Company formation for non-residents
We form International Business Companies (IBCs) for cross-border trade, asset holding and intellectual property ownership. Zero tax on profits from any source, a Bahamian dollar pegged one-to-one to the US dollar, and a shareholder register that stays off the public record. We prepare the incorporation documents, appoint a licensed registered agent and registered office, and help you select a bank or payment provider. Everything handled remotely.
A quick overview of the corporate, tax and annual requirements that apply to non-residents in the Bahamas.
An International Business Company under the International Business Companies Act, limited by shares and intended for business conducted outside the Bahamas. Bahamian law is built on English common law, which makes contracts and disputes familiar territory for international counterparties.
The company can be wholly owned by a non-resident. One shareholder and one director of any nationality are enough, and the same person may hold both roles. Corporate directors are permitted.
A licensed registered agent and a registered office in the Bahamas are required by law, and we provide both. Filings with the Registrar General go through the agent only - a non-resident cannot incorporate directly.
The Bahamas levies no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no tax on dividends and no withholding tax. The zero rate applies to profits from any source, not only foreign income - which sets the Bahamas apart from territorial jurisdictions.
There is no minimum and no requirement to pay the capital up front. The figure you declare does affect the annual fee, though: up to US$50,000 attracts the lower rate, anything above it the higher one. That is why US$50,000 has become the market standard. Bearer shares are prohibited.
The annual government fee falls due in January, alongside renewal of the registered agent and registered office. An IBC files no financial statements and no tax return, but it must keep accounting records and either hold them at the registered office or tell the agent where they are kept.
The final cost depends on the package you choose, the registered agent and support services included, and any additional work your project requires.
Information current as of July 2026.
From basic IBC incorporation to a full package with annual maintenance and banking support.
Basic IBC incorporation
Annual maintenance included
Director, shareholder and documents
For launching an IBC with director and shareholder services, a complete document set and a banking solution selected for your project.
Important: we advise on choosing a bank or payment provider and help you prepare your application, but we cannot guarantee that an account will be opened. The final decision always rests with the bank or EMI after it has reviewed the company and its beneficial owners.
A zero-tax structure with a clean reputation: no tax on profits, a dollar pegged to the USD, and no place on any international list.
Hold the group's assets through an IBC. Dividends coming in and distributions going out are both untaxed - there is no withholding tax.
A base for international trade and consulting. IBCs are exempt from exchange controls, and USD settlements go through without conversion losses.
Hold trademarks, software and licences. Foreign royalties are not taxed. Note: under CESRA, IP business is a relevant activity and economic substance requirements apply.
Ring-fence assets from the beneficial owner's personal risks, including alongside a Bahamian trust. English law foundations, with a well-developed trust practice.
No corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no tax on dividends, no withholding tax. The zero rate applies to profits from any source - and it is not a time-limited concession, it is how the country's tax system works.
Shareholders' names are not entered on the public register - the register is held by the registered agent. Note: the register of directors and officers is public.
The Bahamian dollar is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar. Dollar-denominated assets carry no currency risk, and profits are repatriated without formalities.
The Bahamas left the FATF grey list and was removed from the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in 2024. For a Caribbean jurisdiction that is rare - and it makes the conversation with banks a good deal easier.
Forming an IBC calls for documents from the shareholders and director, plus a decision on the company structure. Everything is handled remotely through a licensed registered agent, once the initial checks are complete.
Bahamian agents run some of the tightest compliance in the region. The exact document set depends on the ownership structure, where the beneficial owners are resident, and the requirements of the specific agent.
One director is enough - an individual or a corporate entity, of any nationality and residency. There is no requirement for a Bahamian resident director. Note: a copy of the register of directors and officers is filed with the Registrar General and becomes part of the public record. Where needed, we provide director services.
One shareholder is enough - an individual or a corporate entity, of any nationality. The same person may act as both shareholder and director. The register of members is kept at the registered office and is not published. Beneficial ownership details are collected by the agent and filed on a private register, accessible to the competent authorities on a lawful request.
Required by law: a licensed registered agent in the Bahamas. Filings with the Registrar General go through the agent alone - a non-resident cannot incorporate directly. Appointed at incorporation and renewed each year, and we provide this.
A registered office address in the Bahamas, provided through the registered agent, for official correspondence and for keeping the corporate registers. Included in the package.
There is no minimum and no need to pay the capital up front. The figure you declare does affect the annual fee, though: up to US$50,000 attracts the lower rate, anything above it the higher one. That is why US$50,000 divided into 50,000 shares of one dollar has become the market standard. Bearer shares are prohibited, and the annual fee falls due in January.
The Bahamas levies no corporate income tax. Since 2023, though, the regime has shifted: IBCs with foreign revenue pay business licence tax, and every company files an economic substance declaration. Here is how it works in practice.
