Company incorporation and formation services

Hawksford is licensed to act as company secretary across our international offices.

Secretarial services

Our company secretariats and administrators can assist with the following:

• Assisting clients with understanding and compliance with local regulations
• Ensuring compliance with statutory deadlines and procedures
• Maintaining the statutory registers
• Ensuring the company files statutory information accurately and on time, including the filing of special resolutions
• Safekeeping, updating and maintaining registers, minutes books and other statutory records of the company
• Providing shareholders and directors with notice of meetings
• Ensuring that people entitled to do so can inspect company records
• Custody and use of the company seal
• Submission of annual tax returns
• Maintenance of statutory records
• Preparation and filing of annual returns
• Advice and implementation of changes to company structure, as required
• Company dissolution and windup
• In Hong Kong specifically, we can provide company secretarial services for listed companies

Clients will normally ask us to provide the ongoing administration and secretarial services where we have managed the company formation process.

We can provide the following onshore and offshore corporate administration solutions:

• Incorporation of companies – across multiple jurisdictions, such as (but not limited to):
  • Asia: Hong Kong and Singapore
  • Caribbean: British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands
  • Europe Union: Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Cyprus, Malta and United Kingdom
  • UAE: Jebel Ali and Ras Al Khaimah
• Consultancy and advisory – on areas such as initial public offerings (IPOs) and corporate structuring
• Provision of experienced professional corporate directors/trustees
• Company secretarial and registered agent
• Bookkeeping and financial reporting
• Corporate succession planning
• Fund administration services
• Provision of registered office address for the company
• Provision of resident local directors
• Drafting of shareholder agreements

Specialist areas

We have been providing corporate solutions to clients for many years and as a result, have gained insights and expertise in a wide range of specialist areas.

We offer dedicated company administration services, which include:

• Provision of registered office address for the company
• Provision of resident local director
• Drafting of shareholder agreements
• Maintenance of statutory records
• Preparation and filing of annual returns
• Advice and implementation of changes to company structure, as required
• Company dissolution and windup

We can assist with the incorporation of companies in most jurisdictions.

Services include:

• Administration services
• Director services
• Company secretarial services
• Registered office services (only available to clients using another Hawksford service)
• Registered agent services
• Registrar services

Our clients range from multinational and institutionally-owned businesses to start-up and medium-sized enterprises. We work with businesses at every size and stage of development.

Formation of a company

We are proud to be a leading provider of company formation and administration services to companies across the globe.  

To support new businesses, we offer a range of ready-made company formation packages designed to streamline the company formation process. 

Behind every successful company sits a strong board of directors and a team of administrators, who are knowledgeable and experienced in the regulation of the region in which the company operates.

Company directorships

Our directors are highly qualified, experienced and, above all, trusted professionals in the eyes of our clients and client advisers.

We provide director services from our international offices in Jersey, Hong Kong and Singapore, which include:

• Attendance at regular board meetings in person or by video conference call as required
• Proactive and responsive dialogue with the client, and other advisers and directors on a regular basis and tailored to your preferences
• Oversight of company administration in accordance with local legal requirements and the constitution of the company, including where constitutions are bespoke to specific client requirements, and other company secretarial requirements
• Timely assistance with and review of document execution to allow for the efficient operation of the company
• Access to our director's network of established and international legal, tax and accountancy professionals
• From Singapore and Hong Kong, we can provide nominee director services held by a resident local director where required, as well as substantive directorship for limited liability companies where an Independent Non-Executive Director (INED) appointment is needed to fulfil the board quorum requirement

When you have worked hard to build a valuable business, you’ll want to do what you can to safeguard what is yours.

We assist start-up businesses with trademarking of their company name, slogan or logo.

Trademarking services

Our services include:

• Conducting a trademark search
• Completing the trademark application
• Filing the trademark application
• Liaising with relevant regulatory authority to answer questions as they arise during application processing

Jurisdictions

These services are available from the following jurisdictions:

• HONG KONG
• SINGAPORE
• CHINA

Immigration

When bringing your business and family to another country, understanding the various immigration regulatory requirements can be overwhelming.

We help entrepreneurs and foreign firms to navigate immigration regulations when they want to explore immigration for themselves, their families or their staff.

How our immigration services can help you

Unlike other visa processing companies, we take time to review each case beforehand, guiding you appropriately through the application process. An objective and realistic assessment of your immigration options, which includes providing advice on the suitability of different visa types for your professional background, will be done before we engage with you.

Who can benefit from our immigration advice?

