How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Hong Kong Company From Mainland China? Full 2026 Annual Cost Breakdown
2026-08-30 | Chinglink Business, Licensed TCSP (TC009047) · Last reviewed 2026-09-15
How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Hong Kong Company From Mainland China? Full 2026 Annual Cost Breakdown
Short answer: formation starts at HK$4,795, government fees included. After that, keeping the company compliant costs at least HK$3,555 a year (company secretary fee, Business Registration renewal, and the Annual Return filing fee) — audit and tax filing are billed separately by turnover. Below is the full breakdown, not a "contact us for pricing" answer.
If you want the number for your own business right now, ask on WhatsApp and read the breakdown below while you wait.
One-off formation cost: three tiers
Tier | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
Basic | HK$4,795 | Company formation, government fees included |
Premium | HK$6,295 | Basic + bank introduction + bank application preparation |
Complete | HK$9,895 | Premium + first-year bookkeeping, audit placement, and profits tax filing (dormant or turnover under HK$500,000) |
All three tiers already include government fees of HK$3,895 (Business Registration HK$2,350 + Incorporation HK$1,545) — there is no separate government-fee line added on top.
[!important] No tier includes a registered addressIf you don't already have your own Hong Kong office address, a virtual office add-on costs HK$1,150/yr (Kai Tak) or HK$1,350/yr (Tsim Sha Tsui). Clients with their own address don't pay this.
Do government fees change?
Yes. The Business Registration fee and Incorporation fee are set by the Hong Kong government, and the BR fee levy has been waived or adjusted across successive Budgets. The prices above reflect the current schedule; if the government changes it, the price updates accordingly — it isn't a markup Chinglink applies.
What do you pay every year after formation?
This is the part mainland clients most often miss: formation is a one-off first-year cost — the company has to stay compliant every year after that.
Item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
Company secretary fee (Standard) | HK$1,100 |
Business Registration fee (government, renews annually) | HK$2,350 |
Annual Return (NAR1) government filing fee | HK$105 |
Total compliance-only maintenance | HK$3,555 |
Virtual office address (if needed) | +HK$1,150 (Kai Tak) or +HK$1,350 (Tsim Sha Tsui) |
Bookkeeping, audit, profits tax filing | Turnover-dependent, see below |
Bookkeeping, audit and tax filing scale with actual turnover:
Turnover | Annual cost |
|---|---|
Dormant / zero-transaction | HK$3,000 |
Under HK$500,000 | HK$5,000 |
HK$500,000 – 1,000,000 | HK$8,000 |
HK$1,000,000 – 2,500,000 | HK$13,000 |
HK$2,500,000 – 5,000,000 | HK$18,000 |
HK$5,000,000 – 10,000,000 | HK$25,000 |
Above HK$10,000,000 | Quote-only |
A real first-year example
A mainland-owned company with no office of its own and turnover under HK$500,000, in the first year:
- Formation (Basic): HK$4,795
- Virtual office address (Kai Tak): HK$1,150
- Company secretary fee: HK$1,100
- Annual Return filing fee: HK$105
- Bookkeeping, audit, tax filing: HK$5,000
First-year total: roughly HK$12,150. From year two, the one-off formation cost drops out — see what a Hong Kong company pays in its second year for that breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the formation fee a one-time payment, or does it recur? One-time. HK$4,795 and up covers formation only. The company secretary fee and government renewal fees are charged every year afterward — skipping them puts the company out of compliance.
What is the profits tax rate? 8.25% on the first HK$2,000,000 of profit, 16.5% above that. This is the Hong Kong government's statutory 2026 rate, not a Chinglink fee.
Is bookkeeping/audit billed separately from formation? Yes, by turnover band — see the table above. The Complete tier bundles the first year of it in, for dormant companies or those under HK$500,000 turnover.
Want the actual number for your company? Message us on WhatsApp with your expected turnover and whether you need a registered address.
New to the whole process? Start with the complete guide for mainland entrepreneurs setting up in Hong Kong. Ready to register? See Chinglink's Hong Kong limited company service.
Questions about this?
Talk to a licensed company secretary — no charge, no obligation.
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