Tax on profits
0%
no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax and no withholding tax in the Bahamas
Business licence tax
from $2,500
on an IBC's foreign revenue: $2,500 up to $1m, and 0.25% above that
Economic substance
annual declaration
filed by every company; substance requirements apply only to relevant activities
Financial statements
not published
accounting records are mandatory, but nothing is filed with the registry
The Bahamas levies no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no tax on dividends and no withholding tax. This is not a concession and not a time-limited exemption - it is the country's baseline tax system, and it has worked this way for decades.
Since 2023, an IBC's foreign revenue has been subject to a fixed charge: US$2,500 where revenue stays under US$1m a year, and 0.25% above that, capped at US$100,000. This is not a tax on profit - the base is turnover. Pure equity holding entities, which only hold participations and earn dividends, are exempt.
A zero rate in the Bahamas does not cancel out the tax you owe where you are resident. The Bahamas takes part in international information exchange and has signed tax information exchange agreements. CFC and anti-avoidance rules may apply - work this through before you incorporate.
Pay the annual government fee in January to keep the company in good standing
File an economic substance declaration through the agent, within nine months of the financial year end
File and pay the business licence where there is revenue: renewal by 31 January, tax paid by 31 March
Keep accounting records reflecting the company's financial position, and retain them for five years
Renew the registered agent and registered office services
Update beneficial ownership details with the agent whenever anything changes
Economic substance requirements apply to banking, insurance, fund management, financing and leasing, headquarters business, distribution and service centres, shipping, and the commercial use of intellectual property. Ordinary trade and services fall outside them - but the declaration still has to be filed. Non-compliance carries penalties of up to US$300,000 and removal from the register.
Information current as of July 2026.
The Bahamas is a mature financial centre, which opens up more routes than a typical Caribbean offshore. The country sits outside the FATF grey list and outside the EU list, and that takes some of the friction out of compliance. We select the route around your activity, your payment geography and the profile of the beneficial owners.
The fast route for a trading company: live within weeks, multi-currency, opened remotely. The clean standing of the Bahamas on the FATF and EU lists makes KYC noticeably smoother.
Major international banks operate in the Bahamas and do open accounts for IBCs - but the bar is high, and they expect genuine activity and a substantial balance. For smaller projects we look at banks in Singapore, Hong Kong and the EU.
We build the company profile before anything is submitted. Bahamian agents already run tight KYC of their own, and the file assembled at that stage - bank references, source of funds, business description - works for the bank as well.
We assess the activity, the payment geography and what the banks will ask for, before anything is submitted.
The filing itself takes one to two working days. What takes the time is the agent's compliance - in the Bahamas it runs tighter than in most Caribbean jurisdictions. Every stage is handled remotely.
The Bahamas is a mature zero-tax jurisdiction with a clean reputation, but it does not suit every project. Below are the honest limitations, and the jurisdictions that cover them.
A copy of the register of directors and officers is filed with the Registrar General and is open to the public. If keeping the management layer private matters, and director services are not an option, look at jurisdictions with a closed register.
Every company files an economic substance declaration, and foreign revenue is subject to business licence tax. If what you want is an offshore company with no annual filings at all, the Bahamian regime will feel like more than you need.
The Bahamas has no network of double taxation agreements - only information exchange agreements. In a number of countries, income can therefore be caught by withholding tax with no treaty relief available.
An IBC cannot do business with Bahamian residents or own property in the Bahamas without specific approvals. Trading on the domestic market calls for a different company type.
British Virgin Islands The best-known offshore jurisdiction for holding structures and M&A. The register of directors is closed, and the corporate law has been tested by decades of transactions. Note: the BVI has been on the FATF grey list since 2025, which makes compliance harder.
Cayman Islands The default choice for funds, venture capital and institutional investors. The register of directors is private, and recognition among banks and LPs runs well ahead of any Caribbean offshore. Several times the cost of the Bahamas.
Panama A dollar jurisdiction with territorial taxation and a well-tested body of corporate law. Works for trade and holding structures where a Latin American footprint matters. Note: Panama remains on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.
Anguilla Fast, inexpensive IBC formation with a register of directors that stays closed to the public. A sound option where you want a straightforward offshore company with no reporting. Note: Anguilla is on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.
Every project is different - we tailor the solution to the specific task, jurisdiction and business model.
Bahamas Three operating companies in different countries, shares held in different names. Dividends were landing in personal accounts, and every payment drew questions from the bank. He wanted ownership in one structure - so that dividends and any sale of shares would not be taxed at holding level, and so the holding company would look presentable to counterparties.
