Belize has long been recognized as one of the most premium low-tax jurisdictions for offshore businesses. In recent years, Belize has had further improvements in creating a much more favorable business environment for businesses.
One of the highlighted events that you must have known is that Belize has latterly been removed from the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions thanks to many of its important reforms regarding the tax regime for IBCs.
To help foreign investors and new start-ups easier to operate their businesses more, this article will shed light on a comprehensive guide to doing business in Belize. Let’s find out!
Belize for doing business: At a glance
For those who are new start-ups and in the mind of doing business in Belize, it is crucial to get a picture of Belize’s most fundamental factors that can have a big influence on offshore businesses.
Economy
Situated on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize has a stable and healthy economy. In fact, Belize also has the second-highest per capita income in Central America. The country’s economy is based mainly on tourism, agriculture, and service. The offshore services industry, remarkably, has made a major contribution to Belize’s GDP.
Although Belize scored 55.5 in terms of doing business in 2021, which is not as competitive as that of many other jurisdictions, this tax haven is highly appreciated for its efforts in changing its acts, plus keeping to developing its business-friendly environment for foreign investments.
Banking system
Belize is a well-established banking jurisdiction. You can explore popular kinds of financial institutions available in Belize, such as Government savings banks or commercial banks. Offshore banking service is outstandingly very robust.
The banking system in Belize follows a two-tiered regime that offers a diversity of services for various types of depositors and different levels of demand.
Many individuals and corporations often come to one big concern which is banking stability. Fortunately, Belize is excellent in its liquidity rates. As mentioned earlier, most banks in Belize have over 24% liquidity rates, which is comparatively higher than those in North America, staying at around 4 % liquidity.
Financial institutions in Belize are more likely to offer higher interest rates on certain accounts. Of its corporate-friendly environment, Belize also imposes no exchange control on offshore businesses, which means there are no limits on currency movements that come in and come out of the country.
Why open a bank account in Belize? Read now: Top 7 reasons why you should choose Belize for offshore banking
Language and currency
Belize is among the two nations in Central and South America that use English as an official language. Therefore, you can feel secure that a language barrier will not be a matter of concern at any point.
The official currency in Belize is BZD (the Belize dollar), and it has been pegged to the US dollar since 1978. Generally, the pegged rate is 1 USD = 2 BZD.
It is the Central Bank of Belize, referred to as a monetary authority in some places, which will administer and monitor the country’s foreign reserves and currency issuance.
Investment policy
Doing business in Belize can also bring offshore seekers various opportunities to grow their businesses. The force behind this is that the Belizean government strongly welcomes new investments in their country.
In addition to a diversity of tax benefits for international business companies, there are also many supportive policies to assist new offshore businesses. For example, BELTRAIDE, which is a statutory body of trade promotion groups in Belize, will entice, facilitate and monitor new investments by providing them with information and endeavoring to simplify and make it easier for business start-ups.
There are certain incentives to attract foreign investors to Belize, such as EPZ – Export Processing Zones Program, Fiscal Incentives Program, Commercial-Free Zones, Repatriation of Profits and Dividends, and more.
However, it is also noteworthy that those to establish a business in Belize will meet no restrictions on their investments providing that their business operation is following the law of Belize. Take a Belize IBC for instance, they are given free rein to conduct their trading activities but prohibited from doing business within the territory of Belize.
Workforce
Belize’s workforce was estimated at more than 191,000 as of September 2021. The country’s minimum wage rate which is the lowest amount legally must be paid for workers is still quite low, at BZ$3.30 an hour ($1.65).
Notwithstanding, the living cost in Belize is comparatively lower than that in the US and many other countries. Real estate property is fairly cheap for rental or purchase compared to those in developed nations.
Even though Belize is not a wealthy country, it has been doing very well in creating a much more attractive enterprise-friendly environment, making it one of the most recommended destinations for foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and new start-ups to operate their prospective businesses.
Popular types of businesses in Belize
There is a wide range of options for investors and corporations who intend to carry out their business in Belize. Below we list out some of the most popular business types that you can consider:
- Private company
- Limited liability partnership
- Limited life company
- Joint venture and cooperative
- Partnership
- Sole proprietor
- Public investment company
- International business company
- Trust fund
It is also noteworthy that the Belize Companies and Limited Liability Company (LLC) are considered to be the most widely chosen type of business entity in Belize for foreigners.
How to set up a business in Belize
Standardized business setup in Belize should be closely tied with a 6-step process as the following:
- Step 1: Register the business name with Belize Companies & Corporate Affairs Registry
- Step 2: Submit the required documents for incorporation & Get the certificate.
- Step 3: Acquire a business license or permit, if the business activities that you are intending to operate are required to apply for business licenses as per the laws of Belize.
- Step 4: Register Income Tax and General Sales Tax with relevant departments.
- Step 5: Register with the Belize Social Security Board. This is a must for any business which employs one or more persons.
- Step 6: Register Intellectual Property (Optional). This is not mandatory but it is highly recommended for companies to do so, as it is a good way to protect your business identity.
Check Belize Tax Status Assessment Tool to see if your company is subject to Belize tax and all related compliance procedures.
Normal business registration in Belize is fairly straightforward.
Offshore company formation is even much more simplified. An offshore company in Belize is ideal for foreign investors who are longing for a low-tax environment with no reporting requirements. Another plus is that it has guaranteed privacy for directors and shareholders.
Only one shareholder and director are required to establish an offshore company, your director and shareholder can be of any nationality. However, you must have a registered office in Belize and have a local registered agent.
To make it easier, you can consult trusted incorporation service providers like BBCIncorp Limited to help you register your offshore company through a transparent and affordable process. Through simplified online steps, what you need to do is to collect the required documents and send them to us. You can feel free of hassles as we will make everything done swiftly.
Belize Company Formation Service saves your time and resource for doing business in Belize. Check it out!
