Company formation for non-residents
We register an Anguilla Business Company (BC) - the form that replaced the former IBC in 2022. It is well suited for cross-border trade, holding assets and owning intellectual property. There are no direct taxes, the registers of directors and shareholders are closed, and filing is completed through the electronic CRES system. We prepare the constitutional documents, appoint a licensed registered agent and registered office, and handle the annual economic substance return. Fully remote.
A brief overview of the corporate, tax and annual conditions of the Anguilla jurisdiction for non-residents.
An Anguilla Business Company under the ABCA 2022. This form replaced the former IBC in 2022, and all previously registered IBCs are automatically recognised as BCs. Anguilla law is based on English common law, and the jurisdiction is a British Overseas Territory.
The company may be wholly owned by a non-resident. One shareholder and one director are sufficient, of any nationality, and may be the same person. A corporate director is permitted. A company secretary is not required.
A licensed registered agent and a registered office in Anguilla are mandatory, and we provide both. Filing goes through the electronic CRES system via the agent only - a non-resident cannot register a company directly.
Anguilla levies no corporation tax, capital gains tax, dividend tax, gift tax or inheritance tax. Direct taxation does not exist as a category, so no tax return is filed. Anguilla has no double taxation treaties.
An annual economic substance return is filed by every company without exception. If the business does not fall within the nine relevant activities, a nil return is filed and no substance test applies. The deadline is the last day of the quarter in which the anniversary of incorporation falls.
Annual government fee, renewal of the registered agent and registered office, and filing of the annual return together with the economic substance return. No audit is required and no financial statements are filed with the registry, but accounting records must be kept for at least 6 years.
The final cost depends on the selected package, registered agent services and support, as well as any additional project requirements.
Information current as of July 2026.
From basic Business Company registration to a full package with annual maintenance and banking support.
Basic Business Company registration
Annual maintenance included
Director, shareholder and documents
For launching a Business Company with director and shareholder services, a full set of documents and a tailored banking solution.
Important: we advise on choosing a bank or payment provider and help you prepare for submission, but we cannot guarantee that an account will be opened. The final decision always rests with the bank or EMI following checks on the company and its beneficial owners.
A British Overseas Territory under English common law: no direct taxation, closed registers and online registration.
Holding shares and group assets. No direct taxation at company level, and dividends and distributions are not taxed.
A base for cross-border trade, consulting and IT services. No exchange controls, settlements in any currency.
Separating assets from the personal risks of the beneficial owner, including through a trust. English law, predictable practice.
Redomiciliation is expressly permitted. A company from the BVI, Belize or the Seychelles can transfer its domicile without liquidation or a change of name.
No tax on profits, capital gains, dividends or inheritance. This is not a time-limited concession but the basic design of the jurisdiction.
Details are not entered on any public register. They are held by the licensed registered agent and disclosed only to the regulator or by court order.
The electronic system operates around the clock. The certificate is issued immediately on filing, with no visit to the jurisdiction.
English common law, with appeals to the Privy Council in London. No audit is required and no financial statements are filed with the registry.
To register a Business Company you will need documents for the shareholders and director, together with a decision on the company structure. Every stage is completed remotely through a licensed registered agent.
The exact set of documents depends on the ownership structure, the residency of the beneficial owners and the requirements of the particular agent.
One director is sufficient - an individual or a corporate body of any nationality. No Anguilla resident is required, and the register of directors is not public.
From one shareholder, an individual or a corporate body. The shareholder and director may be the same person. Beneficial ownership details are filed by the agent on the closed register.
Required by law: a licensed agent in Anguilla. Filing through CRES goes via the agent only - a non-resident cannot register a company directly.
A registered office in Anguilla provided through the agent, used for correspondence and for keeping the corporate registers. Included in the package.
The name must end in Ltd, Corp or Inc. There is no minimum capital, and it has no effect on the government fee. Bearer shares are prohibited.
Anguilla has no direct taxation, so no tax return is filed. The only annual obligations are the annual return and the economic substance return.
