Paraguay isn’t exactly on every entrepreneur’s radar. It’s landlocked. It’s historically known for contraband and cattle. But if you’re looking at South America and you want a straightforward, low-friction entity for your operations, the Empresa por Acciones Simplificadas (EAS) — the Simplified Stock Company — might just surprise you.
I’ve been tracking Paraguay for a while now. The country has made genuine attempts to modernize its corporate registration systems. The EAS was introduced precisely to cut through bureaucratic nonsense. No notaries. No capital deposits. No weeks of back-and-forth with government clerks who treat you like you’re asking for a favor.
Let me break down what it actually costs to set up and maintain an EAS in Paraguay in 2026.
What Is an EAS?
The Empresa por Acciones Simplificadas is Paraguay’s answer to bureaucratic bloat. Created under Law 6,480/2020, it’s designed for small and medium businesses. You register online through the SUACE portal. That’s it.
No minimum capital required. No mandatory publication in newspapers. The entire process happens digitally. This is not something you see often in Latin America, where paper-based processes and notarial cartels still dominate.
But let’s be clear: streamlined registration doesn’t mean zero costs.
Formation Costs: What You’ll Actually Pay
Here’s the reality. The government charges you nothing to register an EAS. Zero. ₲0.
That sounds incredible until you realize that in practice, you’ll still need professional help navigating the system. The SUACE portal is in Spanish. Tax ID registration (RUC) with the Subsecretaría de Estado de Tributación (SET) requires specific documentation. Municipal licensing varies wildly by city.
This is where legal and accounting professionals come in.
| Formation Expense | Cost (PYG) |
|---|---|
| Government registration fees (SUACE online portal) | ₲0 |
| Professional and legal assistance fees (Average) | ₲3,500,000 |
| Publication of edicts (Digital/Official) | ₲0 |
| Total Formation Cost | ₲3,500,000 |
That’s roughly $480 USD in formation costs (using 2026 exchange rates). You’re not paying the state. You’re paying someone to make sure you don’t screw up your RUC application or forget a required step that delays everything by two weeks.
No upfront capital requirement means your ₲3.5 million goes entirely to setup, not to locking funds in a bank account for artificial compliance.
Annual Maintenance: The Real Test
Formation is a one-time event. Maintenance is forever.
In Paraguay, an EAS isn’t a shelf company you forget about. You need ongoing compliance. Tax filings. Accounting records. Municipal licenses. Corporate book updates.
Here’s the breakdown:
| Annual Maintenance Item | Cost (PYG) |
|---|---|
| Mandatory accounting and tax compliance services | ₲18,000,000 |
| Municipal commercial license (Patente Municipal) – Estimated | ₲500,000 |
| Annual corporate books maintenance and filings | ₲1,000,000 |
| Total Annual Range | ₲12,750,000 – ₲28,000,000 |
At the lower end, you’re looking at around $1,750 USD per year. At the higher end, closer to $3,850 USD.
Why the range? Activity level. If your EAS is dormant or minimal-transaction, you’ll pay less. If you’re running active operations with payroll, VAT obligations, and complex reporting, expect the upper bound.
Accounting and Tax Compliance
This is your biggest recurring cost. ₲18 million annually ($2,470 USD) is average for a professional accountant or firm handling your monthly VAT returns, annual income tax filings, and compliance with SET requirements.
You cannot DIY this unless you’re fluent in Spanish and intimately familiar with Paraguayan tax law. The penalties for missed filings or incorrect declarations aren’t worth the risk.
Municipal License (Patente Municipal)
Every company operating in Paraguay needs a municipal business license. Costs vary by city and business type. Asunción charges more than Ciudad del Este. A tech consultancy pays less than a retail shop.
₲500,000 ($68 USD) is a reasonable mid-range estimate. Some pay less. Some pay more. Budget accordingly.
Corporate Books and Filings
You’re required to maintain corporate records. Shareholder meetings (even if it’s just you). Decisions. Changes to bylaws. Annual updates.
₲1 million ($137 USD) covers basic administrative upkeep. If you make structural changes during the year — adding shareholders, changing your business address, updating your bylaws — expect additional fees.
What Makes Paraguay Different
Most Latin American jurisdictions still treat entrepreneurs like supplicants. You wait. You pay notaries. You publish expensive notices in obscure newspapers nobody reads. You deposit capital and hope the bank doesn’t freeze it for “verification.”
Paraguay skipped most of that. The EAS system is genuinely modern. Online registration works. No capital lock-up. No notarial monopolies.
But — and this is critical — modernized registration doesn’t mean zero bureaucracy. You still deal with SET. You still navigate municipal governments. You still need local representation.
The cost savings come from eliminating artificial friction, not from eliminating legitimate compliance.
Who Should Consider an EAS?
If you’re running a service business with clients in Paraguay or across South America, an EAS makes sense. If you’re structuring regional operations and need a low-cost base with decent banking access, Paraguay works.
If you’re trying to hide assets or avoid taxes entirely, you’re in the wrong jurisdiction. Paraguay has improved its transparency significantly. It’s on the OECD white list. It exchanges tax information with treaty partners.
This isn’t a secrecy haven. It’s a pragmatic, low-cost operational base.
The Practical Reality
Formation: roughly $480 USD. Annual maintenance: $1,750 to $3,850 USD depending on activity.
That’s competitive. Not the cheapest in the world, but far from the most expensive. You’re not dealing with Caribbean nominee fees or European bureaucratic tariffs.
If you’re serious about Paraguay, work with a local accountant from day one. The money you spend on professional help in the first year will save you multiples in avoided penalties and wasted time.
And remember: the official government portal for EAS registration is managed by SUACE. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce oversees the framework. The tax authority (SET) handles your RUC. These are your three key touchpoints.
Paraguay won’t solve every problem. But if you need a straightforward South American entity without the traditional circus of Latin American bureaucracy, the EAS is worth your attention.