How to Set Up a Company in Belize (2026): 7 Steps

To set up a company in Belize in 2026, most foreign founders incorporate a Belize company limited by shares under the Belize Companies Act, 2022. It needs at least one director and one shareholder, who can be individuals or companies of any nationality, and a physical registered address in Belize. If any shareholder, director or beneficial owner is foreign, the incorporation must be filed by a licensed registered agent with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry (BCCAR). After incorporation the company registers with the Belize Tax Service, gets a trade licence from its city or town council and opens a bank account. Timelines depend on how quickly your documents and due-diligence checks are ready. Contact us for a quote.

Want it handled for you? Talk to Easyco about company formation in Belize.

Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, and its dollar has been pegged to the US dollar at 2 to 1 for decades. Its company law was rebuilt recently. The 2019 tax reforms ended the old tax-exempt treatment of international business companies (IBCs), and the Belize Companies Act, 2022 replaced both the old Companies Act and the IBC Act with a single regime. Belize no longer forms IBCs: former IBCs and local companies were re-registered as Belize companies, each with a new 9-digit company number. This guide reflects the current rules.

How to set up a company in Belize: 7 steps

1. Choose the structure

• Company limited by shares, recommended for most foreign founders. At least one director and one shareholder at all times (Belize Companies Act, 2022, ss. 68 and 100). Both can be foreign individuals or companies, and one person can hold both roles. The Act sets no minimum share capital: the articles state the maximum number of shares the company may issue and the share classes. Bearer shares are prohibited (s. 38).

• Other company types under the same Act. Companies limited by guarantee (with or without shares), unlimited companies and segregated portfolio companies (s. 5). These are used for specific purposes such as non-profits or funds.

• Branch of a foreign company. A company incorporated abroad can register in Belize as a foreign company instead. It must have a registered agent in Belize (s. 194) and file an annual return by 30 June each year (s. 197).

2. Appoint a licensed registered agent

Under the Act, incorporation documents can only be filed by a registered agent licensed by the Financial Services Commission (s. 6). The only exception is a company with no foreign shareholders, directors or beneficial owners, which Belizeans can file themselves. For a foreign-owned company, the registered agent is a legal requirement. The agent also runs the due-diligence checks on everyone involved, files the company’s documents during its life and holds copies of its registers. Easyco coordinates this for you.

3. Choose and reserve the company name

The name must not be identical or confusingly similar to an existing one. A limited company’s name must end in “Limited”, “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Sociedad Anónima” or an abbreviation such as “Ltd”, “Corp”, “Inc” or “S.A.” (s. 17). Words such as “Bank”, “Insurance”, “Financial”, “Fund” or “Trust” can only be used by a company licensed for that business, and other restricted words need the Registrar’s consent (s. 18). The registered agent can reserve a name for 90 days (s. 25).

4. Prepare the articles and due-diligence documents

The articles set out the company’s name and type, its registered office, its registered agent and its authorized shares (s. 9). A physical registered address in Belize is required (s. 79). For the due-diligence file, the registered agent usually asks every director, shareholder and beneficial owner for a certified copy of their passport and proof of address. Corporate shareholders provide their certificate of incorporation, proof of good standing and ownership chart. Documents issued abroad may need to be notarized or apostilled.

5. File with the BCCAR

The registered agent files the articles and supporting documents through the BCCAR’s Online Business Registry System (OBRS) and pays the registry fees. Once the Registrar approves the filing, the company receives an electronic certificate of incorporation with its 9-digit company number. On the date of incorporation the registered agent appoints the first directors (s. 104), who then issue the shares to the shareholders.

6. Register for tax and get a trade licence

The company registers with the Belize Tax Service, which records it on the IRIS Belize platform and issues its tax identification number (TIN). It then applies for a trade licence from the city or town council where it operates, which needs the certificate of incorporation and proof of the business premises (owned or leased). If the company hires staff, it registers as an employer with the Social Security Board. If its taxable sales reach BZ$75,000 a year, it must also register for GST (see the tax section below).

