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Company Incorporation World Wide

By Mayashree Acharya

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Updated on: Nov 29th, 2021

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10 min read

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Setting up business outside India is an excellent approach for companies to expand their presence worldwide by optimising their capital, technology, workforce, and information. Many Indian business organisations seek to expand and grow their businesses worldwide to cater to the demands of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other potential customers. 

A country ranking high in terms of ease of doing business and offering maximum tax benefits is the best location for Indian residents to incorporate their company internationally. But, the process of incorporating a company worldwide depends upon that country’s legal and tax implications. Incorporating a company overseas is one of the significant ways to manage worldwide commercial activities. 

The top five popular destinations worldwide for company incorporation and their details are provided below.

Company Incorporation in the USA

The United States of America (USA) is a popular destination for expanding businesses worldwide due to its well-formed business regulations and rules. The USA also has an open and lucrative consumer market. However, the rules differ from one state to another. 

Benefits of company incorporation in the USA

  • Business-friendly regulation and rules
  • Quick and streamlined process of incorporation
  • Low rates of corporate income tax
  • Favourable taxation laws for foreign business entities
  • The USA has entered into tax agreements for eliminating double taxation
  • Futuristic infrastructure and a host of technologies for new and emerging businesses
  • Rapid growth of companies

Requirements to incorporate a company in the USA

  • Minimum one shareholder of any nationality
  • Minimum one director of any nationality 
  • The shareholder can also be the director
  • No minimum capital requirement (however, the capital requirement may vary depending upon the state and the activities of the company) 
  • A local registered agent (In most states, a friend or relative can be the registered agent if the person is more than 18 years and has a proper street address in that particular state)

Documents required for company incorporation in the USA

  • Copy of passport of shareholder and director
  • Copy of Certificate of Incorporation of the company
  • Copy of the company’s Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Articles of Association (AoA)
  • Copy of the company’s PAN card 

Company Incorporation in Australia

Australia is a popular location for incorporating a company as it has a prospering economy, untapped resources and abundant raw materials. Plus, it offers multilingual and highly adept work personnel, a stable regulatory environment and progressive culture of innovation.

Benefits of company incorporation in Australia 

  • A company can be incorporated as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), sole partnership or a partnership firm (either limited or general) 
  • Lower rate of corporate tax 
  • No requirement of a minimum paid-up share capital 
  • Faster to incorporate
  • Numerous free-trade agreements with countries in Asia, America and Europe 
  • No requirement to disclose information about shareholders or investors 
  • A multilingual workforce that helps to employ people across cultures

Requirements to incorporate a company in Australia

  • Minimum one shareholder of any nationality
  • Minimum one director who is an Australian resident
  • No minimum share capital (share capital of AUD 1 is sufficient)
  • Registered local office address
  • Mandatory appointment of a Public Officer for the company as prescribed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) 

Documents required for company incorporation in Australia

  • Notarised copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the company
  • Notarised copies of the company’s MoA and AoA
  • Notarised copies of the details of directors and shareholders of the company
  • Notarised copies of consent letters from the directors and shareholders
  • Notarised copies of the passport of individual shareholders and directors
  • Extract of companies registrar

Company Incorporation in Singapore

Singapore is the most sought after destination for company incorporation as it provides ease of company set up, has a strong trade policy and garners significant revenues for the company. Plus, the Singapore companies act allows 100% foreign ownership of companies. 

