Company Formation in Bahamas

Last updated: April 2026.

The Bahamas registered its first International Business Company in 1990 and has never introduced a general corporate income tax. The headline rate is zero. No VAT on IBC offshore receipts. No capital gains tax. No withholding tax on dividends, interest, or royalties paid to non-residents. Formation through the Registrar General's Department takes 48 hours on Regular service and as little as 1 hour on Express. One director and one shareholder are enough — same person allowed, any nationality. The regulatory landscape changed in June 2025: the Companies (Amendment) Act 2025 prohibits nominee directors outright, with a transitional window that closes on 19 July 2026. A parallel DMTT regime captures multinational groups above €750 million from FY 2024/25.

We form Bahamas IBCs end to end: name reservation, licensed Registered Agent, drafting, Registrar General filing, beneficial-ownership registration, Economic Substance classification, and banking introductions. Fixed price. No hourly billing.

Quick facts	Value
Corporate income tax	0% (15% DMTT applies only to MNE groups with €750m+ revenue under Pillar Two)
Capital gains tax	0%
Withholding tax (dividends, interest, royalties)	0%
VAT (standard)	10% — registration threshold BSD 100,000
VAT (reduced — essentials from 1 Sept 2025)	5%
Minimum share capital (IBC)	None — statutory minimum is zero, standard authorised capital USD 50,000
Minimum directors / shareholders	1 director, 1 shareholder (same person allowed, any nationality)
Residency requirement	None for directors or shareholders
Standard formation time	48 hours Regular / 1 hour Express via Registrar General
Annual Business Licence	0.5%–1.25% of turnover (flat BSD 100 if turnover ≤ BSD 50k)
Government fees	Included in our packages
Language of filings	English
Currency	Bahamian Dollar (BSD) — pegged 1:1 to USD

Why Form a Company in the Bahamas

The Bahamas is a full-service offshore financial centre that has kept its tax posture simple for over a century. Four points drive formation volume.

Zero direct tax on IBC profits. A Bahamas IBC pays no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on outbound payments, and no stamp duty on transfers of shares held offshore. Recurring costs are the registered agent fee, registered office, and annual return.

The statute is mature. The International Business Companies Act 2000 replaced a 1989 predecessor and has been amended regularly since — most recently in June 2025. The Companies Act 1992 governs domestic entities. Both are English-common-law based. Privy Council decisions bind the Bahamian courts.

Formation is fast. The Registrar General offers Express Incorporation in 1 hour and Regular service in 48 hours. End to end, a new IBC is operational inside a working week.

Not a grey-list jurisdiction. The Bahamas is not on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions and has passed recent OECD Global Forum peer reviews. The Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax Act came into force on 29 November 2024 and brings the country into line with OECD Pillar Two for large multinationals.

Trade-offs are real. Bahamian banks decline US and Canadian signatories because FATCA reporting costs exceed the deposit margin. The June 2025 amendments prohibited nominee directors outright — a material shift from the historical privacy posture. IBCs cannot do business with Bahamian residents — a statutory ring-fence in the IBC Act. For onshore operating businesses, a domestic Companies Act company is the right tool instead.

Company Types Available in the Bahamas

Bahamian corporate law offers a defined menu. The International Business Company covers the overwhelming majority of non-resident incorporations.

International Business Company ("IBC")

The default offshore vehicle. Governed by the International Business Companies Act 2000. Limited liability up to the value of issued shares. One director, one shareholder — can be the same natural or legal person. No statutory minimum capital. Standard template: 50,000 authorised shares of USD 1 each. Cannot own Bahamian real estate (save a registered office), cannot carry on banking or insurance without a licence, cannot conduct business with Bahamian residents. Used for holding, trading, IP licensing, joint-venture SPVs, crypto vehicles, and yacht ownership.

