Every company incorporated in Hong Kong is required to be registered with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). Along with this, business owners are also required to clear the payment for the Business Registration Fee ( BR Fee) at the business registration office.
What is a Business Registration Certificate?
With a Hong Kong company, you will have a business registration certificate (“BRC”) issued by the Business Registration Office, Inland Revenue department, along with other company documents issued by the Companies Registry.
The business registration certificate in Hong Kong is a document that describes the particulars of the company. It is a compulsory document that is used to operate a business in Hong Kong. This document requires that a company is valid to operate a business within a specified period and is registered with the Inland Revenue Department.
Generally, the BRC is valid for one year, all business owners are required to renew their BRC annually to conduct their business smoothly. As soon as the fees of the BRC are paid, a newly issued BRC with an updated period will become the valid business registration for the company.
The BRC shows certain details of the company as in:
- Name of Business / Corporation
- Business / Branch Name
- Address
- Nature of Business
- Status
- Date of Commencement
- Date of Expiry
- Certificate Number
- Fee and Levy
How can I renew my Business Registration Certificate (“BRC”)?
If you are carrying out your business operations but are facing issues because of the expiry of the current BRC, it is now time for you to renew the BRC. The registered business needs to apply to the Business Registration Office for a renewal demand note, which will be sent to the address on the BRC by the Business Registration Office.
The demand note will be issued approximately one month before the expiry date of the current BRC. For instance, If the date of expiry on the current BRC is in early May, then the Business Registration Office will send the demand note in early April.
As soon as you clear the payment for BRC, the demand note with a paid amount printed can be used as a valid BRC . if you have not yet received such a demand note, you need to inform the Commissioner in writing within one month of the expiry date of the current BRC.
What should you do when you haven’t received the demand note?
As mentioned above, there is a possibility that the demand note will not be delivered to the business operators by the Business Registration Office. If you haven’t received the demand note even after the date of expiry, then you have the opportunity to re-file the renewal either in person or by post as follows:-
- In-person – In case you want to receive the renewal demand note in person, you can visit the Business Registration Office with your old BRC. At the Business Registration Office, you could request a fresh demand note.
- By Post – This is an alternative way to get the BRC without being physically present. With this option, you will need to send a photocopy of the current BRC attached to a crossed cheque made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” to the Business Registration Office. After that, the Business registration office will send the receipted business certificate to the registered business address. However if you have already changed the business address, then you should specify the new business address along with the business registration number, business name, old business address or registered office address, and the date of the change.
Where should I display my Business Registration Certificate (“BRC”)?
The valid business registration certificate needs to be displayed in a remarkable place at the address mentioned on the BRC, and it should be produced for official inspection on demand. The inspector authorized by the Commissioner will get the power to enter any premises, to make such examination and inquiry as may be deemed necessary in order to verify the companies. Under the one-stop company and business registration service, when the business registration certificate is issued electronically, companies must display a printed copy of such certificates.
What should I do if I lose my Business Registration Certificate (“BRC”)?
If you lose the BRC after the payment to the Business Registration Office, there is still a way to obtain a plain duplicate of a valid BRC from the Business Registration Office.
You can either complete the specific form with the payment of prescribed fees or you can also file another application on the GovHK website (Online Application for Business Registration Documents)
Business Registration Certificate for 3 Years
Many people are confused about the validity of the business registration certificate in Hong Kong. Some people believe that this certificate is only valid for one year, but this is not true.
Business operators can select the validity of this license, either for one year or three years. Once the business owners chose the validity of their business certificate, it will remain valid until it is revoked in writing. For the registered business and the newly opened businesses, the deadline for making a selection is different. Let’s read!
In the case of already registered businesses, the selection needs to be made in the form of a written notice to the Commissioner. While renewing the BRC, business owners should choose at least one month before the current certificate of the business expires.
For instance, if your BRC is about to expire, by say, 15th April you will need to make the selection before 15th March. To facilitate the making of selections, interested business operators may complete the standard selection form.
A notice in writing for the election of BRC can be revoked to the Commissioner at any time; however, it should not be later than one month before the expiry of a current 3-year certificate. If you are interested to revoke, then you should submit the standard revocation form to complete the process. The business operators can also choose either way, such as to submit the application and revocation in person or by post. The submission by facsimile transmission is however not acceptable.
One more thing about the BRC is that the fee, and levy for the certificate will not be refunded whether your business is working or about to cease before the expiry of the validity period of a 3-year certificate.
Note: You also need to pay the 3-year-service-fee to Startupr as well if you applied for a 3-year-BRC
How can Startupr help you renew your Business Registration Certificate (“BRC”)?
Now you would have a good idea of the BRC and some necessary information regarding renewing it. The BRC needs to be renewed in a timely fashion to carry on the operations of the business, otherwise, there may be additional fines for late renewals of the company BRC.
Thus, if you are looking for professional help to get your BRC for your new business or you need help to renew your old BRC, contact us at Startupr. We can help you with company renewal services including the BRC.
In case your company has missed the filing of the BRC on time, Startupr can help to get your company back on track and file the necessary documents. Feel free to contact us to renew your Business Registration Certificate in Hong Kong!