Expiry of the Revenue (Reduction of Business Registration Fees) Order 2013

The Revenue (Reduction of Business Registration Fees) Order 2013 (“2013 Order”) will expire on 1 April 2014.  For any business or branch registration certificates which commence on or after that date¹, the prescribed business registration fee or the prescribed branch registration fee, as the case may be, will be payable together with the levy.  Please refer to the business registration fee & levy table for details of the total amount payable under a certificate.

It is anticipated that there will be an upsurge in demand for new business registration services in March 2014. In order to obtain your business registration certificate smoothly, please pay attention to the following important notes –

Companies

Under the one-stop company and business registration service, companies are only required to lodge one single application for company and business registration with the Companies Registry.  Any applicant for company incorporation is deemed to have applied for business registration simultaneously, and no longer required to apply to the Business Registration Office for registration.

For the details of the one-stop company and business registration service, please browse the website of the Companies Registry.

Other businesses (sole proprietorship, partnership, etc.)

You shall register your business or branch of business carried on in Hong Kong within 1 month from the date of commencement of business.  Where you are required to submit your application in March 2014, please submit your application by electronic means or by mail as far as possible.  If you have to submit your application in person, you are encouraged to come to the Business Registration Office during the non-peak hours from 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. so that your application can be processed promptly.  If you commence a business / branch in March 2014, and submit the business / branch registration application within one month from the commencement date, i.e. in April 2014, you will still enjoy the waiver of the first-year business / branch registration fee under the 2013 Order and are only required to pay the levy.

The Business Registration Office will not accept any application for registration in respect of a business or branch of business which has never commenced or existed.  Any person who submits false information in his application for business registration shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine of $5,000 and to imprisonment for 1 year.