Belize International Business Company (IBC)

Belize Key points

• Time – 2 days to incorporate your company
• Directors – only one director is necessary
• Shareholders – only one shareholder, corporate or individual
• Share Capital – there are no minimum share capital requirements
• Tax – exemption from taxation in Belize
• All Belize companies are required to apply for a TIN once incorporated
• Confidential – the names of directors and shareholders do not appear on public records
• Support – using our 20 years experience we provide you with full expert assistance throughout every step of the company formation process

Belize – International Business Company – IBC

Belize’s International Business Companies Act was established in 1990 and is based on the British Virgin Island’s model. It created a special company – the International Business Company (IBC) – which has since shown itself to be extremely attractive for use in all parts of the world.

The main features of the Belize IBC are:

• Exemption from taxation in Belize
• Only one shareholder and one director required –
• Not subject to exchange control regulations and may freely open and maintain any type of currency account
• Low cost incorporation and annual renewal fees
• No filing of accounts required
• Company Accounts need to be kept by the directors for 5 years
• Speedy and simple incorporation
• Confidentiality – only the Memorandum and Articles are required for public records
• The authorised share capital can be in any currency
• The word Limited, Corporation, Incorporated, Society Anonyme, Sociedad Anónima, Aktiengesellschaft or an abbreviation thereof, must be part of the Company name
• Re-domiciliation into and out of Belize is permitted

Restrictions on IBC activities:

At present an IBC may not:

• Carry out business with residents of Belize
• Own real estate in Belize
• Carry out business as a bank or insurance/re-insurance company

Confidentiality Factors

• The share register kept by the company may only be inspected by a shareholder.
• No filing of accounts or annual returns.
• No public filing requirements except Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Special Features

The following ‘special’ features have been added to Belize law to encourage investors to respond to new investment opportunities as they arise:

• Only one shareholder required.
• Only one Director required which may be a company.
• Shares may be denominated in any currency and may be registered shares, voting and non-voting, with or without par value.
• Your IBC will be able to purchase its own shares and redeem its own shares.

Nominee and Management Services

We can also provide ongoing nominee and management services for an offshore company if required. As the beneficial owner of a managed company, the client retains ultimate control over the composition of the board of directors, which in turn manages the underlying assets. The main advantages of a managed company are confidentiality and tax planning. Worldwide assets may be registered with, or held by the company, with your beneficial ownership of the shares of the company kept private through the use of nominees or trustees.

Once a company has been established, it is important to manage it properly in order to maintain its corporate integrity. We offer a full range of management services, such as the provision of directors, officers and nominee shareholders.