Guide to incorporating a subsidiary company

Registering a subsidiary company will take you a longer period than setting either a branch office or a representative office in Hong Kong. However, it will grant you tax benefits and better trade deals and opportunities compared to the other two available options.

The process of incorporating a subsidiary company in Hong Kong starts with preparing a signed and completed application form. The other documents that you will require when incorporating a subsidiary company in Hong Kong include:

• Incorporation documents;
• The memorandum of your parent company;
• The parent’s company articles of association;
• The incorporation certificate of your parent company;
• Identification documents;
• Bank letters belonging to those serving as your company’s officers.

Further, incorporating a subsidiary in Hong Kong requires you to pay registration and a capital fee upfront awaiting the certificate of incorporation. Besides, for you to obtain a business registration certificate, you will be required to register with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). Other additional licensing might be required before starting the operations of the subsidiary company in Hong Kong depending on the industry that the intended business lies.

The other requirements that you will have to meet when setting up a Hong Kong company include:

• At least one director for your company;
• A company secretary;
• The subsidiary must have an appointed auditor who should be a member of the Hong Kong Society of Accountants and he or she must have a practicing certificate;
• At least one shareholder but no more than 50 shareholders.