🇧🇿 Belize

A Belize company forms in days through a registered agent, and income earned outside Belize sits outside the business tax charge. We set it up so the exemption actually holds — the 2022 reform attached filing conditions to it that most providers still do not mention.

Incorporate here All jurisdictions

Common entityBelize company (ex-IBC)

Corporate tax0% on foreign incomeConditional: TIN and annual filings required

Formation2–5 days

Legal systemEnglish common law

Who it suits

Holding and service companies billing clients outside Belize

Owners who need a simple non-EU vehicle set up quickly

Groups that already have banking in place elsewhere

Structures where speed and cost matter more than treaty access

Who it does not

Anyone who needs EU standing or a double-tax treaty network

Businesses expecting a bank account to open as fast as the company

Anyone told there is no reporting — there is a tax number, an annual return and substance filings

Models that cannot survive a counterparty asking where the company is really managed

Living

An English-speaking Caribbean country used as a corporate domicile rather than a place to move to; owners almost always run the company from elsewhere.

Business

Since the Companies Act 2022 the old IBC and the domestic company sit under one statute. Formation is quick and the structure is simple, which suits holding and service companies. Banking, not incorporation, is the part that takes time.

Tax

Income sourced outside Belize is outside the business tax charge, but that exemption is conditional: the company needs a tax identification number and files annually whether or not tax is due. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities, with reporting through the registered agent.

Figures are indicative and change over time. We confirm the current rules, rates and requirements for your specific situation before you commit.

How incorporation works

Name checkThe registered agent clears the proposed name with the Registry before anything else is prepared.
Agent and structureAppoint the registered agent and registered office, and settle directors, shareholders and share capital.
Due diligenceThe agent collects identification and source-of-funds material on every owner and director. Nothing is filed until this clears — this is where timelines actually slip.
IncorporationMemorandum and articles are filed with the Companies Registry.
CertificateThe Registry issues the certificate of incorporation and the company number.
RegistersRegisters of directors, members and beneficial owners are put in place and held with the agent.
Tax numberRegister for a tax identification number — it is required of every company, and the foreign-income exemption depends on it.
Bank accountOpen the bank or EMI account. Expect the heaviest scrutiny of the whole project here, and prepare the file accordingly.

What we need from you

Passport copies for every shareholder, director and beneficial owner
Recent proof of address for each of them
A description of the business, its customers and where its money comes from
Source-of-funds evidence
Two or three preferred company names, in order
Bank or professional reference
Powers of attorney where we act on your behalf

What you end up with

Certificate of incorporation and company number
Memorandum and articles of association
Registers of directors, members and beneficial owners
Share certificates
Registered agent and registered office
Tax identification number
An apostilled corporate set for banks and counterparties

Every year after that

Annual government fee, paid through the registered agent
Annual return filed with the Registry, updating capital, directors and shareholders
A tax return, filed whether or not any tax is due
Economic substance reporting through the agent where the activity is in scope
Accounting records kept and available on request
Beneficial ownership information kept current with the agent

Common questions

Is a Belize company still tax-free?

Foreign-source income is outside the business tax charge, which is not the same as having nothing to do. The company needs a tax identification number and files annually even when no tax is payable, and losing the filings can cost you the exemption.

What changed with the Companies Act 2022?

The separate IBC regime was folded into one statute covering all Belize companies. Existing structures continued, but the filing and record-keeping expectations are now explicit rather than assumed.

Do economic substance rules apply to me?

They apply by activity, not by label. Holding pure equity is treated differently from, say, financing or headquarters activity, so the answer depends on what the company actually does. We classify it before you commit.

How hard is the bank account?

Harder than the company, and it is the part worth planning first. What moves a file is a coherent story: who owns it, where the money comes from, and a business description that matches reality.

Can I stay anonymous?

No. Beneficial ownership is recorded with the registered agent and available to the authorities. Belize is not a place to hide ownership; it is a place to hold a company simply.

Get started

Set up your company in Belize

Tell us about your business and we will confirm whether Belize is the right fit — and handle the full incorporation.

A reply within one working day
The first consultation is 30 minutes
Confidential, no obligation