Hong Kong Company Registration

Offshore companies: Profits sourced outside Hong Kong may qualify for a 0% tax rate.

Onshore companies: The tax rate is 8.25% on the first HKD 2 million of profits, and 16.5% on profits above that threshold.

Offshore status is determined by facts, not by application tricks. You must provide supporting documents such as:

• Bank statements
• Invoices
• Expense receipts

Our accountants will present these records in your reports to demonstrate that profits are generated offshore – outside Hong Kong.

Yes, Hong Kong is very foreigner-friendly and allows 100% foreign ownership. You don’t need any local directors or shareholders — there’s no requirement for local nominees either.

To start a Company Registration in Hong Kong, we require two key documents: a valid passport and proof of your residential address. For the proof of residential address, the document must be issued within the last three months and can be in the form of a bank statement, utility bill, phone bill, or internet bill.

No. If you are not from Hong Kong, you must provide a valid passport. If you do not currently hold one, you will need to apply for an international passport before proceeding with company registration. Please note that our compliance system can detect fraudulent passports, and any fraudulent activity identified will be reported directly to the relevant local and overseas government authorities.

Get Started HK can help you to register your Hong Kong company in 24–48 hours, everything online. For companies with more complex structures or multiple investors, you should plan carefully to ensure everything is set up smoothly. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a group of investors, our team has the expertise and experience to guide you through the entire journey and make the incorporation process seamless.

Upon company registration, you will receive five key documents:

1. Certificate of Incorporation
2. Business Registration Certificate (business license)
3. Incorporation Form NNC1
4. Articles of Association
5. Certificate of Incumbency

All of these items are included in our company registration packages.

When choosing a company name in Hong Kong, there are three important rules to follow:

English Naming: English names must end with the word “Limited” and use standard English letters.

No Combined Languages: You cannot combine English words and Chinese characters in a single version of the name. You must have one purely English name and/or one purely Chinese name.

Traditional Chinese Only: If you choose a Chinese name, it must be written in Traditional Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese is not accepted).

Every Hong Kong Company Registration is required to have:

1. At least One director and One shareholder;
2. A Registered Office Address (which Get Started HK can supply);
3. At least One eligible Company Secretary appointed (of which Get Started HK can help); and
4. At least One share(s) must be issued.

The incorporation details must be properly filled out, including submission of Form NNC1 & Articles of Association.

In Hong Kong, a company secretary is required by law. They serve as the company’s compliance officer and the primary liaison between your business and the Hong Kong government.

Depending on the client’s needs, company secretary often guide directors in calling general meetings, preparing and submitting board resolutions in various matters, including but not limited to, director appointments, director removal, change of shareholdership like share allotments. 

Yes, it is necessary to have a registered office address in Hong Kong. Get Started HK can provide this service, and with our extensive experience serving expatriates, we have a deep understanding of their specific needs. We also offer mail scanning and forwarding services, ensuring that all official notices are promptly delivered to you by email in a timely manner. Our oversea clients can conveniently manage their company matters anytime and anywhere in the world, with reliable communication guaranteed.

Yes, you can change the shareholder structure of your company. After completing your Hong Kong company registration, you may introduce new shareholders or transfer your shares to other parties at any time. This flexibility allows you to change ownership as your business grows or when circumstances change.

The concept of par value (or nominal value) has been officially abolished by the Hong Kong government. However, in practice, most companies still adopt a standard of HK$1 per share as the norm. While shares can technically be denominated in any currency, it is generally recommended to follow the conventional approach of issuing shares at HK$1 each for simplicity and consistency.

In general, the minimum share capital requirement is HK$1. A Hong Kong company must issue at least one share with HK$1 capital. For practical reference, however, the norms in Hong Kong is to issue 10,000 shares with HK$10,000 capital. While it is legally acceptable to register with only HK$1, a low level of capital may suggest that the company is not seriously invested. To align with local practice and convey credibility, it is recommended to follow the standard of 10,000 shares at HK$10,000 capital.

Yes. We are the expert in the bank account opening process, and we connect our clients with our designated bankers at leading neobanks to ensure a smooth experience.

We tailor banking recommendations to your company’s risk profile, revenue scale, and jurisdiction. This ensures you’re matched with the most suitable neobank solutions, improving efficiency and reducing rejection risk.

A Hong Kong company is required to renew its Business Registration Certificate and file the Annual Return (Form NAR1) each year. Our team will typically contact you about one month before your company’s incorporation anniversary. We will then guide you through the renewal process step by step and assist with preparing and submitting all necessary documents to ensure compliance.

As a leading HK-based CPA firm in Hong Kong, Get Started HK provides accounting, auditing and tax filing services. In addition to company incorporation, we support clients with ongoing compliance such as bookkeeping, preparation of financial statements, and filing of annual returns and profit tax.

The IRD issues the first tax return 18 months after incorporation. This means your first accounting report is due in the second year. After that, reports must be submitted annually.

No. Hong Kong does not require monthly submissions. The first report is requested 18 months after incorporation, followed by yearly filings.

No. The Hong Kong government only requires your first audit or offshore report to be submitted in 18 months after incorporation. It means you are only require to prepare the accounting 18 months later, hence the accounting fee is only be payable by that time (2nd year) – not upfront during incorporation. Some foreign owned firms may demand fees 18 months in advance, tying up your cash unnecessarily. 

With Get Started HK, there’s no need to pay the accounting fee on day one, you can keep every dollar working for your business, focus on development, and start generating profit before any accounting costs are due. Founders understand founders, and we know cash flow is king.

Only a few foreign-owned firms, particularly those run on a tight operational cashflow in Hong Kong, use tactics to persuade clients to pay up to 18 months of fees in advance, often offering only a minor discount in return.

As founders ourselves, we recognize that “Cash Flow is King” for entrepreneurs. Some foreign‑owned firms do not follow the standard practices in Hong Kong and depend heavily on upfront payments simply to keep their operations running. That’s why it’s best to speak with a Get Started HK specialist — we can help you spot these tactics and guide you on what to watch out for.

The first Profit Tax Return is issued about 18 months after the company’s incorporation date. The Inland Revenue Department then grants an additional 3 months to prepare the required reports, this means you have up to 21 months to finalize your records.

In other words, you shall prepare and pay for the accounting and auditing fee 18 months later. Once the first report has been filed, audit records must be submitted annually.