Doing Business in Hong Kong 2018

As a leading global financial centre and a historically open economy, it’s worth remembering that Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1997. But Hong Kong enjoys great autonomy from the mainland, and the city has retained its reputation for ease of doing business and free trade. It frequently attracts the attention of foreign investors looking for a foothold in the Asian market.

As an important banking and financial centre in the Asia Pacific region, Hong Kong Stock Exchange ranks the third in Asia and the seventh in the world in terms of market capitalization, as at 30 September 2017, Hong Kong ranked third in global IPO fundraising. 

Hong Kong was the fifth-ranked location in the world (behind New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark and South Korea) according to the World Bank Doing Business Survey conducted in June 2017 in terms of ease of doing business. Its simple, low-cost tax structure has made Hong Kong a natural regional hub for multinational companies doing business in Asia. In addition, Hong Kong is a free port and generally does not levy customs duties except for a very limited number of goods. Because of its attractive business environment, Hong Kong receives the second largest amount of foreign investment in Asia and the fourth largest in the world.

Hong Kong is also the perfect gateway to access to the dynamic and emerging market of mainland China, attracting many leading international businesses to choose setting up their regional operations in Hong Kong.

This guide will give you an overview of Hong Kong on the following topics: 

1.  General information on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
2.  Establishing an entity
3.  Foreign business restrictions
4.  Investment incentives
5.  Work permit and visas
6.  Foreign currency transactions control
7.  Taxation
8.  Employment (tax & legal)
9.  Audit and accounting
10.  Country quirks
11.  Mazars Hong Kong: Your Contacts