Solution We incorporated an IBC as a pure holding company and moved the shares across. The Bahamas taxes neither incoming dividends nor outgoing distributions, and there is no withholding tax. We were also clear on one point: pure holding entities are exempt from business licence tax, but the economic substance declaration still has to be filed.
I looked at the Seychelles first, it was half the price. Then a partner on one of the projects told me straight out he would not sign through a Seychelles company. That is the only reason we went to the Bahamas. It costs more, but nobody pulls a face.
Bahamas Shipping equipment from Asia into Europe, settling in dollars. He was running it through a company in another Caribbean jurisdiction and hit a wall: EMIs kept stalling on the application, and one bank turned him down citing the EU list outright. He needed a jurisdiction that compliance teams do not flag by default.
Solution We moved the structure to a Bahamian IBC. The Bahamas sits outside the FATF grey list and outside the EU list, which clears the first automatic flag with payment providers. We put the compliance file together - contracts, source of funds, payment flows. The EMI account opened on the second application.
It was not even about tax, I paid nothing in the old company either. I was just tired of every second provider dropping out at the checks and never really saying why. This did not go through first time, but at least they told me what was wrong and we fixed it.
Bahamas An entrepreneur pushing sixty, children in three countries. Shares in the business, a securities portfolio, property abroad - all of it in his own name, no will. He wanted the capital in a structure that would outlast him and not put his children in a courtroom.
Solution We set up an IBC to hold the assets and placed it under a Bahamian trust. Bahamian law is built on English common law, and the trust practice has decades behind it. We went through what is protected and what is not, and which countries will apply their own succession rules to the heirs regardless.
Honestly, I came for the tax and the conversation turned out to be about something else entirely. They showed me what happens to the assets if I am gone tomorrow, and that mattered more than the percentages. I cannot say I understood all of it first time round, but we built the structure and I sleep better.
If your question is not answered here, send us an enquiry and we will look at your situation directly.
Get a consultationThe filing itself is quick: the Registrar General offers an express service within the hour and a standard one within 48 hours. But that is only the filing. What sets the real timeline is the agent's compliance - in the Bahamas it runs tighter than in most Caribbean jurisdictions, and it calls for a bank reference and evidence of the source of funds. Allow from five working days for incorporation, and several weeks on top for a bank account. These are separate stages.
No. The whole process is handled remotely through a licensed registered agent - a non-resident cannot incorporate directly, and filings go through the agent alone. What we need from you are scans of your documents, signed forms and a description of the business. There is no stage at which you have to be in the Bahamas.
There is genuinely no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no tax on dividends and no withholding tax - and this is not a time-limited concession, it is how the country's tax system works. Since 2023, though, an IBC's foreign revenue has been subject to business licence tax: US$2,500 where revenue stays under US$1m a year, and 0.25% above that, capped at US$100,000. Pure holding entities, which only earn dividends and capital gains, are exempt. Separately, a 15% top-up tax applies to multinational groups with global revenue of EUR 750m or more - it has nothing to do with an ordinary business.
In part, and it is worth being clear about this. The register of members is not published - it is held by the registered agent. But a copy of the register of directors and officers is filed with the Registrar General and becomes part of the public record. Beneficial ownership details are collected by the agent and filed on a private register, accessible to the competent authorities on a lawful request. Where keeping the management layer private matters, director services are the answer.
It depends on the activity. Economic substance requirements apply to banking, insurance, fund management, financing and leasing, headquarters business, distribution and service centres, shipping, and the commercial use of intellectual property. Ordinary trade and services fall outside them. But every company, without exception, files an economic substance declaration - through the agent, within nine months of the financial year end. Pure holding entities file a simplified version.
There is no minimum and no need to pay the capital up front. The figure you declare does affect the annual fee, though: up to US$50,000 attracts the lower rate, anything above it the higher one. That is why US$50,000, divided into 50,000 shares of one dollar, has become the market standard. Bearer shares are prohibited.
No, and nobody can. The final decision always rests with the bank or payment provider once it has reviewed the company and its beneficial owners. What we do is advise on the route, build the company profile and help you assemble the compliance file. What genuinely works in your favour: the Bahamas sits outside the FATF grey list and outside the EU list, so no automatic flag comes up at the checks - unlike a number of neighbouring jurisdictions.
An IBC files no financial statements with the registry and needs no audit. There are obligations, though: the annual government fee in January, the economic substance declaration, the business licence where there is revenue (renewal by 31 January, tax paid by 31 March), accounting records kept and retained for five years, and renewal of the registered agent and registered office. Non-compliance carries penalties and removal from the register.
No. An IBC cannot do business with Bahamian residents or own property in the Bahamas without specific approvals and licences. The structure exists for business conducted outside the country. If you plan to trade on the domestic market, you need a different company type - a domestic company, with a business licence and 10% VAT.
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