Benefits of company incorporation in Singapore 

  • Strong, stable economy and highly developed capital markets
  • Low corporate tax rates
  • Efficient and easy company incorporation process 
  • Strategic geographical location and excellent infrastructure
  • Highly productive workforce
  • No restriction on repatriation of profits or capital import 
  • Flexible immigration policies

Requirements to incorporate a company in Singapore

  • Minimum one shareholder (individual or corporate entity)
  • Minimum one resident director (can be resident of the country or be an Employment Pass Holder)
  • Minimum one company secretary (resident of Singapore)
  • Local registered office address
  • Shareholder and director can be the same or different person
  • 100% foreign or local shareholdings is also allowed
  • Maximum 50 shareholders for private limited company
  • Bank account of the company in Singapore
  • Director or company representative must visit Singapore for opening the bank account 

Documents required for company incorporation in Singapore

  • Passport copy of the shareholders and directors
  • Copy of the national identity card or Aadhaar card of the shareholders and directors
  • Recent utility bill, bank statement or credit card statement containing the name and residential address of the shareholders and directors
  • Certificate of Incorporation of the company
  • Company’s MoA and AoA
  • Board resolution containing details of the formation of the branch or subsidiary nominating an authorised manager

Company Incorporation in Dubai

Dubai is one of the desired places to incorporate a company due to its brilliant tax setup. There are more than 25 Free Trade Zones (FTZ) in Dubai, thus attracting investors from all around the globe. 

Benefits of company incorporation in Dubai

  • Complete ownership of the company in Dubai by an investor of any nationality 
  • 100% repatriation of capital and profits is allowed
  • No personal or corporate income taxes
  • Lenient labour laws make it cost-effective to recruit labour forces
  • Excellent physical infrastructure
  • Provisions relating to commercial companies law do not apply to Free Zones
  • Some of the Free Zones provide shared offices and virtual office facilities 

Requirements to incorporate a company in Dubai

  • Minimum one shareholder for a company incorporated in Free Zone Establishment (FZE) and minimum two to ten shareholders for a company incorporated in Free Zone Company (FZC) 
  • No mandatory requirement of a paid-up capital (However, there is a requirement of minimum capital that is specific to each free zone depending upon the type of entity)
  • Compulsory virtual office or office space 
  • Minimum one director/manager
  • Bank account of the company in Dubai
  • Director or company representative must visit Dubai for opening and security approval of the company bank account 

Documents required for company incorporation in Dubai

  • Passport copy of the shareholders and directors
  • Copy of National identity card or Aadhaar card of the shareholders and directors
  • Recent utility bill, bank statement or credit card statement containing the name and residential address of the shareholders and directors
  • Certificate of Incorporation of the company
  • Company’s MoA and AoA
  • Board resolution containing details of the formation of the branch or subsidiary nominating an authorised manager

Company Incorporation in Germany

Germany is Europe’s largest market and an attractive place for investors from all over the world. It is an innovative leader across many technological areas, having an outstandingly developed infrastructure and a highly qualified workforce. 

Benefits of company incorporation in Germany

  • Easy access to most of the European countries as it is centrally located 
  • Highly skilled workforce
  • Based on a free-market economy 
  • Effective regulative measures from the state
  • Europe’s most cost-effective location 
  • High productivity rates and quality standards
  • Europe’s number one logistics market due to its transportation infrastructure 
  • Availability of Government support in recruitment and training
  • Provides grants, low-interest loans and other government initiatives for small business entities at entry level
  • Germany has signed treaties with more than about 90 countries, including India, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Netherlands, etc

Requirements to incorporate a company in Germany

  • Minimum one shareholder (can be corporate entity or individual) 
  • Minimum one director (can be corporate entity or individual)
  • Shareholder and director can be the same or different person of any nationality
  • 100% foreign or local shareholding allowed
  • Local registered office address 
  • Bank account of the company in Germany
  • Director or company representative must visit Germany for opening the bank account 

Documents required for company incorporation in Germany

  • Passport copy of the shareholders and directors
  • Copy of National identity card or Aadhaar card of the shareholders and directors
  • Recent utility bill, bank statement or credit card statement containing the name and residential address of the shareholders and directors
  • Certificate of Incorporation of the company
  • Company’s MoA and AoA
  • Board resolution containing details of the formation of the branch or subsidiary nominating an authorised manager

Disclaimer: The materials provided herein are solely for information purposes. No attorney-client relationship is created when you access or use the site or the materials. The information presented on this site does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes or used as a substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

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