According to the Public Revenue Protection (Business Registration) Order 2024 and the Business Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2024, the prescribed business registration fees will be adjusted and the business registration levy will be waived for 2 years with effect from 1 April 2024*.

The registration fee for 1-year certificate will be adjusted from HKD2,100 to HKD2,200 ; the levy of HKD150 will be waived for 2 years. Therefore, the Business Registration Fee for 1-year certificate will be HKD2,200 starting from 1 April 2024.

Starting from 1 April 2024, the Business Registration fee is as below:

For more details, please refer to the website of the Inland Revenue Department (https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/ppr/archives/24030602.htm) and the business registration fee & levy table (https://www.ird.gov.hk/chi/pdf/brfee_table.pdf).

*The relevant legislative amendment is subject to the scrutiny of the Legislative Council.

The Companies Registry undertakes to implement Unique Business Identifier (“UBI”) by two phases for entities under the administration of the Registrar of Companies. Business Registration Number (“BRN”) (i.e. the first eight digits of the Business Registration Certificate number) assigned by the Business Registration Office of the Inland Revenue Department is adopted as the UBI of companies and entities. Phase 1 was implemented for Limited Partnership Funds with effect from 1 November 2021. Phase 2 will be implemented on 27 December 2023 to cover limited companies and various other entities.

Key features of Phase 2 of UBI on relevant companies and entities with effect from 27 December 2023 include:-

• BRN will be adopted as the “No.” on the “Certificate of Incorporation”, “Certificate of Registration”, or “Certificate of Change of Name” issued by the Registry;

• BRN, instead of the existing company registration number, will have to be quoted on specified forms and documents delivered to the Registry; and

• BRN will be the key number for searching and identifying a company or entity under different services of the Registry.

For more details, please refer to https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/publications/docs/ec3-2023-e.pdf

According to The 2023/24 Budget released by HKSAR, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po did not mention any waiver of business registration fee this year. Therefore, the business registration fee will be adjusted from HKD250 to HKD2,150 starting from 1 April 2023.

The fee is divided into “registration fee” and “levy”.  The HKSAR waived the 1-year business registration certificate fee to HKD0 in the past few years. However, there is no waiver of business registration fee for 2023/24. Therefore, the registration fee and levy for the 1-year certificate will be HKD2,000 and HKD150, total HKD2,150.

Starting from 1 April 2023, the Business Registration fee is as below:

For more details, please refer to IRD Business Registration Fee and Levy Table https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/pdf/brfee_table.pdf

The two-year waiver of registration fees for annual returns delivered on time pursuant to the Companies (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2020 which commenced on 1 October 2020 will end on 30 September 2022.

Eligible companies (i.e. companies whose made up date of annual return falls on or before 30 September 2022) shall deliver on time their annual returns for 2022 on or before 30 September 2022 in order to enjoy the waiver. 

After 30 September 2022, registration fees will be required even if the annual returns of these eligible companies are delivered on time.

For more details, please visit Companies Registry website https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/about/news/highlights.htm

Details:

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202206/10/P2022060700451.htm?fontSize=1

https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/publications/news-press/press/20220414.htm

Details:

https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/publications/news-press/press/20220124.htm

Details:

https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/publications/news-press/press/20210127.htm

Details:

https://www.cr.gov.hk/tc/publications/news-press/press/20201209.htm

https://www.cr.gov.hk/tc/publications/docs/ec4-2020-c.pdf