7. Open a corporate bank account

Belize has exchange controls run by the Central Bank of Belize. Domestic banks open Belize-dollar accounts for resident companies, and foreign-currency accounts need Central Bank approval. Businesses run from abroad often bank with an international bank licensed under the International Banking Act instead. Every bank applies full know-your-customer checks on the directors, shareholders and beneficial owners and asks about the source of funds. Easyco helps you prepare the file and coordinates the account opening.

Taxes in Belize for a new company

• Business tax on gross receipts: since 2020, companies other than petroleum companies pay no income tax on their profits (Income and Business Tax Act, s. 5(6)). Instead they pay business tax on gross receipts, at a rate set by activity: for example 1.75% for general trade or business, 3% for rents and 6% for professional services. The return is filed and paid monthly, by the 15th day of the following month (s. 109).
• Foreign-source receipts: since the 2019 reforms, certain foreign-source receipts of a company, such as dividends, interest and royalties, are subject to business tax at 5%, with a credit for foreign tax paid (s. 108A).
• GST: 12.5% standard rate. Registration is required once taxable sales reach BZ$75,000 a year, or an average of BZ$6,250 a month for a business operating less than 12 months. Electronic invoicing for GST-registered businesses has started in a voluntary phase and is scheduled to become mandatory in 2027.

We confirm the business tax rate for your activity before you start, and our accounting team can handle the monthly filings.

After incorporation: what to keep up with

• Registers: keep the register of members, the register of directors and the register of beneficial owners at the registered office (s. 86), and file the registers of members and directors with the Registrar (s. 93). Tell the registered agent in writing within 15 days of any change to these registers.
• Accounting records: keep records that explain the company’s transactions and show its financial position, and keep them for at least five years (s. 88).
• Annual return: file it with the Registrar by 30 June each year, made up to 31 December of the previous year (s. 294).
• Every month: business tax return by the 15th, plus the GST return if registered.
• Economic substance: companies that carry on certain “relevant activities”, such as banking, insurance, fund management, financing and leasing, headquarters, shipping, distribution and service centres or holding activities, must meet Belize’s economic substance requirements and report every year (Economic Substance Act, 2019). We check whether this applies to you before you incorporate.

How long does it take?

It depends on how quickly the due-diligence documents are ready, on the registry’s review, on the tax and trade licence registrations and on bank onboarding. We give you a schedule with your quote.

FAQ

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Belize company?

Generally yes. A Belize company can have a single shareholder and a single director, and both can be foreign. Some regulated activities, such as banking, insurance or financial services, need a licence first.

Is there a minimum capital?

The Belize Companies Act, 2022 doesn’t set a minimum share capital for an ordinary company. Regulated businesses can have their own capital requirements.

Can I still form an IBC in Belize?

No. The IBC Act was repealed by the Belize Companies Act, 2022, and former IBCs were re-registered as Belize companies. The old blanket tax exemption for IBCs ended with the 2019 reforms.

Is company ownership private?

Ownership isn’t anonymous. Every company keeps a register of its beneficial owners, its registered agent holds the information, and the registers of members and directors are filed with the Registrar. Bearer shares are prohibited.

Who files the incorporation with the BCCAR?

If any shareholder, director or beneficial owner is not Belizean, a licensed registered agent must file the incorporation with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry (BCCAR) under the Belize Companies Act, 2022. Easyco coordinates this with a licensed agent.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the structure and the services you need. Contact us for a quote.

Easyco services in Belize

• Company formation, coordinated with a licensed registered agent
• Legal representation
• Providing a registered office address
• Tax and accounting, including the monthly business tax and GST returns
• Payroll and Social Security Board registration
• Corporate bank account opening

Expanding into the rest of Central America? Read how to form a company in Guatemala.

Start your company in Belize with Easyco. We coordinate the registered agent, the BCCAR filing, the tax and trade licence registrations and the bank account, and we can stay on for monthly tax filings and payroll.