Net Salary/employee: €1,800/month → €25,200/year
  • Year: 2025
  • Legal form: Private Company / ΙΚΕ / LTD depending on the country
  • 🇬🇷 GREECE
  • 📌 Payroll cost
  • Net: €25,200/employee → for 2: €50,400
  • Employer contributions (≈24%): ~€16,800
  • Total payroll cost: ~€67,200
  • 📌 Company taxation
  • Income Tax: 22% on (€100,000 – €67,200) = €7,216
  • Dividends (optional): 5% on distributed amount = additional €1,636

✅ Net amount after tax:

  • €100,000 – €67,200 – €7,216 = €25,584 company net profit (before dividend tax)
  • 🇦🇪 DUBAI (UAE)
  • 📌 Payroll cost
  • Net: €25,200/employee
  • There are no employer contributions (only 12.5% pensions for Emiratis – not for foreigners)
  • Total cost = €50,400
  • 📌 Company taxation
  • Corporate tax: 9% (applies from June 2023)
  • Calculation: 9% * (100,000 – 50,400) = €4,464

✅ Net amount after tax:

  • 100,000 – 50,400 – 4,464 = 45,136
  • 🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
  • 📌 Payroll cost
  • Net: €25,200/employee
  • Taxes + NIC (Employee & Employer): approximately 41% extra to result in net €1,800/month
  • Total payroll cost/person ≈ €35,500 → for 2 = €71,000
  • 📌 Company taxation
  • Corporate tax: 25% for profits > £50,000
  • Calculation: 25% * (100,000 – 71,000) = €7,250

✅ Net amount after tax:

  • 100,000 – 71,000 – 7,250 = 21,750
  • ✅ COMPARATIVE TABLE
  • PARAMETER 🇬🇷 Greece 🇦🇪 Dubai 🇬🇧 UK
  • Payroll Cost (2 persons) €67,200 €50,400 €71,000
  • Company Tax €7,216 €4,464 €7,250
  • Net Company Profit €25,584 €45,136 €21,750
  • Dividend Taxation (if any) +5% 0% 0%
  • Total Tax Burden High Low Moderate

📌 Conclusions:

✈️ Dubai is clearly more tax-efficient (9% flat rate, 0% dividends, low payroll cost).

🇬🇷 Greece has improved but the combination of employer contributions and tax leads to a high burden.

🇬🇧 The UK remains attractive only for reinvestment of profits (e.g. through a holding).

👉 Do you want to see what the figures would be for your own business?

Each country has its opportunities and challenges. If you are considering tax planning, international expansion or simply want to see which scenario is more favourable for your own case, complete the form and one of our advisers will contact you.

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