Company Limited by Shares ("Domestic Company")

Bahamas domestic company under the Companies Act 1992. The onshore counterpart to an IBC — pays the Business Licence turnover tax (0.5%–1.25%), files audited accounts above prescribed thresholds, and can transact with Bahamian residents. Used by businesses operating on-island: hospitality, retail, resident-facing services.

Segregated Accounts Company ("SAC")

Cell-structured entity under the Segregated Accounts Companies Act 2004. Creates ring-fenced asset pools — each segregated account has its own creditors and statutory protection from contamination by sister cells. Used for captive insurance, multi-class fund structures, and securitisation.

Exempted Limited Partnership ("ELP")

Governed by the Exempted Limited Partnership Act 1995. General partner with unlimited liability plus limited partners with capped exposure. Used almost exclusively for private fund structures — private equity, VC, real estate funds — with an IBC as general partner.

Foundation

Governed by the Foundations Act 2004. A non-corporate, non-trust legal person used for wealth structuring and succession planning. Initial minimum endowment USD 10,000. Niche — deployed by families wanting a continental-civilian alternative to a common-law trust.

Form	Min capital	Liability	Tax	Common use
IBC	None	Limited	0% on offshore income	Default — offshore trading, holding, JVs
Domestic Company	None	Limited	Business Licence 0.5%–1.25% of turnover	On-island operating business
SAC	None	Limited per cell	0% on offshore income	Captive insurance, multi-class funds
ELP	None (per partner)	Mixed	0% at partnership level	Private funds
Foundation	USD 10,000	Limited	0%	Family wealth structuring

For buyers who need a Bahamas vehicle this week rather than an incorporation, our sister brand offers ready-made Bahamas IBCs — pre-registered, dormant, and transferable inside a few business days.

Step-by-Step Formation Process

A standard Bahamas IBC formation through the Registrar General's Department follows these steps.

1. Name check and reservation. We run the proposed name against the Registrar General's Companies Register. Bahamas IBC names end in "Limited", "Corporation", "Incorporated", "Society Anonyme", "Sociedad Anonima", or their abbreviations. Restricted words — bank, trust, insurance, royal, assurance, Bahamian — require Securities Commission or Central Bank consent. Two alternatives are standard practice.

1. Registered Agent appointment. Every Bahamas IBC must have a licensed Bahamas Registered Agent under the International Business Companies Act 2000. This is mandatory. We act as Registered Agent through our licensed Bahamian partner firm. The Registered Agent holds the statutory records, the Register of Directors, the Register of Members, and files the Declaration of Trust where a licensed nominee shareholder is used.

1. Memorandum and Articles of Association. We draft the M&A — Bahamian constitutional documents. Standard template covers holding, trading, and IP-licensing IBCs. Bespoke drafting available for joint-venture share classes, redemption mechanics, and bespoke director veto provisions.

1. KYC on directors, shareholders, and beneficial owners. Each director, shareholder, and natural person holding 10% or more of the shares or voting rights provides passport, proof of address, professional or banker's reference, and source-of-funds declaration. The 10% threshold is lower than the 25% BVI/Cayman standard — the Bahamian Register of Beneficial Ownership uses a wider net.

1. Registrar General filing. The incorporation application goes to the Registrar General's Department. Regular processing is 48 hours. Express processing is 1 hour. We use Express by default for clients where timing matters.

1. Certificate of Incorporation. Issued by the Registrar General upon approval. The IBC exists from the moment the certificate is issued.

1. Beneficial-ownership filing. Under the Register of Beneficial Ownership Act 2018 and its 2025 amendments, beneficial-ownership data must be filed within 15 days of incorporation or any change. The register is held by the Registered Agent with real-time electronic access for competent authorities.

1. Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) notification. Every IBC carrying on a "relevant activity" — banking, insurance, fund management, finance and leasing, headquarters, shipping, holding, IP, distribution, service centre — files an Economic Substance notification with annual renewal. We classify every new IBC at incorporation.

