The most common type of business entity registered in Hong Kong is private limited company. Limited companies enjoy  separate legal entity, limited liability for its shareholders, tax benefits and incentives , ease of raising capital and transfer of ownership is easier when compared to sole proprietorship and partnership.

Basic Requirements and Facts

Company Name

  • The company name must be unique
  • The company name must not include certain special words
  • The company name may be in English or in Traditional Chinese or both
  • The company name must ending with “Limited” in English or “有限公司” in Chinese

Register Office Address

  • The register office address must be in Hong Kong
  • The Register office address must not be Post Office Box (“PO Box”)
  • The register office address must not be public housing

Share Capital

  • Minimal of HK$1 be issued and paid in capital
  • No restriction on maximum issued and paid in capital

Founder Members and Directors

  • Minimum one member to maximum fifty members for private limited company by shares
  • Minimum one nature person director with age over 18 years old
  • Corporate member or corporate director is allowed
  • Sole member and sole director could be the same person
  • Nature person Member and nature person director can be with any nationality, domicile and residence

Company Secretary

  • A limited company must appoint a company secretary
  • The company secretary must be ordinarily residence in Hong Kong
  • The company secretary must not be the sole director

Significant Controllers Register (“SCR”)

  • The company must take reasonable steps to identify its significant controllers
  • The company should give notices and obtain necessary particulars of significant controllers
  • The company should maintain the SCR at designated location in Hong Kong
  • SCR should be always be ready to law enforcement officer for inspection

Designated Representative Register (“DRR”)

  • The company must designated at least one nature person be designated representative to provide assistance regarding Significant Controllers Register to law enforcement officer
  • Being a designated representative must be either (i) a shareholder, director or an employee of the company who is a natural person resident in Hong Kong, or (ii) a Hong Kong qualified accounting professional, a Hong Kong qualified legal professional or a Trust or Company Service Providers Licensee (“TCSP”)

Ongoing Compliance with Companies Registry

  • A Company must observe its statutory obligations under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance and file annual returns or other specified forms within the prescribed period of time and on an on going basis

Ongoing Compliance with Inland Revenue

  • Hong Kong tax is based on territorial source principle which mean only profits arise in or derived from Hong Kong are liable for Hong Kong profits tax
  • With effective from 1 April 2018, the profits tax rate for the first HK$2 million is reduced from 16.5% to 8.25%. Profits above HK$2 million will still subject to normal tax rate of 16.5%