Basic Requirements and Facts for Hong Kong Companies

Hong Kong Company name

The company name must be approved before you can proceed with the incorporation of a Hong Kong company. For more detail, please see here. 

Hong Kong Directors

A minimum of one inpidual director and unlimited maximum number of directors allowed. The director must be a natural person who can be of any nationality and need not be resident in Hong Kong. Directors must be at least 18 years of age and must not be bankrupt or convicted for any malpractices. There is no requirement for the directors to also be shareholders. Nominee corporate directors can also be appointed in addition to the inpidual director. Directors Board meetings can be held anywhere in the world.

Shareholders

A Hong Kong private limited company can have a minimum of 1 and maximum of 50 shareholders. There is no residency requirement for shareholders. A director and shareholder can be the same or different person. The shareholder must be at least 18 years of age and can belong to any nationality. The shareholder can be a person or a company. 100% local or foreign shareholding is allowed. Appointment of nominee shareholders is permitted. Shareholders meetings can be held anywhere in the world.

Hong Kong Company Secretary 

Appointing a company secretary is mandatory. The secretary, if an inpidual, must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong; or if a body corporate, must have its registered office or a place of business in Hong Kong. It has to be noted that in case of a sole director/shareholder, the same person cannot act as the company secretary. The company secretary is responsible for maintaining the statutory books and records of the company and must also ensure the company’s compliance with all statutory requirements. A nominee secretary can be appointed.

Share Capital – Although there is no minimum share capital requirement, the general norm for companies incorporated in Hong Kong is to have at least one shareholder with one ordinary share issued on their formation. Share capital can be expressed in any major currency and is not restricted to the Hong Kong Dollar alone. Shares can be freely transferred, subject to a stamp duty fee. Bearer shares are not allowed.

Hong Kong company registered office

In order to register a Hong Kong company, you must provide a local Hong Kong address as the registered address of the company. The registered address must be a physical address and cannot be a PO Box.

Public Information

Information about company officers viz. directors, shareholders and company secretary is public information as per Hong Kong Company Laws. It is mandatory to file details of the company officers with the Hong Kong Registrar of Companies. If you wish to maintain confidentiality you can appoint a corporate shareholder and nominee inpidual director by utilizing the services of a professional services firm.

Hong Kong Taxation

Corporate tax, (or profits tax as it is called), is set at 16.5% of assessable profits for companies setup in Hong Kong and 50% tax rebate for income under 2,000,000HKD. Hong Kong follows a territorial basis of taxation i.e. only profits which arise in or derived from Hong Kong are subject to tax in Hong Kong. There is no capital gains tax, withholding tax on pidends, or GST/VAT in Hong Kong.

Ongoing Compliance

It is mandatory for companies to prepare and maintain accounts. Accounts must be audited annually by Certified Public Accountants in Hong Kong. The audited accounts together with tax return must be filed annually with the Inland Revenue Department. Every company is required to file annual returns with the Companies Registry and pay the annual registration fee. The Business Registration Certificate should be renewed, one month before expiry on an annual basis or once every three years, as the case may be. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be held annually very calendar year. The AGM should be held within 18 months of the date of incorporation, after which no more than 15 months can elapse between one AGM and the next. A written resolution in lieu of Annual General Meeting is permissible.

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• Offshore company Hong Kong
• Requirements for Hong Kong private limited company