1. Banking and operational set-up. Bank or EMI introduction, Business Licence registration where on-island activity exists, and planning for annual return filings. DMTT registration applies only to in-scope MNE groups with consolidated revenue above €750 million.

End-to-end from KYC clearance to a fully operational Bahamas IBC with a banking solution runs 5 to 10 business days. The Certificate of Incorporation lands on day 1 or 2. Banking takes the longest, and choice of bank matters — see the Banking section below.

Required Documents

For each director, shareholder, and beneficial owner (10%+ holder) we need:

• Government-issued photo ID — passport preferred, biometric national ID accepted
• Proof of residential address dated within three months — utility bill, bank statement, or government letter
• Professional reference or banker's reference (required by Registered Agent KYC)
• Source-of-funds declaration with supporting evidence where amounts are material
• Date of birth, nationality, occupation, and current residential address
• For politically exposed persons: enhanced due diligence questionnaire

For corporate shareholders:

• Certificate of incorporation (apostilled or with certified English translation if not in English)
• Register of directors and register of members
• Good-standing certificate dated within three months
• Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Ultimate beneficial owner declaration identifying the natural persons

You also confirm the share structure (most commonly 50,000 authorised shares of USD 1), business activity, and the registered office address. We provide the Registered Agent and registered office as part of the package.

Apostille is required for foreign corporate documents and most source-of-funds evidence. Natural-person KYC documents generally do not require apostille — certified true copies by a notary, lawyer, or bank manager are accepted.

Costs and Timeline

Bahamas IBC costs depend on the authorised share capital band, whether the IBC falls within an Economic Substance relevant activity, and whether you need ancillary services — licensed nominee shareholder representation, accounting, or ongoing corporate secretarial work. Bank account opening is the cost-of-time variable.

Our packages cover the full incorporation through the Registrar General, all government filing costs, Registered Agent and registered office for year one, M&A drafting, beneficial-ownership filing, Economic Substance notification, and a banking introduction calibrated to your profile. Contact us for a fixed-price quote — no hourly bills, no surcharges added later.

Typical timeline from KYC clearance:

Day	Milestone
0	Engagement, KYC submitted
1	KYC cleared, M&A drafted, Registered Agent appointed
2	Registrar General filing submitted (Express 1 hour / Regular 48 hours)
2–3	Certificate of Incorporation issued
3–4	Beneficial-ownership register filed, Economic Substance notification lodged
5–10	Bank account opened (highly variable per provider)

Tax Overview for Bahamas Companies

The Bahamian tax regime is short. That is deliberate.

Corporate income tax: 0% on Bahamas IBCs and on the offshore profits of domestic companies. No minimum tax, no alternative minimum tax, no surtax. The regime has been zero since the IBC Act came into force in 1990 and has survived several OECD and EU review cycles.

Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax: 15% — but only for multinational enterprise groups with consolidated revenue of €750 million or more, under the Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax Act enacted 29 November 2024. In-scope entities must file a DMTT Notification Form by 31 March 2026. Over 99% of cf24 clients sit below this threshold and continue to pay no Bahamian corporate tax whatsoever.

Capital gains tax: 0%. Sales of shares in subsidiaries, sales of financial assets, and offshore real-estate gains are untaxed at the Bahamian level.

Withholding tax: 0% on dividends, interest, royalties, or service fees paid by a Bahamas IBC to non-residents. The Bahamas has no domestic withholding tax regime and therefore no treaty network is required — because there is no domestic tax to eliminate.

VAT: 10% standard rate on Bahamian-source taxable supplies, with a registration threshold of BSD 100,000 per 12-month period. A 5% reduced rate applies from 1 September 2025 on medicines, medical supplies, feminine hygiene products, and diapers. IBCs that do not transact with Bahamian residents are outside the VAT system entirely — the statutory ring-fence in the IBC Act means offshore receipts are not Bahamian-source.

Business Licence fee applies to domestic companies (not IBCs) on a turnover-banded basis: flat BSD 100 up to BSD 50,000; 0.5% from BSD 50,001 to BSD 500,000; 0.75% to BSD 5 million; 1.25% above.

