Hong Kong’s global minimum tax applies a 15% minimum effective tax rate to multinational groups with consolidated revenue of EUR 750 million or more in at least two of the four preceding fiscal years, for fiscal years beginning on or after 1 January 2025. The Hong Kong Minimum Top-up Tax (HKMTT) and an Income Inclusion…
Insights
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Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate in 2026: Fees, Levy and Renewal
Every business carried on in Hong Kong must register with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) within 1 month of starting, and a certificate starting between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 costs HK$2,350 for 1 year or HK$6,170 for 3 years, fee and levy included. The HK$150 levy returned on 1 April 2026 when…
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Hong Kong Company Audit Requirements in 2026: Who Needs an Audit and Which Rules Apply
Every Hong Kong company must have its annual financial statements audited by a certified public accountant (practising), whatever its size, and only a dormant company is exempt. The Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) requires directors to prepare financial statements each year (s.379) and an auditor’s report on them (s.405). Small private companies meeting two of three…
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Your Hong Kong Company Has a Singapore Sister: What the Hong Kong Side Must Get Right
A Hong Kong company with a Singapore sister company is, where one company owns the other, part of a multinational (MNE) group for Hong Kong tax, whatever its size. Dividends, interest and IP income it receives from Singapore stay tax-free only if it can evidence economic substance, participation or nexus, and its routine filings, starting…
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Closing a Hong Kong Company in 2026: Deregistration vs Winding Up
A solvent, inactive Hong Kong private company can close by deregistration under section 750 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) if all members agree, it has not operated for three months, and it has no liabilities, legal proceedings or Hong Kong immovable property. It obtains the Inland Revenue Department’s Notice of No Objection (HK$270), then…
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How to Set Up a Company in Hong Kong: Steps, Fees and Timeline for 2026
To set up a Hong Kong private company, you file Form NNC1 and your articles of association through the Companies Registry’s e-Services Portal. You need at least one director who is a natural person, one shareholder, a company secretary based in Hong Kong and a Hong Kong registered office. Online, the incorporation fee is HK$1,545…
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Hong Kong Work Visa Options in 2026: GEP, Top Talent Pass and QMAS Compared
Hong Kong’s main work visa routes in 2026 are the General Employment Policy (GEP), for professionals with a job offer and entrepreneurs; the Top Talent Pass Scheme, for people earning at least HK$2.5 million a year or graduates of eligible universities; and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), which needs no job offer. Initial stays…
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Hong Kong Offshore Profits Claims: How the Territorial Source Principle Works in 2026
Hong Kong taxes only profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong, so a company can claim that some or all of its profits are offshore and not chargeable. The Inland Revenue Department’s test, set out in DIPN 21, is what the company did to earn the profit and where it did it. The claim…
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Hong Kong’s FSIE Regime in 2026: When Foreign-Sourced Income Becomes Taxable
Since 1 January 2023, Hong Kong has taxed foreign-sourced interest, dividends, disposal gains and intellectual property income when a member of a multinational group receives it in Hong Kong and no exception applies. From 1 January 2024, disposal gains on all types of asset are covered. According to the Inland Revenue Department, there is no…
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Opening a Corporate Bank Account in Hong Kong in 2026: Documents, Timelines and Common Rejections
To open a corporate bank account in Hong Kong, prepare the certificate of incorporation, business registration certificate, articles, an ownership chart, identity evidence for directors, signatories and beneficial owners, and proof of the business and its source of funds. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority tells banks to take a risk-based approach and allows video onboarding…
