For example, here in France, there's no such thing as "freelance". As an individual, you can't just invoice somebody. You need to set up some form of "enterprise". Sure, there are some forms which are supposed to be easier to set up, but you still have to go out of your way and do it. You can't just declare the income on your tax return. And now that you've created a company, you need to file tax returns every year, even if you don't do anything. It's also not free, an actual accountant has to sign them off (this may not be the case for the smallest forms of companies). Sending your taxes to the fiscal administration is also not free (fun fact: VAT is levied on that fee).