01
Limited by Shares
The standard vehicle for trade and services: no resident director, but a TCSP-licensed secretary, a registered office and an annual audit.
HK+852HKD
Use Hong Kong as a transparent gateway fortrade and international services.
With Companies Registry filing, business registration, local company secretary, registered office, accounting and mandatory audit planning.
- 100 % foreign ownership common
- Territorial profits-tax system
- Remote formation often possible
01 / Who this jurisdiction fits
Who this jurisdiction fits
Who this jurisdiction fits
- Asia trade, sourcing and international services
- Companies with a traceable regional supply and customer chain
- Founders seeking a common-law environment and multi-currency business
- Companies budgeting annual accounting, audit and tax filing
When we advise against it or review in depth
- Anyone expecting offshore status as an automatic tax exemption
- Companies without verifiable evidence of the source of profits
- Founders wanting to avoid the annual audit effort
- Regulated financial or crypto activity without licence review
02 / Options at a glance
Options at a glance
03 / How it works
How it works
- Step 1
Formation
Eligibility, KYC, documents, filing and register evidence.
- Step 2
Banking
Bank-readiness file, applications with bank or fintech, follow-up handling.
- Step 3
Ongoing operations
Compliance calendar, bookkeeping, filings, renewals and annual status report.
04 / Structure & requirements
Structure & requirements
| Topic | Practice |
|---|---|
| Form | Private company limited by shares |
| Director | At least one natural person as director; no general Hong Kong residence requirement |
| Secretary | Local natural person or Hong Kong body corporate; commercial providers usually need a TCSP licence |
| Address | Physical registered office address in Hong Kong |
| Capital | No high statutory minimum; often HKD 1 or an appropriate small issue |
| Government floor 2026 | Electronic incorporation HKD 1,545 plus one-year business registration certificate HKD 2,350 — HKD 3,895 in total |
05 / Formation process
Formation process
- Step 01Review name, UBO, directors, shareholders and activity
- Step 02Prepare articles, NNC1 and statutory declarations
- Step 03Electronic incorporation and business registration
- Step 04Set up company secretary, registered office and significant controllers register
- Step 05Prepare bank or fintech file
- Step 06Set up accounting system and document process
- Step 07Activate annual return, business registration, audit and profits-tax calendar
06 / Tax & levies
Tax & levies
Hong Kong generally taxes profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong.
Corporations pay 8.25 % on the first HKD 2 million of assessable profits and 16.5 % above, provided the two-tier regime conditions are met. A foreign source of profits is not a checkbox and not an automatic exemption. Contracts, activities, negotiations, service delivery, staff and decision processes must support the source claim.
07 / Ongoing duties
Ongoing duties
- Annual return NAR1 within the deadline — for private companies typically within 42 days after the return date
- Renew the business registration certificate
- Maintain company secretary, registered office and SCR
- Bookkeeping and records — ongoing
- Annual statutory audit by a qualified independent CPA for the usual limited company
- Profits tax return with tax computation and audited accounts
- Employer returns, MPF and payroll where staff exist
08 / Banking & payment providers
Banking & payment providers
Hong Kong banks and fintechs review business nexus, trading partners, contracts, website, invoices and source of funds. A payment provider can be faster but does not replace a full bank account in every business model. Every approval remains risk-based.
09 / Market price benchmark
Market price benchmark
| Cost block | Market observation | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Government floor | HKD 3,895 electronic for 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027 | CR and IRD fees HK-1T2 |
| All-in incorporation | Approx. HKD 5,450–12,473; average around HKD 8,199 | Seven published provider prices HK-1T2 |
| Accounting | From approx. HKD 3,500 per financial year | Sleek and Osome 2026 HK-4T2 HK-5T2 |
| Audit & tax | Visible from approx. HKD 6,488–8,000 for small cases | Osome and Sleek 2026 HK-6T2 |
10 / Recommended packages
Recommended packages
Positioning recommendations per package. Government and partner costs are passed through and confirmed before any engagement.
