Hong Kong company guides
Answer-first guides based on official sources, covering company setup (including for Mainland and overseas owners), bank accounts for non-residents, two-tiered profits tax and tax returns, business registration renewal, the annual return, the significant controllers register, audit, hiring your first employee and Hong Kong vs Singapore. Every guide links to its official sources.
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How to set up a Hong Kong limited company
To set up a Hong Kong private limited company you need at least one founder member, at least one director who is an…
Read the guide →Profits tax return deadlines and the block extension scheme (2025/26)
The IRD bulk-issued 2025/26 profits tax returns on 1 April 2026. If your company has a tax representative, the block…
Read the guide →Business registration renewal in Hong Kong
The Business Registration Office sends a renewal demand note around the middle of the month before your new certificate…
Read the guide →Bookkeeping and record-keeping requirements in Hong Kong
Under the Inland Revenue Ordinance, every business must keep sufficient records, in English or Chinese, for its…
Read the guide →The annual return (NAR1): deadline and fees
A Hong Kong private company must deliver its annual return (Form NAR1) to the Companies Registry every year, except the…
Read the guide →The significant controllers register (SCR)
Every company incorporated in Hong Kong, except listed companies, must identify its significant controllers and keep a…
Read the guide →Audit requirements for Hong Kong companies
Yes. Under the Companies Ordinance, every Hong Kong company must have its financial statements audited each year,…
Read the guide →The employer's return (BIR56A and IR56B)
The IRD normally issues the Employer's Return (BIR56A) on the first working day of April. The 2025/26 returns were…
Read the guide →Company secretary requirements in Hong Kong
Every Hong Kong private company must have a company secretary. An individual secretary must ordinarily reside in Hong…
Read the guide →Your company's registered office address
Every Hong Kong company must have a registered office in Hong Kong, where all communications and notices can be sent.…
Read the guide →Opening a Hong Kong business bank account as a foreigner or non-resident
Yes, non-residents can open a Hong Kong business bank account. Industry guidance from the Hong Kong Association of…
Read the guide →Setting up a Hong Kong company as a Mainland China owner
A Mainland resident can own and be the director of a Hong Kong limited company. The Companies Ordinance doesn't require…
Read the guide →Hong Kong vs Singapore for starting a company
Hong Kong taxes corporations at 8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% on the rest, and only…
Read the guide →Hong Kong's two-tiered profits tax rates explained, with worked examples
Under the two-tiered regime, a corporation pays 8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% on the…
Read the guide →Hiring your first employee in Hong Kong: employer basics
Before your first employee starts, take out employees' compensation insurance. It is compulsory for every employee,…
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