- The current Hong Kong BR fee from 1 April 2026 is HK$2,350 for a 1-year certificate and HK$6,170 for a 3-year certificate, including the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund levy.
- The Inland Revenue Department issues the demand note about 1 month before expiry, and payment is due within 1 month of the demand note date.
- Renewal is annual or triennial on the anniversary of your BR.
- Late renewal is an offence under the Business Registration Ordinance and can attract a fine of up to HK$5,000 and up to 1 year of imprisonment.
- Dormant companies still need to renew their BR every year.
- Renewal fee (from 1 April 2026): HK$2,350 for a 1-year Business Registration Certificate or HK$6,170 for a 3-year certificate, including the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund levy.
- Deadline: Pay within 1 month of the date on the IRD demand note.
- Where to pay: GovHK online (eTAX), PPS, bank ATM, in person at the Business Registration Office, or by post.
Renewing your Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate in 2026 means paying HK$2,350 for a 1-year certificate or HK$6,170 for a 3-year certificate within 1 month of the date on the IRD demand note. If you have just received the demand note, the main things you need to know are the fee, the deadline, and a valid payment method.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How and when to renew your Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate.
- The current 2026 BR fees and levy.
- The 5 accepted payment methods and when each is most useful.
- What to do if your business details have changed.
- How renewal works for sole proprietors, partnerships, dormant companies, and businesses preparing to close.
How do I renew my Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate in 2026?
To renew a Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate in 2026, pay the demand note issued by the Inland Revenue Department within 1 month of its date. The 1-year BR fee is HK$2,350 and the 3-year BR fee is HK$6,170, including the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund levy.
Once you pay the demand note, the receipted demand note becomes your renewed Business Registration Certificate. You should then display the certificate at your business address.
When do you need to renew your Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate?
The Inland Revenue Department usually issues the renewal demand note around the middle of the month before your renewal month. In practice, that means you will often receive it about 1 month before the certificate expires.
The deadline is based on the date on the demand note, not the expiry date on the certificate. That is the detail many businesses miss.
If you do not receive the demand note, you are still responsible for renewing. You should notify the Commissioner of Inland Revenue in writing within 1 month of expiry, and you can also retrieve the demand note electronically through eTAX on GovHK.
How much does it cost to renew a Hong Kong BR in 2026?
The current Hong Kong BR fees from 1 April 2026 are:
|
Certificate type |
Registration fee |
Levy |
Total payable |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1-year BR |
HK$2,200 |
HK$150 |
HK$2,350 |
|
3-year BR |
HK$5,720 |
HK$450 |
HK$6,170 |
The levy is the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund levy collected with the registration fee. It was reinstated for new certificates with commencement dates on or after 1 April 2026.
Step-by-step: How to renew your Hong Kong Business Registration
Most readers can complete the renewal in around 10 minutes once the demand note is in hand. Follow these 5 steps:
- Receive the demand note. The IRD posts the demand note to your registered address about 1 month before expiry. If you have an eTAX account, you can also view and download it on GovHK.
- Check the details. Confirm the business name, address, partners and BR number are still correct. If anything has changed, see the change-of-details section below.
- Choose a payment method. Pick from the 5 accepted channels listed in the next section.
- Pay the demand note. Payment must be received within 1 month of the date on the demand note.
- Receive and display the renewed certificate. Once payment is processed, the receipted demand note becomes your renewed BR Certificate. Display it at the business’s principal place of business.
If your business operates more than one branch, shop, office or business location in Hong Kong, check whether you also have a separate Branch Registration Certificate. Renewing the main Business Registration Certificate does not necessarily cover every branch record, so make sure each active location is renewed and displayed correctly.
What are the payment methods for BR renewal?
The Inland Revenue Department accepts 5 main payment channels for BR renewal:
|
Payment method |
How it works |
Processing time |
Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GovHK online (eTAX) |
Pay via the GovHK portal, including FPS, credit card and e-cheque options |
Same day |
Most readers, especially with an eTAX account |
|
PPS |
Pay by Phone Service for registered PPS users |
Same day |
Recurring users with PPS set up |
|
Bank ATM |
HSBC, Hang Seng Bank or JETCO ATMs supporting “Bill Payment” |
Same day |
Readers without internet banking |
|
By post |
Mail a crossed cheque or cashier’s order with the demand note |
Allow several working days |
Standard renewal with buffer time |
|
In person |
Pay at the Business Registration Office, post offices or designated convenience stores |
Same day |
Last-minute renewal |
Check the IRD payment methods page before paying, especially for supported cards, ATM network coverage, and convenience store options.