Currency
* Indicative conversion — quotes are issued in the local currency with a validity date.
One-time setup
- 01One-time setup
Hong Kong Launch
HK$19,900first year≈ $2,550 *Government fees, secretary year 1, registered office, mailroom, SCR, standard documents, bank readiness
- 02One-time setup
Offshore source claim
fromHK$17,900one-time≈ $2,290 *Documentation and advice; no success guarantee towards the IRD
Monthly managed
- 03Monthly managed
Managed Basic
HK$790/ month≈ $101 *Secretary, address, annual return, renewal calendar and annual basic accounting
- 04Monthly managed
Managed Full Compliance
fromHK$1,490/ month≈ $191 *Managed Basic plus accounting, audit and simple profits tax return by revenue tier
Quotes are confirmed after KYC, activity review and confirmation of local third-party costs. Complex ownership chains, regulated activities, additional shareholders, apostilles, translations, clean-up work and late filings are priced separately.
Data status: September 2026
11 / Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
01Can a foreigner own the company fully?
Yes, foreign ownership is generally possible for the usual private limited company.
02Do I need a local director?
Not generally. A local company secretary and registered office address are however required.
03Is foreign revenue tax-free?
Not automatically. What matters is where the profit-generating activities take place and whether the source claim can be documented.
04How high is the profits tax?
For qualifying corporations 8.25 % on the first HKD 2 million of assessable profits and 16.5 % above.
05Is an annual audit required?
For the usual Hong Kong limited company audited financial statements are needed for profits-tax compliance. Scope and cost depend on activity and records.
06Can I form remotely?
In many standard cases yes. KYC, bank and certified documents can trigger additional steps.
07What does the company secretary do?
It supports statutory registers, resolutions, filings, the annual return and authority communication. It does not replace management.
08Is account opening guaranteed?
No. We prepare the file; the bank or fintech decides according to KYC and business risk.
09What does the second year cost?
Secretary, address, business registration, annual return, accounting, audit and tax are the main items. A simple complete model is well above pure renewal advertising.
10How do I close the company later?
Deregistration usually requires orderly tax and register status and no outstanding liabilities. Time and cost should be explained at setup.
12 / Sources for this page
Sources for this page
T1 Primary sourceT2 Market benchmarkData status: September 2026
- HK-1Statrys — Hong Kong incorporation cost survey 2026 ↗statrys.com/hk/guides/company-formation/costs-to-incorporate-a-companyT2
- HK-2Hong Kong IRD — Two-tiered profits tax FAQ ↗www.ird.gov.hk/eng/faq/2tr.htmT1
- HK-3Hong Kong Companies Registry — Annual return FAQ ↗www.cr.gov.hk/en/faq/local-company/annual-return.htmT1
- HK-4Sleek — Hong Kong pricing ↗sleek.com/hk/pricing/T2
- HK-5Osome — Hong Kong accounting pricing ↗osome.com/hk/accounting-services-hong-kong/T2
- HK-6Osome vs Sleek — Hong Kong audit pricing ↗osome.com/hk/guides/osome-vs-sleek/T2
Other jurisdictions
Other jurisdictions ↗US4.15/ 5
United States
Wyoming LLC · Delaware C-Corp · Florida LLC
View USA ↗AE3.50/ 5
United Arab Emirates
Freezone Company · Mainland LLC · ADGM / DIFC
View UAE ↗SG4.05/ 5
Singapore
Private Limited Company (Pte. Ltd.)
View Singapore ↗CH3.10/ 5
Switzerland
GmbH · AG — Zug, Schwyz, Zurich, Nidwalden
View Switzerland ↗Start eligibility check for Hong Kong
Start with the free eligibility check. You receive a scoring result, the risks and a recommended route — before any quote is issued.
Pricing ↗Free of charge. No quote is issued before the check.Data status: September 2026