Belize - Company Incorporation

Belize Company Incorporation

The Belize IBC is a tax-free and exchange control free limited liability company, incorporated under the Laws of Belize, but conducting all its profit earning activities outside Belize.

The IBC is an ideal tax planning vehicle which can be used for a wide range of commercial activities such as trading, share ownership in other companies, financial management, investment holding, corporate trustee, leasing of other assets, real property ownership, ownership of a ship or yacht, provision or professional or other services, asset protection and confidentiality, factoring, transfer pricing, ownership of intellectual property and invoicing to name a few.

Since an IBC is essentially for offshore activities, your IBC cannot own land in Belize or carry on business with residents of Belize. Your IBC must have a registered office and registered agent in Belize.

Belize - International Business Company - IBC

Belize 's International Business Companies Act was established in 1990 and based on the British Virgin Island 's model. It created a special category of corporate vehicle, the international business company (IBC) which has since shown itself to be extremely attractive for use in all parts of the world.

The primary attributes of the Belize IBC are as follows:

  • Not subject to tax - The Belize IBC enjoys total exemption from all forms of taxation in Belize including stamp duty.
  • No exchange control - A Belize IBC may freely open and maintain any type of currency account.
  • Low cost. Whereas the government incorporation and annual renewal fee in the BVI, for example, are each US$350, in Belize , this fee is correspondingly only US$100.
  • There are no necessary audit requirements.
  • Speedy and simple incorporation - The IBC Registry incorporates a Belize IBC within 24 hours of lodgment of the constitutive documents.
  • Confidentiality - Filing requirements are limited primarily to memorandum and articles of association, name of registered agent and address of registered office.
  • Bearer shares may be issued subject to registered agent custody requirement.
  • Only one subscriber/shareholder is required for incorporation.
  • The Belize IBC may have only one director - Directors can be corporate and need not be resident in the country.
  • Flexibility - A Belize IBC is capable of being incorporated for or restricted to any object not prohibited by the laws of Belize.
  • Meetings of shareholders and/or directors may be held in any country at any time and may be attended by proxy. Resolutions of members and/or directors may be passed without a meeting.
  • Shares can be issued without par value.
  • A Belize IBC may be incorporated in any language (provided a properly translated English version is also submitted) and with an authorised share capital in a foreign currency. The Certificate of Incorporation is also issued in that foreign script.
  • IBC's may re-dominicile into and out of Belize. However, once re-domiciled in Belize, the former governing law ceases to be operable.