(Mauritius Global Business Company, Category 1)
Read about the Mauritius Global Business Company, Category 2 (GBC2)
A Mauritius GBC-1 is a corporation registered through the Mauritius Registrar of Companies and regulated by the Financial Services Commission to hold a Category 1 Global Business Licence that enables the company to carry out business activities outside the country. A Global Business Company is a special type of offshore company can be locally incorporated or registered as a branch of a foreign company, and maybe migrated to another domicile yet continue to be a Mauritius GBC-1, if it is permissible by the associated offshore financial center.
There are no minimum or maximum capital requirements and, except for the Mauritian Rupee, the share capital may be expressed in any currency. The Finance Act of 2010 dictates that a GBC-1 may do business in Mauritius, deal with residents of Mauritius and hold shares (or other interests) in a Mauritius-resident corporation. Additionally, a Mauritius GBC-1 may perform any business activity that is legal, does not go against the public interest, and does not negatively affect the good reputation of Mauritius as a tax haven.
Table of Contents:
Mauritius GBC1 | Corporate Details |
General | |
Type of Entity | GBC I |
Type of Law | Hybrid |
Governed by | Companies Act 2001 Financial Services Act 2007 |
Registered Office in Mauritius | Yes |
Shelf company availability | No |
Our time to establish a new company | About 4 Weeks or less |
Minimum government fees (excluding taxation) | US$1,750 to FSC* and US$325 to ROC† |
Corporate Taxation | Varies from 0% to 3% (effective rate) |
Access to Double Taxation Treaties | Yes |
Share capital or equivalent | |
Standard currency | US$ |
Permitted currencies | All except Rs. |
Minimum paid up | US$1 |
Usual authorized | US$1,000,000 |
Bearer shares allowed | No |
No par value shares allowed | Yes |
Directors | |
Minimum number | 2 |
Local required | 2 required for access to tax treaties |
Publicly accessible records | No |
Location of meetings | Anywhere except Mauritius (must include 2+ Directors from Mauritius) |
Corporate directorship allowed | No |
Shareholders | |
Minimum number | 1 |
Publicly accessible records | No |
Corporate shareholder allowed | Yes |
Location of meetings | Mauritius, by proxy |
Company Secretary | |
Required | Yes |
Local or qualified | Local and qualified |
Accounts | |
Requirements to prepare | Yes |
Audit requirements | Yes |
Requirements to file accounts | Yes |
Publicly accessible accounts | No |
Recurring Government Costs | |
Minimum Annual Tax / License Fee | US$1,750 to FSC* |
Annual Return Filing Fee | US$220 to ROC† |
Other | |
Requirement to file annual return | No |
Migration of domicile permitted | Yes |
† ROC: Mauritius Registrar of Companies | |
* FSC: Mauritius Financial Services Commission |
The Guide to Global Business was recently amended by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) to require any Mauritius with a GBC-1 licence to have presence, which may be reasonably expected from a corporation managed and controlled in Mauritius. Additional criteria to be considered by the FSC include: having office premises, holding assets, employing staff and being listed in Mauritius.
Deadline for Mauritius GBC-1 companies to comply with the new requirements: 1 January 2015.
Below is the revised Chapter 4: Section 3 (new requirements are shown in italics):
3. Control and Management of Conduct of Business for a GBC 1
3.1 The following sections provide guidelines on matters which the Commission considers relevant when determining 'management and control'.
3.2 In determining whether the conduct of business will be or is being managed and controlled from Mauritius, the Commission shall take into consideration whether a corporation:
3.2.1 Each resident director mentioned in paragraph 3.2(i) shall also comply with all requirements provided in the Circular Letter (CL280313) issued by the Commission on 28 March 2013 - Annexure 5.
3.3 In addition to the requirements mentioned in section 3.2, when determining whether a corporation is managed and controlled from Mauritius, the Commission shall also consider whether a corporation meets at least one of the following criteria:
3.4 A corporation shall be deemed to have satisfied section 3.3 where a related corporation holding a Category 1 Global Business licence satisfies one of the criteria mentioned in section 3.3.
3.5 With regards to 3.3 (vi) the onus is on the corporation to satisfy the Commission that its level of expenditure in Mauritius is reasonable. Reasonableness of expenditure would be judged in the light of circumstances of each case. Factors to be considered to decide whether the level of expenditure of a corporation is reasonable include the type of activity of the corporation, its average turnover, the country(ies) in which it is conducting business, the value of its net assets and the industry average.
