What is a business registration certificate?

Business Registration Certificate (BR) is issued by the Business Registration Office under the Inland Revenue Department. The Business Registration Certificate is a business certification document that enables business people to easily fulfill their legal responsibilities and facilitates the public to obtain the business registration information. business information. The Business Registration Office provides business registration services for businesses operating in Hong Kong, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, local limited companies or non-Hong Kong companies.

According to the provisions of the Business Registration Ordinance, all business operators in Hong Kong need to apply for business registration with the Business Registration Office within one month after opening their business. The so-called "business" generally refers to any form of business, commerce, craft, profession, occupation or other activity conducted for the purpose of profit, including physical or online business.

What is company registration?

Company registration (Certificate of Incorporation, referred to as CI) is handled exclusively by the Companies Registry. The Companies Registry provides company registration services for local limited companies and overseas companies with business locations in Hong Kong. To set up a local limited company, you need to draft a company name first. The proposed name needs to comply with regulations and cannot be used by existing companies. Complete the required documents and submit them to the Registrar of Companies. If the application is approved, a certificate of company registration will be issued.

What is the role of company registration number?

The company registration certificate includes the company name, company registration date and company registration number. The company registration number is located in the upper left corner of the certificate. It is a 7-digit number used as a tax number, symbolizing the company becoming a taxpayer and enforcing tax laws. The company registration number is like a business license, proving that the business has been registered with the Company Registry and has legal operating rights. The company's daily operating activities, such as signing contracts and opening company bank accounts, may require the company registration number to be shown.

What are the differences between company registration certificate and business registration certificate?

If a business operator establishes a "limited company" in Hong Kong, he or she needs to apply to the Companies Registry to register the company. When applying for the establishment of a limited company at the Companies Registry, you can submit a business registration application at the same time, and both processes should be processed at the same time. ; If you only set up an "unlimited company", including a sole proprietorship or partnership business, since the legal responsibility lies with the proprietor rather than the company, you only need to apply for a business registration certificate at the Business Registration Office.

What are the differences between business registration, business license and company registration?

The functions of the above three are not the same and are managed by different government departments. Applying for a business registration certificate is not equivalent to registering a company or applying for a business license. Applications for these three must be submitted to the dedicated government departments separately.

To register a company, you need to submit an application to the Companies Registry, such as the company’s birth certificate, which represents the company’s legal status and effectiveness, and then apply for a business license from the relevant government department according to the nature of your business. For example, selling food online requires applying to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Apply for a food manufacturing factory license.

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