Direct taxation
0%
no corporation tax, capital gains tax, dividend tax or inheritance tax in Anguilla
Tax return
not filed
with no direct taxation, tax reporting does not exist in Anguilla
Economic substance
annual return
filed by every company; the substance test applies only to relevant activities
Financial statements
not published
no audit required, but accounting records must be kept
No tax on profits, capital gains, dividends, gifts or inheritance. This is not a time-limited concession but the basic design of the jurisdiction.
The company pays an annual government fee through its agent. It does not depend on turnover, profit or the size of the authorised capital.
A zero rate in Anguilla does not remove your tax obligations where you are resident. Anguilla takes part in the automatic exchange of information - assess CFC rules in advance.
Pay the annual government fee through the agent to keep the company in good standing
File the annual return and the economic substance return: due by the last day of the quarter in which the anniversary of incorporation falls
File a nil economic substance return even where there is no relevant activity
Keep accounting records for at least 6 years
Renew the registered agent and registered office services
Update beneficial ownership details with the agent whenever they change
Economic substance requirements apply to banking, insurance, finance and leasing, fund management, headquarters, distribution and service centres, shipping, holding companies and the commercial exploitation of intellectual property. Ordinary trading and services do not need to pass the substance test, but a nil return must still be filed. Penalties for non-compliance reach US$25,000.
Information current as of July 2026
The account is not opened in Anguilla. Local banks deal mainly with residents, so for an international company the working route is payment providers and banks in third countries. We select the route based on the business, the geography of payments and the profile of the beneficial owners.
The main working route for an Anguilla company. Set-up within weeks, multi-currency details and remote onboarding with no visit required. For an operating business this is usually faster and more realistic than a bank.
Accounts for a Business Company are opened by banks in Asia, the EU and the Caribbean. The entry threshold is higher: genuine activity, a clear structure and a substantial balance are expected. We select the bank to match the specific profile.
Banks ask more questions of an Anguilla company than of a European one. We build the profile before submission: source of funds, genuine activity, counterparties. Here the quality of the file matters more than the choice of bank.
We assess the business, the geography of payments and bank requirements before any submission.
Registration through CRES is almost instant - the certificate is issued as soon as the filing goes through. Most of the time is taken up by the agent's compliance checks. Every stage is completed remotely.
Anguilla is a fast, low-cost jurisdiction with closed registers, but it does not suit every purpose. Below are the honest limitations and the jurisdictions that address them.
The jurisdiction is on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. In practice this means more questions from European banks and counterparties. If your main payments run through the EU, it is worth considering an alternative.
A nil economic substance return is filed by every company, even where there is no relevant activity. Penalties for non-compliance reach US$25,000. This is not an offshore without annual filings.
Anguilla has no network of double taxation treaties. In a number of countries income may be subject to withholding tax with no relief available.
A Business Company cannot trade with residents of Anguilla. Banking, insurance and property transactions are prohibited or require a licence.
The most recognised offshore jurisdiction for holding structures and M&A deals. The register of directors is closed and the corporate law has been tested over decades. Note: the BVI is on the EU grey list, so compliance is tighter.
A US dollar jurisdiction with territorial taxation and well-established corporate law. Suited to trading and holding structures with a Latin American focus. Note: Panama is also on the EU list.
Fast, low-cost IBC registration with closed registers. Belize is on the EU grey list rather than the main list - for banks this is noticeably easier than Anguilla.
A flexible jurisdiction with closed registers and low maintenance costs. Not on the EU list. Frequently chosen for trading and financial projects.
Every project is different - we tailor the solution to the specific task, jurisdiction and business model.
Anguilla The client had a Seychelles company set up in 2019, with live contracts and an EMI account. The provider had raised its fees and compliance was taking longer each time. Closing it down and starting again was not an option: the company would lose its trading history and every customer contract would have to be signed again.
Solution We redomiciled the company to Anguilla. It kept its name, its incorporation date and all its contracts - legally it is the same entity, only the jurisdiction has changed. A Certificate of Continuation was issued. We flagged one thing early: the existing EMI account would have to be reopened, as banking does not move across with the company.
What mattered to me was that nothing changed on the client side. The company is six years old and every bit of correspondence is tied to it. I did assume the account would just come with us - I'm glad they said otherwise before we filed, not after.