Stamp duty on the initial authorised share capital of a domestic limited company runs at BSD 64 on the first BSD 5,000 and BSD 3 on each additional BSD 1,000. Stamp duty does not apply to IBC share issuances. Real-estate stamp duty runs from 2% to 10%.

Payroll taxes apply only where the company employs staff physically in the Bahamas. National Insurance contributions are shared between employer and employee, capped at an insurable wage ceiling.

Economic Substance. Under the Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act 2018, IBCs carrying on a "relevant activity" must demonstrate adequate substance in the Bahamas. Pure-equity holding companies have reduced requirements; trading and IP companies carry the highest bar. Annual ES reports are filed via the Bahamas ES portal within 9 months of fiscal year end. Penalties run to BSD 150,000 and include strike-off.

Tax residence certificates are not issued because the Bahamas does not tax IBCs. Where treaty access matters — a holding structure relying on the EU Parent-Subsidiary Directive, for example — a Bahamas IBC is rarely the right vehicle.

Banking for Bahamas Companies

Bahamian banking tightened after the 2018 FATF evaluation and again after the DMTT announcement. Two realities drive bank selection for most IBCs.

First, Bahamian-resident banks decline US and Canadian signatories. FATCA and Canadian reporting costs exceed the deposit margin. If a US or Canadian owner is in the structure, the bank sits elsewhere.

Second, IBCs are ring-fenced from business with Bahamian residents. The offshore-facing banks — RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC Caribbean — are the main on-island option, but non-resident onboarding routinely takes 6 to 12 weeks.

Royal Bank of Canada (Bahamas) runs corporate USD accounts with traditional infrastructure and is the most common on-island home for cf24 IBCs with European ownership. Non-resident onboarding requires professional references, source-of-funds documentation, and a minimum relationship balance that varies by business profile.

Scotiabank (Bahamas) offers corporate USD accounts and is strong on pan-Caribbean wire coverage. KYC on beneficial owners runs thorough — expect 8 to 12 weeks end to end.

CIBC Caribbean (formerly CIBC FirstCaribbean) has the largest regional footprint across the English-speaking Caribbean — useful for IBCs with genuine regional operations. Multi-island presence supports groups operating across several Caribbean jurisdictions.

Commonwealth Bank and Equity Bank Bahamas serve domestic Bahamian business and private clients. Rarely the right fit for a pure offshore IBC.

For most cf24 Bahamas IBCs the operating account sits elsewhere. HSBC Hong Kong and UOB Singapore are the standard Asian banking homes for offshore holding and trading vehicles — both accept Bahamas IBCs with appropriate documentation. DBS Singapore and Standard Chartered onboard selectively. Swiss private banks — Julius Baer, VP Bank, Bordier — handle Bahamas investment-holding structures at higher thresholds. Airwallex takes a selective view depending on director nationality. Wise Business does not onboard pure offshore Bahamas IBCs without operating substance.

We screen bank choice against director nationality, expected transaction flows, and Economic Substance classification before making any introduction. Applying to the wrong bank and failing wastes 8 to 12 weeks, which is the whole point of screening up front.

Nominee Director Services

The Bahamas is no longer a nominee-director jurisdiction. This is the single biggest change to Bahamian corporate governance in three decades and it is the first question every new client asks.

The prohibition. The Companies (Amendment) Act 2025 and the International Business Companies (Amendment) Act 2025, enacted on 19 June 2025, prohibit the appointment of nominee directors outright. A nominee director is defined broadly — any director who acts under the direction or instruction of another person, formally or informally, outside the proper exercise of fiduciary duties. The prohibition captures both formal nominee arrangements and informal "director-of-convenience" appointments.

The transitional window. Existing nominee directors appointed before 19 June 2025 may continue acting until 19 July 2026. From that date forward, every Bahamas IBC and domestic company must operate with directors who act independently in the company's best interest. Companies with pre-existing nominees should plan replacement appointments well before the deadline.

