Certificate of Tax Residency in Hong Kong

A Tax Residency Certificate (TRC), also known as a Certificate of Residency (CoR), is an official document issued by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD). It confirms that a company is a tax

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Certificate of Tax Residency in Hong Kong

A Tax Residency Certificate (TRC), also known as a Certificate of Residency (CoR), is an official document issued by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD). It confirms that a company is a tax resident of Hong Kong.

Intended use and application

The main purpose of the certificate is to enable taxpayers to benefit from the reliefs provided under the double taxation agreements (DTAs) that Hong Kong has concluded with other countries. This helps to avoid paying tax twice on the same income – in the country of origin of the income and in Hong Kong. With a TRC, withholding tax rates can be reduced or waived on:

Dividends
Interest
Royalties

Furthermore, in recent years, European companies have frequently requested TRCs from their Hong Kong suppliers to confirm that the supplier is indeed a tax resident of Hong Kong and falls within its tax jurisdiction.

Criteria for obtaining a residence certificate

A company registered in Hong Kong
From 2023 onwards, companies need only be registered in Hong Kong. The ‘centre of management and control’ requirement has been abolished.

The process of obtaining a certificate

01
A copy of the Business Registration Certificate
02
Completing the official IR1313A form
03
Submission of the form and the full set of documents to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD)
04
Standard processing time: approximately 21 working days (often quicker)

Important information

The certificate is valid for one year and must be renewed to retain the benefits under the DTA
These days, the procedure for obtaining a certificate in Hong Kong has become straightforward and standardised