Gibraltar company formation for non-residents

Why founders choose Gibraltar

Gibraltar suits businesses that need a regulated, English-law base with a clear tax rate. Online gaming operators, distributed ledger technology (DLT) firms and insurance businesses use it because the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and the Gambling Division license those activities locally.

The legal system follows English common law, and company law sits in the Companies Act 2014. Contracts, courts and filings are in English. For owners from Asia who already know Hong Kong or UK company law, the documents look familiar.

Gibraltar is not a place to park profits with no activity. The corporation tax rate is 15%, and a licence usually comes with real people on the ground. It works best when the business will actually operate from, or be regulated in, Gibraltar.

Corporation tax, VAT and filing dates

The standard corporation tax rate is 15% from 1 July 2024. The Income Tax Office explains that the rate rose from 10% to 12.5% on 1 August 2021, then to 15%. Utilities and companies with a dominant market position pay 20%.

Gibraltar taxes income that is accrued in or derived from Gibraltar. In practice, the question is where the activities that earn the profit take place. A company trading from another country may still owe tax there, so your specialist maps this before you sign (confirm with your specialist).

Every company registered under the Companies Act 2014 must register with the Income Tax Office. The tax return, made up of the CT1 form, the accounts and a tax computation, is due within nine months after the accounting period ends. Payments on account fall due by 28 February and 30 September, based on the previous liability.

There is no VAT in Gibraltar. Since 15 July 2026 goods pay a Transaction Tax instead of import duty, under the customs union that came with the UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar. The rate is 15% in 2026, 16% in year two and at least 17% from year three. It applies to goods, not to services such as software or consulting.

• Standard corporation tax: 15%
• Utilities and dominant market position: 20%
• Tax return: 9 months after year end
• Payments on account: 28 February and 30 September
• VAT: none; import duty and Transaction Tax on goods

How formation works

Companies House needs three documents: the application to register a company, the memorandum of association and the articles of association. We prepare all three from your order and your KYC file.

Companies House says incorporation normally takes three working days. An express service can register a company within 24 hours for an extra registry fee. We quote 3–5 business days after KYC approval because the licensed provider's own checks come first.

You do not need to travel. You upload passports, proof of address and a source-of-funds statement to the client portal, and we send the signed documents to the registry. Your certificate of incorporation and registers appear in the portal once filed.

Directors, shareholders and the UBO register

A Gibraltar private company needs at least one director and one shareholder, and they can be the same person. Directors do not have to live in Gibraltar. The registered office must be in Gibraltar and is normally provided by a licensed firm.

Beneficial owners are recorded in the Register of Ultimate Beneficial Owners. Gibraltar has run a public register since 2020. In February 2026 the Government said searches will become free of charge.

A public search shows limited data: name, month and year of birth, nationality, country of residence and the nature of the interest. Fuller details, such as a home address, are meant for authorities and regulated firms doing due diligence (confirm with your specialist). This is privacy within the law.

Accounts, audit and the annual calendar

Every company files accounts and an annual return with Companies House. The size of the company, set out in Schedule 9 of the Companies Act 2014, decides how much detail you file and whether an audit applies.

Full audited accounts are the rule. Companies that qualify as small can file unaudited accounts supported by an independent accountant's report, following a change from 1 July 2024. We confirm your category at sign-up and again before each year end (confirm with your specialist).

Late filing costs money. From 1 January 2025 the Income Tax Office applies tiered late-filing penalties by company size, rising at three and six months. We keep the dates in your compliance calendar and remind you well ahead.

What it costs and what is included

Year 1 costs a fixed quote all-in with OCC. Government fees are included, and your quote lists each item, from the registry filing to the registered office and first statutory registers.

From year 2 the renewal is a fixed quote, shown on your quote before you pay. Accounting, the independent accountant's report or an audit, and tax return preparation depend on your activity, so we quote them separately once we know your volumes.

Two costs sit outside any formation package: licence fees charged by Gibraltar regulators, and bank or payment institution fees. We tell you about both before you pay.

Banking and licensing

Banks in Gibraltar and elsewhere review each company on its own facts. They look at the owners, the source of funds, the trading countries and whether the business is licensed. We introduce you to suitable banks or payment institutions and prepare the application; the bank decides.

Licensed sectors take longer than the company itself. A gaming or DLT licence involves a business plan, fit-and-proper checks and local staff. We form the company first, then coordinate with your licensing advisers.

If Gibraltar's 15% rate or its substance expectations do not fit your plan, your specialist can compare it with other European options such as the Isle of Man or Liechtenstein before you pay.