Should you choose a 1-year or 3-year BR?
For most businesses, a 1-year Business Registration Certificate is the simpler default. It keeps the renewal cycle annual and reduces the upfront payment.
A 3-year BR may make sense if you want to lock in the current fee and expect the business to keep operating for the next 3 years. The trade-off is that if a future waiver or fee cut is introduced, you would not benefit on the years already paid.
Use the table below to decide:
|
Option |
Choose this when |
Be careful when |
|---|---|---|
|
1-year BR |
You want the simplest, lowest upfront cost and predictable annual cycle |
You want to hedge against future fee increases |
|
3-year BR |
You expect stable operations and want to fix the current fee for 3 years |
A budget waiver or rate cut may reduce future fees |
What happens if you miss the BR renewal deadline?
Missing the deadline is an offence under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). The IRD may impose a surcharge, and continued non-payment can lead to enforcement action.
In practice, you may see this escalation:
- Demand note expires unpaid. The 1-month payment window from the demand note date passes.
- Surcharge. The IRD issues a surcharge on top of the original fee.
- Statutory penalty. Under the Business Registration Ordinance, conviction can lead to a fine of up to HK$5,000 and up to 1 year of imprisonment.
- Operating without a valid BR. Carrying on business without a valid Business Registration Certificate is itself an offence and can attract a separate fine.
Beyond legal risk, an expired BR affects banking, tenders, supplier onboarding, government applications and invoicing. The risk far outweighs the renewal fee.
If you have already missed a deadline, do not ignore the IRD’s notices. Pay the outstanding amount and any surcharge as soon as possible, and put a system in place so future filings are not left to memory.
What if your business details have changed before renewal?
Renewing the BR does not update your business details. If your business address, business name, nature of business, or partners have changed, you must notify the Inland Revenue Department separately within 1 month of the change.
Notifications can be submitted through the Individual Tax Portal, Business Tax Portal or Tax Representative Portal, or by written notice to the IRD using the relevant change-of-particulars form. Use the IRD’s notification page for the current form references and submission options.
If you are unsure what the public record currently shows, you can look up a Business Registration record.
Special cases: Sole proprietors, dormant companies and deregistration
Most BR renewals are straightforward. But these 4 situations need a bit more attention.
Sole proprietors and partnerships
If you run a sole proprietorship or partnership, you usually renew your BR in the same way as a company: pay the demand note within 1 month of its date.
A common exception is when a sole proprietor sets up a Hong Kong Ltd during the BR year. In that case, the new Ltd is a separate legal entity, so it usually needs its own BR, and you should stop trading under the old sole proprietorship BR.
If you are making that switch, see how to incorporate a Hong Kong limited company.
Dormant companies
A dormant Hong Kong Ltd still needs to renew its Business Registration Certificate every year. Dormant status may reduce some compliance work, but it does not remove the BR renewal requirement.
The company also still needs a director, company secretary, and registered office address while it remains incorporated. If the company may start trading again later, keep the BR up to date.
You may also want to check your wider filing position, including Annual Return filing.
Final-year renewal before deregistration
If you are closing a Hong Kong company, do not assume you can skip BR renewal. If the certificate expires before deregistration is completed, you may still need to renew because the company is usually still treated as active until the process ends.
If you have already started to deregister a Hong Kong company, check with the IRD or your service provider whether renewal is still required.
Foreign founders with a Hong Kong Ltd
Foreign founders renew a Hong Kong BR in the same way as local founders. The renewal applies to the Hong Kong company, not to your overseas business or personal status.
In practice, many foreign founders use a Hong Kong company secretary or service provider to receive the demand note and make sure payment is made on time.
How Sleek helps you stay on top of Hong Kong annual filings
For most readers, BR renewal itself is a short task. The bigger risk is the wider annual filing calendar around it: Business Registration renewal, Annual Return, Profits Tax return, audited accounts and changes of particulars.
With Sleek, you can:
- Stay on top of renewals: Track BR renewal dates and demand notes alongside other annual filings.
- Keep records updated: Notify the IRD and the Companies Registry promptly when business or company details change.
- Stay compliant year-round: Pair BR renewal with Annual Return and Profits Tax filing in a single workflow.
- Get one point of contact: Use Sleek’s company secretary and accounting teams for related filings, not several providers.
If you only want to renew the BR this once and forget about it, the IRD’s GovHK channel is fine. If you would rather not think about annual filings again, that is where Sleek’s company secretary service is built to help.
450,000
businesses worldwide.
from 4,100+ reviews.
satisfaction rate from
16,000 surveyed clients.