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Regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission and ruled by the Companies Act of 2001 and the Financial Services Act 2007, the FSC determines whether a Mauritius GBC-1 licence should be granted or renewed by taking into consideration whether the company will be managed and controlled in Mauritius.
Mauritius companies are accountable to criteria akin to that of UK and Hong Kong companies. Thus, the FSC awards GBC-1 licenses only to qualifying companies on an individual basis that comply with the criteria below:
Mauritius GBC-1 licenced companies benefit from Double Taxation Treaties signed between Mauritius and a growing network of countries. As of first quarter of 2014, these include:
Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kuwait, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, People’s Republic of China, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, State of Qatar, Swaziland, Sweden (New), Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
For tax purposes, a Mauritius GBC-1 licenced company is resident in Mauritius.
A Tax Residency Certificate is required for a Mauritius GBC-1 company to receive the benefit of its tax treaties. To qualify for the Mauritius Tax Residency Certificate, central control and administration of a GBC-1 must be located in Mauritius and be materially proven.
Specifically, the Mauritius GBC-1 must show that:
Companies holding a Mauritius GBC-1 licence must file its audited accounts, each year, within 6 months of the company’s fiscal year end, with the Financial Services Commission.
Annual tax returns are not required.
A Mauritius GBC-1 offshore company must disclose, to the Mauritius Registrar of Companies, the names of directors and beneficial owners. This information, however, is not made publicly available.
When registering your Mauritius GBC-1 company, you may choose to use nominee directors and shareholders, for complete anonymity. Mandatory annual filing of the company's accounts are not disclosed to the public.
In the Financial Services Act 2007, a particular provision (Section 83) speaks to the issue of confidentiality. It states that unless appropriate permission is granted by any official of the Financial Services Commission, disclosure of confidential information pertaining to a Mauritius GBC-1 is an offence punishable by imprisonment and fine.
All information filed with the Financial Services Commission is for its use only and fully confidential. This information may only be disclosed following presentation of proof of drug trafficking, arms dealing, money laundering and/or terrorist financing, under the rigorously limited provisions of the Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering and the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies are allowed registered shares, preference shares, redeemable shares and shares with or without voting rights. The Stated Capital comprises the total amount received and receivable by the company with respect to the issue of shares or calls therewith.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies have no minimum capital requirement.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies must file audited financial statements annually with the Financial Services Commission.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies must have a minimum of two Directors who must be natural persons residing in Mauritius.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies must also appoint a qualified company secretary who resides in Mauritius.
Mauritius companies with a GBC-1 licence require a minimum of one shareholder; the same rule applies if the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary.
To operate as a banking or insurance business, or to receive funds from depositors, a licence is required.
Companies incorporated in Mauritius have equal power as that of a natural person.
Though documentation may be written in any language, it must be supplemented with a certified English translation. The legislation is written in English and French.
A registered office must be kept at the domicile of a licenced Mauritian management company or law firm.
A Mauritian Resident Director and Resident Secretary are required at all times for all Mauritius GBC-1 licenced companies. In addition, a local bank, auditor and accountant are mandatory.
Corporate Directors are not allowed. Shareholders must hold an annual meeting every calendar year
No
Under four weeks, as long as there is no delay in receiving all relevant documentation.
No company may be formed with a name that is like or the same as any existing company. Nor may any name that implies the support or backing of the President or the Government of Mauritius.
The name of the company may be in either English or French.
Companies having the following names or any derivative thereof require special permission or adequate licence: assurance, bank, building society, Chamber of Commerce, chartered, co-operative, government, imperial, insurance, municipal, royal, state or trust. Also any name that, in the opinion of the Registrar, implies the support or backing of the President or the Government of Mauritius.
Mauritius GBC-1 companies may use the following international terms (or any related abbreviations) to connote limited liability: Limited, Corporation, Incorporated, Public Limited Company, Société Anonyme, Société Anonyme à Responsabilité Limitée, Sociedad Anónima, Berhad, Proprietary, Naamloze Vennootschap, Besloten Vennootschap, or Aktiengesellschaft.
USD $1,750 - Paid to the Financial Services Commission
Approximately USD $325 for a Private Limited Company and USD $450 for a Public Limited Company paid to the Registrar of Companies
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