Why five countries? Compared in plain English

How you register

• 🇬🇧 UK: Online with Companies House, usually within a day source
• 🇺🇸 US: With your state, rules and fees differ by state source
• 🇦🇺 AU: Online with ASIC, often the same day source
• 🇨🇦 CA: Federally with Corporations Canada, or with your province source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Online with the Companies Office, often within a day source

Company tax

• 🇬🇧 UK: 19% on small profits, up to 25% source
• 🇺🇸 US: 21% federal, plus state tax in most states source
• 🇦🇺 AU: 25% for smaller companies, 30% for larger source
• 🇨🇦 CA: Around 9% federal on small business profits, plus provincial tax source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: 28% flat source

How easy it feels

• 🇬🇧 UK: Very easy and cheap
• 🇺🇸 US: Easy to start, more paperwork after
• 🇦🇺 AU: Easy, with clear guidance
• 🇨🇦 CA: Easy, but provinces add steps
• 🇳🇿 NZ: One of the easiest in the world

Savings protected up to

• 🇬🇧 UK: £120,000 per bank (FSCS) source
• 🇺🇸 US: $250,000 per bank (FDIC) source
• 🇦🇺 AU: A$250,000 per bank (FCS) source
• 🇨🇦 CA: C$100,000 per category (CDIC) source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: NZ$100,000 per bank (DCS) source

Opening one as a newcomer

• 🇬🇧 UK: Easy with app banks, high street banks want proof of address
• 🇺🇸 US: Harder without a Social Security number
• 🇦🇺 AU: Easy, you can often start before you arrive
• 🇨🇦 CA: Easy, banks have newcomer packages
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Easy, some banks let you start before you arrive

Tax-free amount

• 🇬🇧 UK: £12,570 personal allowance source
• 🇺🇸 US: A standard deduction that changes each year source
• 🇦🇺 AU: A$18,200 tax-free threshold source
• 🇨🇦 CA: A basic personal amount, set each year source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: None, tax starts on the first dollar source

Top rate

• 🇬🇧 UK: 45% (48% in Scotland) source
• 🇺🇸 US: 37% federal, plus state tax in most states source
• 🇦🇺 AU: 45%, plus 2% Medicare levy source
• 🇨🇦 CA: 33% federal, plus provincial tax source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: 39% source

Tax year

• 🇬🇧 UK: 6 April to 5 April source
• 🇺🇸 US: 1 January to 31 December source
• 🇦🇺 AU: 1 July to 30 June source
• 🇨🇦 CA: 1 January to 31 December source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: 1 April to 31 March source

Usual filing deadline

• 🇬🇧 UK: 31 January (online) source
• 🇺🇸 US: 15 April source
• 🇦🇺 AU: 31 October source
• 🇨🇦 CA: 30 April (15 June if self-employed) source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: 7 July source

Main ways in

• 🇬🇧 UK: Skilled worker, global talent, family visas source
• 🇺🇸 US: Work visas sponsored by an employer, family, investor routes source
• 🇦🇺 AU: Points-based skilled visas, employer sponsorship source
• 🇨🇦 CA: Express Entry points system, provincial nominee routes source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Skilled migrant points, accredited employer work visa source

How hard it is

• 🇬🇧 UK: Medium
• 🇺🇸 US: Hard
• 🇦🇺 AU: Medium
• 🇨🇦 CA: Medium
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Medium

Healthcare

• 🇬🇧 UK: Free NHS care once you pay the health surcharge source
• 🇺🇸 US: Mostly private insurance, often through work source
• 🇦🇺 AU: Medicare for residents, private extras common source
• 🇨🇦 CA: Free provincial care for residents, sometimes after a wait source
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Free public care for residents source

Cost of living

• 🇬🇧 UK: High in London, more reasonable elsewhere
• 🇺🇸 US: Very mixed, high in big coastal cities
• 🇦🇺 AU: High in Sydney and Melbourne
• 🇨🇦 CA: High in Toronto and Vancouver
• 🇳🇿 NZ: High housing costs, smaller cities cheaper

Pay levels

• 🇬🇧 UK: Good
• 🇺🇸 US: Highest of the five
• 🇦🇺 AU: Very good
• 🇨🇦 CA: Good
• 🇳🇿 NZ: Fair, lower than Australia