Bahamas Company
€1,000.00
Key Corporate Features | |
General Information | |
Political Stability | Good |
Type of Company | IBC (International Business Company) |
Legal System | Common |
Corporate Requirement: | |
Members | |
Minimum Number of Members | 1 |
Location of members meetings | Everywhere |
Directors | |
Minimum Number of Directors | 1 |
Local director required | No |
Location of directors meetings | Everywhere |
Corporate directors permitted | NO |
Registered Address of the company | Yes |
Secretary | |
Company secretary required | No |
Local / qualified company secretary required | |
Capital | |
Standard currency | US$ |
Minimum paid up share capital | 1 US$ |
Standard Authorized Capital | USD 50,000.00 |
Financial accounts | |
Requirement to prepare accounts | Yes |
Requirement to prepare audited accounts | No |
Requirement to file accounts | No |
Taxation | |
Publicy accessible accounts | No |
Corporate Taxation | No |
Requirement to file Annual Return | No |
Annual Governament Licence Fee | US $350 |
Change in domicile permitted | Yes |
Publicy accessible records | |
Beneficiary Owner(s) | No |
Member(s)/ Shareholder(s) | No |
Director(s) | No |
Principal Corporate Legislation
International Business Companies Act 2000 and the International Business Companies (Amendment) Act 2004.
BAHAMAS COMPANY INFOS
Restrictions on Trading
IBCs can conduct business with Bahamians and may also own Bahamian real estate, but local exchange controls and stamp duty will apply in these cases. Unless government permission is granted, cannot undertake the business of banking, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, fund management, collective investment schemes, trust management, trusteeship, the rendering of investment advice or any other activity that would suggest an association with the banking or insurance industries. Cannot sell its own shares or solicit funds from the Public.
Powers of Company
An International Business Company has all the powers of a natural person.
Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents
The legislation and corporate documentation are in English.
Registered Office Required
Yes, must be maintained in the Bahamas at the address of a licensed management company or law firm together with a Registered Agent.
Time to Incorporate
Two days, but a further five working days is required by the Registrar for the production and release of the Certificate of Incorporation and certified copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Name Restrictions
Any name that has already been incorporated, or a name that is so similar as to cause confusion. Names such as royal or imperial. Any name which, in the opinion of the Registrar, is considered undesirable, obscene or offensive, or any name, which suggests the patronage of the Bahamas Government.
Language of Name
The name can be in any language using the Latin alphabet. The Registrar may require an English translation to ensure that the proposed name is not on the list of restricted names.
Names Requiring Consent or License
Bank, building society, savings, loans, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, fund management, investment fund, 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, Incorporated, Société Anonyme, Sociedad Anónima, Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung or the relevant abbreviations.
Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Government Authorities
Details are disclosed to the Registered Agent but are not publicly available.
[/wptabcontent]
[wptabtitle]COMPLIANCE[/wptabtitle]
[wptabcontent]
BAHAMAS COMPLIANCE
Authorised and Issued Share Capital
The normal authorised share capital is US$50,000; divided in to 50,000 shares of US$1, this being the maximum capital for the minimum duty payable at the time of incorporation and the maximum authorised share capital for the minimum licence fee payable annually. The share capital may be expressed in any currency. The minimum issued capital is either two shares of no par value or two shares 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
The Bahamas is a pure tax haven and has no direct taxation in the form of income tax, capital gains tax, gift tax or inheritance tax.
Licence Fee
Companies with an authorised share capital, with a par value, up to US$50,000 pay the sum of US$350 per year. Companies with an authorised share capital with a par value greater than US$50,001 pay the sum of US$1,000 per year.
Financial Statements Requirements
The new rules in relation to section 67 of the Bahamas International Business Companies (Amendment) Act 2011 came into force on 1st January 2013.
Key Requirements are:
A company must keep reliable accounting records in relation to:
- all sums of money received and expended by the company and the manner in which this takes place, inclusive of all sales, purchases and other transaction
- the assets and liabilities of the company
- Records must be maintained for a minimum of five years from the date of the transaction to which they relate.
The Accounting Records maintained by the company must:
- correctly explain all transactions
- enable the financial position of the company to be determined with reasonable accuracy at any time
- allow financial statements to be prepared
- include the underlying documentation, including invoices, contracts and receipts.
The accounting records and underlying documentation may be maintained in the Bahamas or in another jurisdiction. Where the documentation is kept outside the Bahamas, the company must confirm in writing to its Bahamian registered agent the physical address where the records are kept and any changes in their location.
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 resident in the Bahamas.
Company Secretary
The International Companies Act 2000 makes no specific reference to a company secretary, but one is normally appointed to facilitate signing obligations.
Shareholders
Minimum number of shareholders: two subscribers, but the shares can be transferred to a single person. A register of members needs to be maintained at the Registered Office but is not open to the public.
What’s included:
- Company names search in BVI registry
- Document preparation
- Certificate of incorporation
- Company kit box
- BVI Government fees
- BVI registered agent BVI registered office
- Registrar of shareholders, director and members
- Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Resolution to Open Bank Account
- Share certificates book
- Company seal
- Signature stamp