Hk Company Formation

---
name: hk-company-formation
description: "Source-cited draft: company formation & entity choice for Hong Kong (tax year 2025) — rates, thresholds and rules with primary-source citations. Unverified; pending local-accountant review."
license: "AGPL-3.0-or-later (code) / OpenAccountants Guide License v1.0 (content)"
metadata:
  source: openaccountants
  openaccountants_url: "https://www.openaccountants.com/skills/hk-company-formation"
  jurisdiction: "HK"
  tax_year: "2025"
  last_updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# Hong Kong Company Formation & Entity Choice

## Company formation and annual compliance

The most common vehicle is a private company limited by shares incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and administered by the Companies Registry, with a separate Business Registration Certificate required from the IRD. Incorporation is fast and there is no minimum capital requirement.

- **Common entity type** — Private company limited by shares (most common); also public limited company, company limited by guarantee, sole proprietorship, partnership, and branch/representative office of a foreign company  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Minimum share capital** — No minimum — commonly incorporated with HKD 1 / 1 share (no par value regime)  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Minimum directors** — At least 1 director; a private company must have at least one director who is a natural person  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Minimum shareholders** — At least 1 shareholder (private company limited by shares may be wholly foreign-owned)  _(Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622))_
- **Company secretary** — Mandatory — must be a Hong Kong resident individual or a Hong Kong body corporate (cannot be the sole director)  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Registered office** — A Hong Kong registered office address is required  _(Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622))_
- **Business Registration Certificate** — Required from the IRD within 1 month of commencing business; obtained simultaneously with incorporation via one-stop registration  _([Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310)](https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/bre.htm))_
- **Incorporation timeline** — Electronic incorporation is typically processed within ~1 business day; paper filings around 4 working days ((approx — confirm))  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Incorporation fee (Companies Registry)** — Company incorporation fee approx HKD 1,720 (electronic); plus Business Registration levy/fee (varies, ~HKD 2,200 for a 1-year certificate) HKD ((approx — confirm))  _([Companies (Fees) Regulation (Cap. 622K)](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Annual Return (NAR1)** — Private company must file an Annual Return (Form NAR1) with the Companies Registry within 42 days of the anniversary of incorporation  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), section 662](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Business Registration renewal** — Business Registration Certificate must be renewed annually (or every 3 years if a 3-year certificate is held)  _([Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310)](https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/bre.htm))_
- **Annual audit** — Every Hong Kong company (with very limited dormant exceptions) must prepare audited financial statements by a HK CPA (practising) for the directors and for the profits tax return  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), Part 9](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_
- **Significant Controllers Register (SCR)** — Companies must keep a Significant Controllers Register at their registered office / a HK location and make it available to law enforcement  _([Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), Part 12 Division 2A](https://www.cr.gov.hk/))_

## Today's figures and who stands behind this skill

This file is an AI skill (tax rules your AI follows) from OpenAccountants, copied on 2026-07-13. Rates, thresholds and deadlines change. For the current version of this skill, its official sources and the named accountant (if any) who stands behind it, call `get_skill` with slug `hk-company-formation` on the OpenAccountants connector (https://www.openaccountants.com/connect), or read https://www.openaccountants.com/skills/hk-company-formation. If neither is available, confirm every figure against the official source pages cited above before relying on it.