Start-up consulting in Ukraine helps founders launch correctly: the right legal form and tax regime, company registration, accounting from day one and a financial model for investors. Key Solutions takes a project from idea to its first reports and stays on as accountant and financial adviser as the business grows.
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In short
- When you need it: before registering an LLC or sole proprietorship (FOP), hiring the first people, signing the first foreign client or meeting an investor.
- What you get: a launch plan with the legal form and tax regime, a registered company, working accounting and a financial model.
- Timing: in our experience, a few weeks from the first consultation to accounting that is ready to run.
- Fee: agreed per project, depending on the number of founders, foreign participants, the scope of the model and ongoing bookkeeping.
- Where to start: describe the product, the founders, where your clients are and how many people you plan to engage.
FOP, LLC or Diia City
The choice depends on three questions: how many founders there are, where the clients are and whether an investor will come in.
| Option | Suits | Tax and limits |
|---|---|---|
| FOP, single tax group 3 | One founder selling services or goods, including abroad | 5% of income without VAT or 3% with VAT (Tax Code, para. 293.3); no equity for investors |
| LLC, single tax group 3 | Several founders, moderate turnover, equity for investors | Same rates; income up to 1,167 minimum wages a year (para. 291.4) |
| LLC, general regime | High turnover, large costs, a foreign investor | 18% corporate income tax (para. 136.1); VAT above 1 million hryvnias of turnover |
| LLC, Diia City resident | IT product, team of 9+, pay from 1,200 euros | Special profit tax regime: 9% on distributed capital such as dividends (paras. 136.8 and 141.9-1); criteria in Art. 5 of Law No. 1667-IX |
VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies exceed 1 million hryvnias over the last 12 months (Tax Code, para. 181.1). More in our guides how to choose a tax system in Ukraine and Diia City accounting and taxes.
Accounting from day one
Ukrainian law requires a company to keep accounts continuously from registration to liquidation (Art. 8(1) of Law No. 996-XIV). We write the accounting policy, set up the accounting system, document flow, payroll and social contribution (ЄСВ), and foreign-currency receipts, so the first reports and an investor's review go smoothly. See setting up tax and accounting records.
Financial model, legal work and growth
A start-up financial model forecasts revenue, costs and cash month by month, so founders see how much money they need and when it runs out. For a funding round we prepare an investment attractiveness assessment. The charter, shareholders' agreement (Art. 7 of Law No. 2275-VIII), team options and trademarks are handled by our group's law firm legal.ua; we cover the accounting and tax side, for example recording capital contributions, which are due within six months of registration unless the charter says otherwise (Art. 14(1) of Law No. 2275-VIII).
When a company becomes medium-sized, it must publish annual statements with an audit report (Art. 14(3) of Law No. 996-XIV). That statutory audit is performed and signed by a partner audit firm entered in the section of the Register for firms entitled to conduct statutory audits; Key Solutions organises the work, prepares the books and supports the audit through to publication. More on our mandatory audit page.
What the service includes
- Founder consultation on legal form, tax regime, VAT and Diia City.
- Registration of an LLC or FOP with the chosen tax regime.
- Bank account opening: document list and answers to the bank's compliance questions.
- Accounting policy, accounting system and the accounting side of client and contractor agreements.
- Financial model and cash-flow plan; first reports and ongoing bookkeeping if you wish.
How we work
- Founder brief Product, clients, team, funding plans.
- Form and taxes We compare options and agree the decision.
- Registration and bank Documents, registration, bank account.
- Accounting and model Accounting set-up and financial model.
- Ongoing support Bookkeeping, reporting and advice as you grow.
Timing, fee and what we need
In our experience, it takes a few weeks from the first consultation to a registered company with working accounts. State registration itself takes up to 24 hours after filing, excluding weekends and holidays (Art. 26(1)(1) of Law No. 755-IV); foreign founders' documents need legalisation and translation, which adds time. The fee is agreed per project and fixed in the contract.
- Product, clients and sales channels.
- Founder and director details; for foreign founders, an extract from their home register.
- Team plan: staff, FOP contractors, gig contracts.
- Expected first-year income and costs.
Rules the work relies on
- Tax Code, paras. 293.3 and 291.4 — single tax rates and group 3 income limit.
- Tax Code, paras. 136.1, 136.8 and 181.1 — corporate tax, the Diia City 9% rate on distributed capital and the VAT threshold.
- Art. 8 of Law No. 996-XIV — accounting from registration; Art. 14(3) — publication with an audit report.
- Art. 5(1) of Law No. 1667-IX — Diia City residency criteria.
Why Key Solutions
- Company
- Key Solutions Audit Firm LLC (ТОВ «АУДИТОРСЬКА ФІРМА «КЕЙ СОЛЮШНЗ»), EDRPOU code 39610085. The company's details are public in the Unified State Register (ЄДР).
- Contract
- We work under a contract: scope, timing, liability and confidentiality are agreed before work starts.
- Group
- Key Solutions is part of Innova Consulting Group: legal matters are handled by legal.ua, crypto-asset taxation by crystal.tax.
- Office
- Our office is at 77 Velyka Vasylkivska St., Kyiv. We serve clients across Ukraine remotely. The specialists who run engagements are listed on the Our employees page.
Frequently asked questions
Should a start-up in Ukraine register as a FOP or an LLC?
A single founder without an investor often manages with a FOP on the single tax. An LLC is needed when there are several founders, when an investor must receive equity or when income approaches the group 3 limit. We decide after calculating taxes on your figures.
When does Diia City make sense for a start-up?
When an IT company can meet the criteria in Art. 5 of Law No. 1667-IX: a team of at least nine and average pay of at least 1,200 euros every month, and qualified income of at least 90% of total income for the first three months and each year. We calculate whether the regime pays off and keep the resident's books.
Can foreigners found a company in Ukraine?
Yes. A foreign individual or company can be a founder of a Ukrainian LLC. A foreign corporate founder files an extract from its home register, and the beneficial owners are disclosed (Art. 17 of Law No. 755-IV). Foreign documents are legalised or apostilled and translated into Ukrainian before filing (Art. 15(1)(13)–(14) of Law No. 755-IV).
From what date must a start-up keep accounts?
From the date of state registration: the law requires continuous accounting until liquidation (Art. 8(1) of Law No. 996-XIV). A company files reports even without transactions, so we set up accounting right after registration.
Who drafts the charter and shareholders' agreement?
Our group's law firm legal.ua drafts the charter, shareholders' agreement, team options and trademark filings. Key Solutions handles accounting and tax, so both teams work on the project together.
How much does start-up consulting cost?
The fee is agreed per project. It depends on the number of founders, foreign participants, the tax regime, the scope of the financial model and whether you need ongoing bookkeeping. We fix it in the contract before work starts.
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Discuss your launch
Tell us about the product, the founders and where your clients are. We will reply with a suggested structure, launch plan, timing and fee.
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