Establishment of branch office in Hong Kong (2025)

All Branch Offices are required to register their business with the Inland Revenue Department's Business Registration Office and obtain a Business Registration Certificate. Business registration with the Inland Revenue Department must be completed within one month of incorporation in Hong Kong. The Business Registration Number appearing on the Business Registration Certificate is also the tax identification number of the respective company.

Once successfully registered, the business registration certificate will be issued on the next working day and must be collected in person by the individual. The business registration certificate must be displayed conspicuously in the company office at all times.

After completing the Branch Office registration with the Business Registration Authority and the Inland Revenue Department, you can proceed to open a physical or digital bank account for the Hong Kong branch office. 

Opening a physical bank account in Hong Kong will require you to be physically present at the bank (except for some banks that do not require this), and the approval and opening time will be within 1-2 months. Physical bank accounts will require a minimum deposit, transfer fees and annual maintenance fees will be higher than digital bank accounts. 

Open a digital bank account you will Open card 100% online, quick opening time (from 5-7 working days). Digital bank accounts typically have no minimum deposit requirements, low or no transfer fees, and low or no account maintenance fees (depending on the bank you choose).

You should open two types of accounts in parallel: physical bank and digital bank. While waiting for the physical bank account to be approved, you can use the digital bank account for transactions and financial payments, without affecting the company's business operations. You should choose a consulting company to support and guide you in opening a bank account quickly. 

Most businesses in Hong Kong do not require a business license. However, if the business requires a business license, it must be obtained before operating.

Notify the Company Registrar of any changes in information.

Changes relating to the Branch Office must be notified to the Business Registration Authority within one month from the date of change. Changes include:

• Notice of change of address
• Notice of change of secretary and director (Appointment / Removal)
• Notice of change of information of secretary and director
• Notice of change of authorized representative
• Notice of change of company name
• Notice of Termination of a Business Premises in Hong Kong
• Notice of change in charter, status...

File an Annual Return with the Business Registration Office.

Hong Kong branch offices are required to file annual returns with the Companies Registry.

An annual return, in a prescribed application form, containing the particulars of the company such as the address of the registered office, shareholders, directors, secretary etc. The annual return must be filed within 42 days of 1 year from the date of registration of the company in Hong Kong and once in each calendar year thereafter. Even if the particulars specified in the previous Annual Return have not changed, an annual return must still be filed confirming that there have been no changes since the last filing date.

The annual return shall include a certified copy of the most recent published accounts, except in the case of companies incorporated in jurisdictions or countries that do not require published accounts or disclosure to the public, or if the company was incorporated less than 18 months prior to the date of filing the annual return and the company's accounts required to be disclosed have not been prepared.

File Annual Tax Return with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of Hong Kong

A Hong Kong Branch Office is required to file an annual tax return with the Inland Revenue Department on an annual basis. Generally, the tax return must be filed within one month from the date of notification by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD). In case of necessity, an extension request may be submitted to the Inland Revenue Department.

A company is subject to profits tax if it carries on a trade or business in Hong Kong and derives profits from or derived from Hong Kong from such trade or business. This applies equally and without exception to a branch office of a foreign company in Hong Kong.

A branch office is not required to submit audited accounts as long as the branch office has provided the following information when filing its tax return:

• Place of establishment of foreign company
• Whether the laws of the country of incorporation require statutory audits of the company's worldwide accounts
• That the audit has been conducted
• Brief summary of accounting and financial records maintained by Hong Kong Branch Offices.

Note: Every company must keep sufficient records (in English or Chinese) to be available for determining the taxable profits of the business. All records must be kept for seven years from the date of the transaction. Failure to do so could result in a fine.

Hong Kong branch offices must comply with the following public disclosure requirements:

• Clearly disclose the country of incorporation in the Prospectus inviting subscriptions to subscribe for shares or bonds in Hong Kong
• At the place of business, always display conspicuously the company name, country of incorporation and (if appropriate) disclose the fact that its members have only limited liability.
• Clearly state on invoices, letterheads, notices and other official publications the name of the company and the country of incorporation.
• Notify the Companies Registrar if the office is in liquidation and must clearly state in its official publications that the office has been liquidated at the place of establishment.