Rewarding the Independent Worker

Greetings, I’m originally not from Europe, although I’ve been living here for several years. One common issue I’ve noticed during my time in the Mediterranean is the near impossibility of starting from scratch—unless you’re an employee or have substantial initial capital.

Freelancers (self-employed, independent workers, or whatever term you prefer) are required to register and pay taxes even before they start earning money. What’s worse, during periods of low income, their responsibilities keep piling up.

From my perspective, an individual offering goods or services for relatively small amounts (let’s say €1,000 per month) shouldn’t be required to register or pay taxes beyond the standard ones. Someone earning a salary cannot be in infinitely better conditions than someone generating the same income by working on their own. Otherwise, the incentives become perfectly misaligned, discouraging people from creating and innovating.