Nominee shareholders — permitted, but regulated. Nominee shareholder services are now a regulated activity. Only persons or entities licensed by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas may act as nominee shareholders. Where a nominee shareholder structure is used, a Declaration of Trust must be submitted to the Registered Agent confirming the nominee status and identifying the beneficial owner for Register of Beneficial Ownership purposes.

What this means for new structures. Independent directors — appointed on an arm's-length, compensated basis, with full fiduciary duties — remain legitimate. Corporate directors are permitted for IBCs. Where independent directorship is appropriate, we appoint a senior individual from our licensed Bahamian partner firm under a clear service-level agreement, with indemnities and document-signing protocols in writing. We do not appoint nominees in the historical sense and decline instructions that ask for one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Bahamas IBC pay tax?

No. Bahamas International Business Companies pay zero corporate income tax, zero capital gains tax, and zero withholding tax on dividends, interest, or royalties paid to non-residents. The only significant recurring costs are the annual registered agent fee, registered office, and Economic Substance compliance. Multinational groups with consolidated revenue above €750 million may fall within the 15% Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax.

How long does it take to form a Bahamas IBC?

The Registrar General's Department processes incorporations in 48 hours on Regular service and 1 hour on Express. Including KYC on all directors and beneficial owners, drafting of the Memorandum and Articles, and beneficial-ownership filings, our typical end-to-end timeline from first contact to an operational IBC is 5 to 10 business days. Banking typically takes the longest.

Are nominee directors allowed in the Bahamas?

No — not from 19 July 2026. The Companies (Amendment) Act 2025 prohibits nominee directors with a transitional window that closes on that date. Existing nominees must step down. Independent directors acting in the company's best interest remain legitimate, and corporate directors are permitted for IBCs. Nominee shareholder services continue but must be provided by persons licensed by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas.

Is the Bahamas on any EU or FATF blacklist in 2026?

No. The Bahamas is not on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, is not on the FATF grey list, and has passed recent OECD Global Forum peer reviews on transparency and exchange of information. The Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax Act brought the country into line with OECD Pillar Two in November 2024, and the June 2025 corporate-transparency reforms further strengthened the jurisdiction's standing.

Do I need to file accounts for a Bahamas IBC?

Bahamas IBCs must keep accounting records adequate to show and explain the company's transactions, held by the Registered Agent or at a location notified to the Agent. Audited accounts are not filed with the Registrar General for standard IBCs. Annual Economic Substance reports are required for companies carrying on a "relevant activity" and are filed via the Bahamas ES portal within 9 months of fiscal year end.

Can a non-resident own and direct a Bahamas IBC?

Yes. There is no residency or citizenship requirement for directors or shareholders of a Bahamas IBC. A single non-resident individual can be the sole director and sole shareholder. Corporate directors and corporate shareholders are also permitted. The only mandatory Bahamian-resident party is the licensed Registered Agent, which we provide as part of the formation package.

Can a Bahamas IBC open a bank account?

Yes, but the banking decision matters more than the formation decision. On-island banks — RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC Caribbean — run 6 to 12 week non-resident onboarding and decline US and Canadian signatories. Most cf24 Bahamas IBCs bank in Hong Kong, Singapore, or Switzerland. We screen bank choice against director nationality and transaction profile before making any introduction.

Get Started — Form Your Bahamas Company

A fixed-price quote in 60 seconds. Certificate of Incorporation in 48 hours through the Registrar General, or 1 hour on Express. Licensed Registered Agent and registered office included. Bank introduction calibrated to your director profile — not a generic referral.

Call +48 2222 5 2222 or email [email protected] to start. Most Bahamas formations are operating with a bank account within 10 business days of KYC clearance.

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Content prepared by Aleksandra Kowalska, Corporate Client Service. Approved by Tomasz Bielski, Managing Director.