START: small businesses could be opened from a phone, with no bookkeeping or tax returns

Moldova’s Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation is proposing a new business form called START. People who want to launch a small business, including working from home or selling online, could start from their phone without prior permits. Minister Claudiu Năsui presented the initiative on 26 October.

Entrepreneurs who meet the criteria will not have to keep accounts or file tax returns: the tax will be calculated automatically. The regulatory logic changes — checks come after a business starts, not before. The regime targets businesses below the VAT registration threshold.

For people cooking at home for sale, the authorities plan to follow the French model and EU rules for small producers. A package from the food safety agency ANSA, presented on 15 October, says a simple notification will be enough for artisan bread, biscuits and some pastries, with fewer, risk-based inspections.

What it means for you

• If you want to test a small business idea, START could lower start-up costs: no accountant and no prior permits.
• The rules apply from day one — inspections simply come later.
• It is still an initiative: watch for the criteria and launch date from the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation.

Source: Newsmaker, 26.10.2026