Singapore vs Hong Kong
Company formation costs side by side
EntityPrivate limited (Pte Ltd)Private limited company
Legal minimum, year 1£2,068£1,830
Legal minimum, per year after£960£1,240
Typical year 1£4,613£3,580
Government fee£183 (S$315 ACRA)£390 (HK$1,720 incorporation + business registration)
Indirect setup£925 to 2,720£200 to 1,100
Running per year£960 to 4,255£1,240 to 3,840
Share capitalS$1HK$1
Time to form1 to 3 days1 to 2 days
AuditExempt for small companiesMandatory for all companies
DirectorsAt least one ordinarily resident director (nominee about S$1,200 to S$3,000/yr)No resident director; HK secretary and address required
Remote formationRemote via corporate service providerFully remote
Corporation tax17% with partial exemptions (much lower effective rate on first S$200k)8.25% on first HK$2m, 16.5% above; territorial
Dividend withholding0% on dividends0% on dividends
VAT/GST9% GSTNone
Foreign owner ease3 of 54 of 5
Banking3 of 5. Neobanks (Aspire, Airwallex) workable; traditional banks want a visit1 of 5. Very hard without local presence; Statrys and Airwallex used instead
Data statusCheckedIndicative