Key Corporate Features

	General
	Type of entity:		IBC
	Type of law:		Common
	Shelf company availability:		Yes
	Our time to establish a new company:		1 Day
	Minimum government fees (excluding taxation):		US$100
	Corporate taxation:		Nil
	Double taxation treaty access:		No
	Share capital or equivalent
	Standard currency:		US$
	Permitted currencies:		Any
	Minimum paid up:		No minimum required
	Usual authorised:		US$50,000
	Directors
	Minimum number:		One
	Local required:		No
	Corporate Directors Permitted		Yes
	Publicly accessible records:		No
	Location of meetings:		Anywhere
	Shareholders
	Minimum number:		One
	Publicly accessible records:		No
	Location of meetings:		Anywhere
	Company Secretary
	Required:		Optional
	Local or qualified:		No
	Accounts
	Requirement to prepare:		Yes
	Audit requirements:		No
	Requirement to file accounts:		No
	Publicly accessible accounts:		No
	Other
	Requirement to file annual return:		No
	Change in domicile permitted:		Yes

Belize Company Information

» Procedure to Incorporate

Registered Agent delivers the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association to the Registry together with the appropriate fee.

» Restrictions on Trading

Cannot trade within Belize or own real estate there. Cannot undertake the business of banking, insurance, assurance or reinsurance, company management or registered office facilities for Belizean incorporated companies.

» Powers of Company

A Company incorporated in Belize has the same powers as a natural person.

» Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents

English.

» Shelf Companies Available

Yes.

» Time to Incorporate

One day.

» Name Restrictions

Any name that has already been incorporated in Belize, or is so similar as to cause confusion. Any name which in the opinion of the Registrar is considered undesirable, obscene or offensive. Names such as royal or imperial and any name that suggests the patronage of Belize Government.

» Language of Name

A Belize IBC can be incorporated using any language. Chinese language incorporations with Chinese documentation are very popular.

» Registered Office Required

Yes, must be maintained in Belize at the address of a licensed management company.

» Names Requiring Consent or Licence

Bank, building society, savings, loans, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, trust, trustees, Chamber of Commerce, university, municipal or their foreign language equivalents or any name in English or a foreign language that may suggest association with the banking or insurance industries.

» Suffixes to Denote Limited Liability

Limited, Corporation, Incorporation, Société Anonyme, Sociedad Anónima, Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung or the relevant abbreviations.

» Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Government Authorities

No.

Compliance

» Authorised and Issued Share Capital

The usual authorised share capital is US$50 000 divided in to shares with or without par value. The share capital may be expressed in any currency. The minimum issued capital may be one share of no par value or one share of par value.

» Classes of Shares Permitted

Registered shares, shares of no par value, preference shares, redeemable shares and shares with or without voting rights.

» Taxation

A Belize International Business Company does not pay any tax on its worldwide profits to Belize authorities.

» Double Taxation Agreements

Belize is not a party to any double tax agreements.

» Licence Fees

Companies with an authorised capital up to US$50,000 pay the sum of US$100 per year.

Companies with an authorised share capital over US$50,001 pay the sum of US$1,000 per year.

Companies with some or all of its shares of no par value, pay the sum of US$350 per year.

» Financial Statement Required

Whilst there is no requirement to file audited accounts with the authorities, a company is required to keep financial records that reflect the financial position of a company.

» Directors

The minimum number of directors is one. Directors may be natural persons or bodies corporate, they may be of any nationality and need not be Belize resident.

» Company Secretary

A company secretary is not a requirement under the Act, but a secretary is normally appointed to facilitate signing obligations.

» Shareholders

The minimum number of shareholders is one.

Information Downloads

	Word	PDF
Belize Fact Sheet	92KB	70KB
Enquiry Form		34KB
Shelf List	71KB
Order Forms	278KB	131KB
	Excel
Comparison Chart	114KB

Statutory Information Downloads

Access to this statutory material is provided by the International Tax Planning Association. Access to other laws relating to international tax planning is available to members on the Association's website, www.itpa.org.

	RTF
IBC Act	327KB
Protected Cell Companies Act	63KB

Disclaimer

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the details contained herein are correct and up-to-date, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. OCRA Worldwide does not accept any responsibility, legal or otherwise, for any errors or omission.