Company registration & structuring
Name clearance, Companies Registry and IRD filing, and advice on the right structure for how you actually operate.
Company incorporation services, Bookkeeping, Accounting & Tax services
Company registration, bank account introductions, and ongoing compliance — handled by accountants who do this every week, wherever in the world you're incorporating from.
Where founders get stuck
Hong Kong makes it easy to register a company. It's everything after that trips people up.
- 1
Bank account applications get declined
No trading history and no local substance are the two most common reasons Hong Kong banks knock back new company accounts — wherever you're applying from.
- 2
Home-country tax residency gets murky
A Hong Kong company doesn't automatically change your personal tax residency at home — and most founders find that out the hard way.
- 3
The structure gets chosen blind
A standalone HK Ltd, a subsidiary of your home-country company, or a branch registration — the right answer depends on where your income and clients actually are.
- 4
Ongoing filings pile up quietly
Annual returns, profits tax, employer's returns, and company secretary duties don't pause just because you're managing it all from another time zone.
Services
One team, from wherever you're starting
Everything needed to stand up a Hong Kong company and bank account properly — coordinated with your home-country tax position, not in spite of it.
Company secretary & registered office
Statutory compliance, registered address, and Significant Controllers Register handled so nothing lapses while you're heads-down.
Cross-border tax coordination
Profits tax, AEOI/CRS reporting, and home-country tax residency planning, looked at together rather than by two firms that don't talk to each other.
Bookkeeping & annual accounts
Ongoing bookkeeping, management reporting, and statutory accounts prepared to Hong Kong audit standard.
Business advisory
Cash flow, structuring for growth, and a sounding board from advisers who work with private business owners, not call centres.
Bank account introduction
Documentation prep and warm introductions to relationship bankers at traditional and virtual banks, built around what compliance teams actually ask for.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Discuss your transactionM&A Due Diligence Services
Comprehensive financial and tax due diligence for buyers, sellers, and investors in corporate acquisitions, disposals, and mergers. Custom proposals available upon request, scoped to your specific deal requirements.
Hong Kong for Australians
Company incorporation, bookkeeping, accounting and tax services, plus business bank account introductions and ongoing compliance — handled by accountants who understand both tax systems, from a firm you can actually walk into in Kowloon.
Learn moreProcess
From discovery call to operating account, in five stops
- 1
Discovery meeting
We map your income sources, where you'll live, and what the business actually needs.
- 2
Structure & name
Agree the right entity, clear your company name, and confirm director and shareholder requirements.
- 3
Incorporation
We file with the Companies Registry and IRD, and set up your registered office.
- 4
Bank introduction
Documentation prepared and introductions made to the bank that fits your business.
- 5
Ongoing compliance
Bookkeeping, tax filings, and annual returns — so the business stays in good standing.
Indicative pricing
Packages built around where you're at
Every engagement starts with a discovery meeting to confirm scope — these are starting points, not the final quote.
- Starter
Incorporation only
For a straightforward single-director company
From HK$11,000one-time
- Company incorporation & name clearance
- Business Registration Certificate (IRD)
- Companies Registry electronic filing
- Statutory registers & company kit
- Growth
Incorporation + governance
Most founders start here
From HK$16,500one-time
- Everything in Starter
- Company secretary (12 months)
- Registered office (12 months)
- Other Support
Full operating support
For businesses ready to run in Hong Kong
Tailored quotebased on a review of your information
- Monthly bookkeeping & management accounts
- Profits tax & annual return filing
- Ongoing cross-border advisory access
- M&A
Due diligence services
For acquisitions, disposals & mergers
Case-by-case quotetailored to deal scope & complexity
- Financial due diligence
- Tax due diligence
- Structural & compliance review
* Bank account opening assistance is available separately and billed as best-efforts — final approval sits with the bank, not us. Annual renewal from Year 2 starts from HK$4,455 for mandatory secretarial and government filings. Ongoing accounting and tax services are billed based on time spent. Figures are indicative estimates and exclude professional services — confirmed in your discovery meeting.
Why Kelly+Partners
Backed by a network built for private business owners
Kelly+Partners was founded in 2006 and has grown into a network spanning Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond — but every client still works with a real, named adviser.
Our Hong Kong office sits in Tsim Sha Tsui, a short ferry or MTR ride from Central, and works daily with founders from around the world building businesses in Hong Kong.
- 2006Firm founded
- GlobalChartered accounting network
- 40+Offices worldwide
- 700+Team members firm-wide
Hong Kong
Kenneth Ko
Chief Financial Officer/Partner
BBUS, CA, HKICPA
Kenneth is the founding Partner of Kelly+Partners Hong Kong and the CFO of the Kelly+Partners Group.
Kenneth is a Chartered Accountant with more than 18 years of chartered and commercial accounting experience. He commenced his career with BDO Chartered Accountants in 2007 before joining Chandler Macleod in 2011 in a commercial accounting role. In 2013, he moved to Coca-Cola Amatil to lead their financial accounting team.
Kenneth joined Kelly+Partners in 2015 as Finance Manager at the head office in North Sydney. He subsequently founded Kelly+Partners Hong Kong in 2016 and has been the CFO of Kelly+Partners Group since October 2020.
Hong Kong
Susan Zhang
Senior Partner
LLB, LLM, MPracAcc, CPA, Registered Tax Agent
Susan is a Senior Partner at Kelly+Partners Hong Kong.
Susan has over 20 years of professional experience in accounting and financial services. Following her graduation from East China Normal University with a Master of Law, she obtained a Master of Practising Accounting from Monash University and earned her CPA qualification in 2004.
Susan’s career journey includes roles at medium-sized accounting firms, ANZ, and BlackRock. In 2013, she founded her own CPA practice, providing accounting services, business advisory, and tax consulting and compliance services to clients from a variety of industries. Susan joined Kelly+Partners in 2024 as a Partner.
Frequently asked questions
Before you book a call
Do I need to be in Hong Kong in person to open the company?
Incorporation itself can be done remotely. Bank account opening varies by bank — some now allow full remote onboarding, others still prefer an in-branch meeting for new-to-bank company accounts. We'll tell you exactly what your chosen bank requires before you book flights.
Do I need a Hong Kong resident director or shareholder?
No — Hong Kong doesn't require a local resident director or shareholder, which is one of the main reasons it's popular with founders operating remotely. You do need a local registered office and a company secretary, which we provide.
Will a Hong Kong company change my tax residency at home?
Not automatically. Personal tax residency depends on your ties to your home country — property, family, time spent there — not just where the company is registered. We review this as part of the discovery meeting so there are no surprises at tax time.
Can I keep my existing company and add a Hong Kong entity?
Yes — many clients run a Hong Kong subsidiary or sister company alongside an existing entity back home. We'll model whether that structure, a standalone HK Ltd, or a branch registration suits your situation.
How long does the whole process take?
Incorporation is typically 7–10 business days. Bank account opening ranges from around six to eight weeks depending on the bank and how complete your documentation is going in.
Ready to get started?
Let's map your Hong Kong structure properly, the first time. Book a discovery meeting with our Hong Kong team — no cost, no obligation, just a clear view of what your setup should look like.
Kelly+Partners Hong KongSuite 1121, Ocean Centre, 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong(852) 2618 8859hongkong@kellypartners.com.au