Belize

Company formation and compliance in Belize.

Form a Belize business company (the former IBC, now constituted under the Belize Companies Act 2022) at BCCAR through a mandatory licensed registered agent, which also provides the required Belize registered office: one shareholder and one director minimum, which may be the same non-resident person, corporate directors permitted, 100% foreign ownership, and a state fee of BZ$300 where authorised share capital is at or below BZ$50,000 (BZ$2,000 above it), then BZ$200 a year to stay in good standing. An International LLC (US$200 to register with an operating agreement, US$150 a year — the BCCAR states these lines in USD and the client settles the BZD equivalent), an International Foundation (BZ$200 / BZ$200) and a registered International Trust (BZ$100) sit on the same schedule. Belize is NOT blanket tax-exempt: the 2019 reform ended automatic exemption, so every company obtains a TIN and files an annual Business Tax Return (form BTS290, reported due 31 March via IRIS Belize) — a company with Belize-source income or Belize tax residence pays business tax on TURNOVER by activity class once receipts exceed BZ$75,000 (1.75% trade or business, 6% professional services, 3% rental, 15% real-estate business, 19% telecommunications), while a genuine non-included entity managed and tax-resident abroad files to evidence that position. GST is 12.5% with a BZ$75,000 registration threshold and bites only on Belize supplies. The recurring offshore obligations are the annual economic-substance declaration to the Financial Services Commission and the beneficial-ownership register kept current by the agent. Trade marks and patents are filed at BELIPO, where a foreign applicant must record an address for service and act through a local agent. English is the sole official language of Belize and of every authority above.