Anguilla The client provides IT consulting to European clients, with a modest turnover. He had looked at the BVI, but the annual maintenance there was eating into a noticeable share of his margin. He needed a working structure with closed registers at a sensible price - and he needed it live quickly, as a contract was already waiting.
Solution We registered a Business Company through CRES and the certificate came back the same day. Consulting does not fall within the relevant activities, so no substance test applies - only a nil economic substance return once a year. The account was opened with an EMI; at that turnover a bank was never on the table.
I wasn't pricing the registration, I was pricing what it costs me every year. On the BVI it came out at nearly double. The filing did put me off at first, but the return is a nil one and the agent handles it anyway.
Anguilla The client held stakes in four projects alongside partners who did not want their names on any public register. Several Caribbean jurisdictions were considered, but in most of them the directors end up on public record one way or another. What was needed was an ownership structure where the management layer is not visible from the outside.
Solution We built the holding structure in Anguilla. The registers of directors and shareholders are kept by the agent and never enter the public domain; the details are disclosed only to the regulator or by court order. A simplified substance test applies to holding companies. We set out clearly from the start that a closed register does not exempt anyone from CRS reporting.
My partners were blunt about it: they were not going on a public register. I assumed we'd have to bring in a nominee director, and it turned out the register is simply closed. They were straight with me on the reporting side - privacy isn't invisibility, and I took that on board.
If you have not found the answer to your question, leave a request and we will look at your situation individually.
Get a consultationRegistration through CRES is almost instant - the certificate is generated as soon as the filing goes through. But that is only the final step. The real timeline is set by the agent's compliance checks: verification of the beneficial owners, the source of funds and the nature of the business. Allow from 5 working days for registration, and a separate few weeks for opening an account - these are different stages.
No. The whole procedure is completed remotely through a licensed registered agent. The CRES system allows filings to be made from anywhere in the world. No visit to the jurisdiction is required at any stage.
Yes, and this is not a concession but the basic design of the jurisdiction. Anguilla has no direct taxation: no corporation tax, no capital gains tax, and no tax on dividends, gifts or inheritance. No tax return is filed. But a zero rate in Anguilla does not remove your tax obligations where you are resident - assess CFC and anti-avoidance rules in advance. Anguilla has no double taxation treaties.
Anguilla keeps both registers closed - directors and shareholders alike. The details are held by the registered agent and do not enter the public domain. This sets Anguilla apart from jurisdictions where the board is on public record. But confidentiality is not anonymity: beneficial ownership details are filed by the agent on the closed register available to the regulator, and Anguilla takes part in the automatic exchange of information.
It depends on the activity. The substance test applies only to companies within the nine relevant activities: banking, insurance, finance and leasing, fund management, headquarters, distribution and service centres, shipping, holding companies and the commercial exploitation of intellectual property. Ordinary trading and services do not need to pass it. But an economic substance return is filed by every company without exception - where the activity is not relevant, a nil return is filed.
Yes. Anguilla is on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. We say so plainly, so that you hear it from us rather than from a bank part-way through its checks. In practice it means additional questions from European banks and some counterparties - tighter compliance, not a prohibition. That is why we make no promises about how easily an account will open, and why we plan the route in advance: payment providers, banks in third countries and a properly prepared file. If your main payments run through the EU, it is more honest to look at Belize or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which are not on that list.
No, and nobody can. The final decision always rests with the bank or EMI after checks on the company and its beneficial owners. We advise on the route, prepare the company profile and help you through compliance. One point worth understanding: the account is not opened in Anguilla - local banks deal mainly with residents. For an international company the working route is payment providers and banks in third countries.
Three obligations. The annual government fee through the agent, the annual return and the economic substance return - the latter two are filed together, due by the last day of the quarter in which the anniversary of incorporation falls. No audit is required and no financial statements are filed with the registry. Accounting records must be kept for at least 6 years. Penalties for breaching the substance requirements reach US$25,000, so the deadlines are worth tracking closely.
They are the same vehicle under a new name. The Anguilla Business Companies Act 2022 repealed the former IBC Act, and all international companies are now registered as Business Companies. IBCs incorporated earlier are automatically recognised as BCs, with nothing to re-file. Many providers still write about IBCs and the ACORN system, but both are out of date: the registry now runs on CRES.
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