• Entrepreneurs who want to set up their business in Hong Kong or Singapore
• Human resources (HR) staff seeking to outsource work passes application for their business
• Individuals who want to apply for Hong Kong or Singapore permanent residence
• Individuals who want to apply for dependent passes for their spouse, parent or children

Complementary services we offer

• Incorporation of legal entities
• Application of business licenses

Jurisdictions

These services are available from the following jurisdictions:

• HONG KONG
• SINGAPORE
• MAURITIUS
• UNITED KINGDOM

View our immigration services

We make paying your employees simple. When you outsource payroll services to Hawksford, some of your administrative burdens are lifted.

Payroll services

We offer:

• Cloud services – 24/7 access anytime, anywhere on a browser or mobile app
• Employee salary and statutory deductions calculation
• Payment arrangements to employees and statutory authorities
• Expense reimbursement arrangements
• Employee benefits computation
• Determination of final payment upon termination of an employee
• Preparation of year-end tax forms for employees

View our full list of payroll services

Our accounting services and solutions are flexible – they can be scaled up during periods of peak activity, and then scaled down when they are no longer required. Let our skilled team provide you with timely service and relevant advice.

Corporate tax filing

We offer a broad range of solutions that can be customised to the unique needs of an individual or business. In essence, you leave the day-to-day accounting and tax worries to us so that you can focus on your business.

If you are looking to outsource your accounting and tax filling, we have solutions for:

• Tax optimisation strategy advice and implementation
• Corporate taxes planning and filing
• Personal taxes planning and filing
• Tax efficient employee remuneration strategies
• Tax optimized business exit strategies

View our tax compliance services

The ways in which Hawksford establish trusts can be used in the commercial context are extensive, however, Jersey trusts are often used for the following commercial purposes:

• As a Unit Trust for the collective investment of capital
• In off-balance sheet transactions, the share capital of an 'orphan' Special Purpose Vehicle will typically be held by a Trustee under the terms of a Charitable Trust
• In an inter-creditor agreement, the rights of one creditor group may be subordinated to the rights of other creditors and regulated under the terms of a subordination trust forming part of the overall security package
• Asset securitisation schemes have been structured to provide for mortgages and receivables to be held pursuant to the terms of a trust
• Employee share options and executive incentive schemes (as well as regular pension schemes) will benefit from being established in a politically stable, fiscally neutral jurisdiction

Jurisdictions

These services are available from the following jurisdictions:

• JERSEY
• SINGAPORE

We can provide you with consultancy services to assist you with obtaining the necessary licenses and permits for your business.

We have staff who are familiar and experienced with the nuances of various industries in Hong Kong and Singapore, and have assisted numerous companies in applying for their required business licenses.

Our business license services consist of:

• Research and information on applicable licenses
• Assistance with filing of an application for relevant license(s)
• Responding to requests for additional information from the government
• We can assist with obtaining business permits and licenses in some industries in particular education, financial advisory services, recruitment and the travel industry, to name just a few

Our business licence services are for:

• Entrepreneurs
• Business owners looking to expand their business services

Jurisdictions

These services are available from the following jurisdictions:

• HONG KONG
• SINGAPORE
• CHINA
• UNITED KINGDOM

Outsource your administration

Nowadays, businesses of all sizes recognise the benefits involved in outsourcing.

Key benefits:

• Outsourcing helps with budgeting, by converting fixed costs into variable costs.
• The easier way to undertake ad-hoc projects, for an SME, finding the staff and resources required to take a project to a successful conclusion is often a hurdle. We have exceptional people and the resources you need.
• Reducing your exposure to risk. By outsourcing, be it financial conditions, technology, markets, etc., you pass some of this risk onto us.
• Flexibility and expertise. Outsourcing to Hawksford provides access to a wide breadth of skills and experience as a one-off, or as part of a long-term business support relationship.
• Introducing best practice. A strong emphasis on customer satisfaction and service provision means that you are likely to see a notable increase in productivity, quality and performance metrics.
• Allows you to specialise in what you do best and not be distracted by internal issues.

Appointing Hawksford to act as a Temporary CFO for your business provides all the capabilities of an accounting department at a fraction of the cost of an in-house solution.

Key benefits:

• A better understanding of company financials that gives you fewer surprises and more control
• Improved decision-making capabilities
• Improved quality and timeliness of financial information
• High-quality budget preparation and monitoring
• Professional advice on business decisions and business plans
• Profitability analysis by service or product line
• Tax saving strategies
• Trend analysis
• Cash management
• Assistance in obtaining financing from banks, including assistance with negotiations
• Mergers and acquisitions assistance
• Development of company accounting procedure manuals