Get

HK$2000 OFF

when you

 when you register your company with Sleek

and subscribe to our accounting plans.

register your company with Sleek and subscribe to our accounting plans.

Resources

New Inspection Regime:

What you need to know

4 minute read

On 23 August 2021, Phase 1 of the New Inspection Regime under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance was implemented. The new regime will provide additional safeguards to protect your personal data. This is relevant to directors and other relevant individuals who appear on the Companies Registry.

Under the previous guidelines, members of the public were able to access certain personal information about any company’s directors, company secretaries, or liquidators in the event that the company was wound up, or liquidated. Such data included their usual residential addresses (URA) and full identification numbers (IDN).

Read on for a thorough breakdown of how that is currently changing with the implementation of the New Inspection Regime.

Overview:

The New Inspection Regime

The revised provisions pave the way for the following additional protections:

  • Correspondence addresses and partial IDNs of directors, company secretaries, and other relevant individuals will be shown in the Companies Register
  • The URA and full IDN of these individuals will only be made accessible to specified persons upon application
  • If you’ve disclosed Protected Information in documents filed before the New Inspection Regime commenced, you can apply to the Companies Registry to withhold that information from inspection.

Timeline for implementation

The new inspection regime is being set into place in three phases as outlined below:

  • Phase 1 – Companies Ordinance provisions will allow your company to withhold the URA of directors and the full IDN of directors and company secretaries from public inspection of your private registers. This phase began with specific subsidiary legislation introduced to the Legislative Council in August 2021.
  • Phase 2 – Starting in October 2022, Companies Ordinance provisions will expand to allow Protected Information in the Companies Registry to be withheld from public inspection (only applicable to documents filed for registration after Phase 2 commences).
  • Phase 3 – Starting in December 2023, all remaining Companies Ordinance Provisions will come into effect. You can apply to the registry if you wish to suppress Protected Information already filed in the registry from public inspection.

What happens between Phase 1 and Phase 2?

Between Phase 1 and Phase 2, the following transitional arrangements are in place:

  • Your company’s register of directors is not required to contain its directors’ correspondence address before the first annual return date on or after Phase 2.
  • Your company’s registered office address is to be regarded as the directors’ corresponding address until (1) the day your company enters the correspondence address into its register of directors or (2) the first annual return date on or after Phase 2 begins, whichever date comes earlier.
  • Before Phase 2 begins, your company does not need to deliver to the Registrar of Companies for entering or making any change to correspondence address of directors in register of directors

How can my company prepare?

From the day the necessary legislative amendments passes until Phase 2 commences in October 2022, your company can only exclude from public inspection the URAs and IDNs held in your own registers. Your company can choose whether this is something you want to do – and if so, you can amend your company’s internal processes.

Wrap up

Hong Kong’s New Inspection Regime has been introduced to protect the privacy of your directors, company secretaries, and other relevant members on your company’s private register. These changes will be applied in phases, but there are some items you should be aware of now, in this transitional period between Phases 1 and 2, to protect your personal data. For more information about Hong Kong’s new inspection regime, you can visit https://www.cr.gov.hk/en/legislation/nir/overview.htm.

 If you’re unsure of how to proceed, feel free to reach out to Sleek with any questions you may have. Our experts can give you more information and help you discuss your options when it comes to protecting your privacy.

Ready to grow your business?

Our expert team is here to help you. Explore our incorporation services or contact our team to get personalised advice today.

Start a business in less than 3 hours with us. Talk to our experts today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Our jam-packed newsletter covers monthly compliance updates, upcoming events and exclusive offers

Other articles that might interest you

Related content

Contact us

We’d love to help. Share your contact details and we’ll call you back

Start a business in less than 3 hours with us. Talk to our experts today.

WhatsApp Us

Get HK$2000 off on
your first Sleek
service purchase!

Offer valid when you register your company with Sleek and subscribe to our accounting OR audit and tax plans. T&Cs apply. Privacy policy.

Terms and Conditions of the Promotion:

Before participating in this promotion, you must carefully read and agree to abide by the following terms and conditions.

  1. Eligible Users: To enjoy this offer, customers must purchase Incorporation package with registered address and audit and tax/accounting services at the same time. Valid customers will receive a fee waiver of HKD 2,000.
  2. Promotion Period: This promotion is valid from Jun 19-Jul 2, 2023. Sleek reserves the right to end this promotion at any time without prior notice to customers.
  3. Fees and Payment: Customers must pay the service fees according to Sleek’s standard payment terms. The HKD 2,000 waiver will be applied as a discount on the customer’s invoice.
  4. Governing Law and Jurisdiction: These terms and conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these terms and conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hong Kong.
  5. Confidentiality: Sleek shall treat all information provided by the customer as confidential and shall not disclose such information to any third party, except as required by law or with the customer’s consent.
  6. Limitation of Liability: To the extent permitted by law, Sleek shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage arising out of this promotion.
  7. Disclaimer: To the extent permitted by law, Sleek shall not be responsible for any loss or damage arising from the customer’s use of this promotion. Sleek does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, reliability, timeliness, suitability, or availability of the website and its content. Sleek reserves the right to change the website and its content at any time without prior notice to customers.
  8. Cancellation of Orders: If customers wish to cancel an order, they must contact Sleek’s customer service department within 24 hours of submitting the order. Orders cannot be cancelled if they have already been processed
  9. Links to Third-Party Websites: Sleek’s website may contain links to third-party websites that are not under Sleek’s control. Sleek is not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of third-party websites and does not endorse or recommend them. Customers should carefully read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party website before using it.
  10. Accuracy of Registration Information: Customers warrant that all registration information provided is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. If a customer’s registration information changes, the customer should update their account information promptly. Sleek shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the customer’s provision of inaccurate or incomplete registration information.
whatsapp icon

Chat with us on WhatsApp from your mobile

hk_whatsapp_qr_2
30 day moneyback guarantee

30 Days Money Back Guarantee

Our refund policy:

We care about you – within 30 days from your purchase, if you’re unhappy with our services, we’ll refund our fee. Email or call us, and we’ll process the refund within five working days.

What it doesn’t cover:

We will not be able to refund Government fees once the application has been submitted, nor any third-party processing fees.

When it applies:

We cannot guarantee any specific legal outcomes when you use our services. For instance, a company registration might be filed correctly but still get rejected by the Company Registry for reasons beyond our control. We can only refund our fees for issues we are directly responsible for. In the case that you purchase a service and later change your mind, we can’t issue a refund.

Our customer support team is at your disposal for any questions or issue you may face.

Need help?

Our sales team is available from Mon - Fri 9am to 7pm (Hong Kong Time)

Let's get in touch

Book a time with our experts to guide you in finding the best solution.