Hong Kong Limited Company
Registration Requirements & Quick Facts
Company Name
​
-
Company name must be unique and must not include restricted words
-
Company name can be in English, Chinese or both
-
Company name cannot be a combination of English words/letters and Chinese characters
-
Company name must end with the word “Limited”
-
Company name should not cause confusion to the public
Share Capital
​
-
Minimum capital is 1 Share @ HK$1.00
-
Share Capital should be fully paid up, or it may affect the dividend payout in the future
-
Authorized share capital is not applicable
-
Shareholder's liability is up to the total paid up capital contributed only
Director
​
-
Must be at least 18 years of age
-
Director is the person who participate the day to day operation of the company, director liability is unlimited
-
Directors and shareholders can be the same entity
-
No restriction on any nationality/domicile/residence
-
Minimum 1 director and no maximum, they must not be bankrupt or convicted for any malpractices
-
Local director is not required
Shareholder
​
-
Must be at least 18 years of age
-
Shareholder is the investor of the company, do not involve day to day operation like director
-
Shareholders and directors can be the same entity
-
No restriction on any nationality/domicile/residence
-
Minimum 1 shareholder and maximum 50 shareholders
-
Shareholder's liability is up to the total paid up capital contributed only
Company Secretary
​
-
A role to ensure the company comply with the laws, regulations and compliance standards of Hong Kong
-
Every company must have at least one individual as Company Secretary
-
Sole director cannot be nominated as the company secretary of the same company
-
Individual company secretary must be HKID holders and ordinarily resident of Hong Kong
-
Hong Kong companies registered under TCSP can be nominated as company secretary
-
Company can nominate TCSP Licensee/accounting professional/legal professional as Company Secretary as a service
Registered Office Address & Location of Registers
​
-
Every company must have a Hong Kong address as Registered Office Address
-
Private address only, public housing address is not allowed
-
Registered Office Address can be different from the Business Address and Branch Address
-
Registered Office Address can also serve as location of Registers
Designated Representative
​
-
Designated Representative must be available at the Registered Office Address in Hong Kong, to provide document/assistant to law enforcement officer over SCR matters
-
Company can nominate TCSP Licensee/accounting professional/legal professional as Designated Representative
Authorized Representative
(Non-HK Company Only)
​
-
Every non-HK company must have an authorized representative to accept service of process
-
Authorized Representative must be HKID holders and ordinarily resident of Hong Kong
-
Company can nominate accounting professional/legal professional as Authorized Representative
HK Bank Account Opening
​
-
Face to face bank meeting is compulsory
-
All directors and shareholders with more than 10% shareholding must attend the first bank meeting in Hong Kong
-
Appoint representative for bank account opening meeting is not applicable
-
Minimum bank deposit HK$50,000
-
Multi-Currency Account is available (USD, EUR, GBR and other major currencies)
-
Subject to bank's approval, result will be usually available between 4-6 weeks after the first bank meeting
-
No controls on foreign exchange
-
Company can choose to open bank account overseas too (documents notarization may be required)
Annual Compliance
​
-
Annual Return Filing (Registration Information Update, not related to Tax)
-
Business Registration License Renewal
-
Tax Return Filing (i.e. Accounting & Auditing)
-
Employer's Return filing
-
Annual General Meeting (Single member company is not required)
Taxation
​
-
Territorial source principle of taxation- Hong Kong Source Income is subject to Profits Tax
-
For offshore profits, companies have to declare offshore income and Tax Return filing remain compulsory
-
Two tiered profits tax rates regime applies: 8.25% on the first HK$ 2 million of assessable profits, and 16.5% for corporations on the remainder of assessable profits
-
Profits Tax Return must be submitted annually for limited companies
-
Tax Year: Most companies start from 1 April of a year to 31 March of the subsequent year
-
Tax losses can be carried forward
-
Double taxation arrangement is applicable