Hong Kong raises business registration fees and waives the levy for two years

Following the 2024-25 Budget, the Hong Kong Government announced on 6 March 2024 changes to business registration charges, which apply to every business and every branch registered in Hong Kong, including every company, and are collected with business registration certificates.

What changed

• The annual business registration fee rose by HK$200, or 10%, to HK$2,200 from 1 April 2024. Branch registration fees also rose by 10%.
• The HK$150 annual levy for the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund was waived for two years from 1 April 2024.
• The fee change took effect immediately through a Public Revenue Protection Order, pending a Legislative Council resolution. The levy waiver was made by an order under the Business Registration Ordinance gazetted on 8 March 2024.

Who is affected

All Hong Kong companies and registered businesses, including newly incorporated companies, whose business registration fee is paid on incorporation.

Later developments

The two-year levy waiver ended on 31 March 2026. See our April 2026 coverage of the levy's reinstatement.

Sources

• Inland Revenue Department: Business registration fees to be adjusted and business registration levy to be waived (6 March 2024)
• Inland Revenue Department: 2024-25 Budget, increase in business registration fees