Offshore Company Registration in Hong Kong: All You Need to Know

It is really easy to do business in Hong Kong.
The regulatory environment promotes free enterprise, as is evident from offshore company registration in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is simply the best choice for entrepreneurs and investors when it comes to setting up an offshore company to run a business.
This article will tell you everything you should know about offshore company registration in Hong Kong.
There is no legal definition for offshore companies in Hong Kong.
Generally speaking, it can be described as a company:
Compared to most offshore jurisdictions, many investors prefer setting up an offshore company in Hong Kong because of several reasons:
Hong Kong offers one of the world’s most attractive tax systems.
There are no sales taxes, VAT, GST, estate duty, or capital gains tax payable.
Offshore companies registered in Hong Kong are not subject to corporate income tax on their revenue generated outside of Hong Kong.
Onshore companies in Hong Kong are subject to a corporate income tax of a maximum of 16.5%.
Moreover, interests and dividends do not attract any withholding taxes.
Hong Kong follows global standards when it comes to tax and information transparency.
Hong Kong is not a tax haven. In fact, OECD recognizes Hong Kong as a low tax jurisdiction.
Operating a business via an offshore company registered in Hong Kong is better perceived than using a company in the BVI, Seychelles, or the likes.
Setting up a new company in Hong Kong is absolutely straightforward.
One does not have to deal with any red tape or bureaucratic setup.
A Hong Kong company does not require any domestic shareholder or director.
From a cost perspective, it is cheaper to register and operate a company in Hong Kong than in the BVI or the Cayman Islands.
There is no foreign exchange control in Hong Kong.
Money can be moved or converted very easily.
There is no regulation on economic substance or economic substance tests for offshore companies registered in Hong Kong.
On the contrary, companies in the BVI and other offshore jurisdictions are now subject to a yearly economic substance test.
Regulations on economic substance are difficult to navigate, with risks of high penalties in case of failure to comply.
For the past several years, Hong Kong has been ranked as the world’s freest economy.
The policies and legislations are based on the principles of free trade.
As a result, it is a leading financial hub for entities across the world.
There are three critical steps to register an offshore company in Hong Kong:
You must apply to the Companies Registry to obtain approval for the name of the company.
Start by looking up the availability of the proposed name.
For more information, check out our guide to selecting the right name for your company.
The following documents should be prepared for submission to the Companies Registry:
Filing the incorporation documents with the Companies Registry
These documents should be submitted within 14 days of incorporating the offshore company:
Most banks require a standard set of documents for opening a business account.
These include:
Form of entity | Private company limited by shares |
Minimum Capitalization Requirements | 1 HK$ |
Minimum number of shareholders | 1 |
Maximum number of shareholders | 50 |
Nationality/residency of shareholders |
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Director requirements |
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Company Secretary Requirements |
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Taxation |
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Annual and ongoing compliances |
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Register your offshore business in Hong Kong today!
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