Bahamas company formation

A Bahamas IBC with no income tax, and an owner list even banks can't open

The Bahamas has no income, corporate or capital gains tax, and its owner database is open to the authorities alone. Ours is US$1,190 to start and US$990 a year, run from anywhere.

Formed through a licensed agent in Nassau. No visit.

Start my Bahamas IBC Whose name goes public

US$990 a year, all in
Substance report filed for you
Nothing charged until you sign

NoneIncome, corporate or capital gains tax

SealedOwner database: authorities only, no banks or private firms

1Director is enough, a person or a company

US$350The government's yearly fee, inside your price

01Two lists

Whose name is public in a Bahamas company

Owners stay sealed, but directors go on a file the public can inspect. So the real question is who your director is. Pick one.

Public file at the Registrar

Sealed owner databaseYouOwners of 10% or more. Authorities only. Not banks, not private firms, and no "legitimate interest" door that we could find.

Shareholders go on a share register that only members can inspect. Nominee shareholders are still allowed, but they must be disclosed, and the real owner still goes in the database.

02The small print on "tax free"

Bahamas company tax: none, unless you run it from the islands

The Bahamas taxes no profits. But since 2018 an IBC doing business in or from The Bahamas owes a licence tax on revenue. Many pages skip this.

Yearly revenue from outside The Bahamas

Revenue Department guidance: only IBCs doing business in or from The Bahamas need a licence. Groups with revenue of EUR 750m or more pay a 15% top-up tax. A wider income tax was floated in a 2023 Green Paper and parked in 2024; no bill has followed. Check with an adviser if you plan to work from the islands.

03The Bahamas year

Bahamas IBC annual fee: due every 1 January

The fee doesn't move with your formation date. Here's the same year every IBC lives, with this month marked.

1 January US$350 due
After 31 March Rises to US$385
By 30 September Substance report, for a December year end
After 31 October Rises to US$560
1 January, unpaid Struck off

Every IBC files that substance report, even one with no relevant activity. It's part of your price, along with the yearly records declaration.

04Crypto

A Bahamas company for crypto, after the DARE Act

The Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act 2024 looks at services for other people. Three situations, three different answers. See other places for crypto.

Outside, on our readingHolding, trading or being paid, run from abroad

The Act's list targets services and dealing for third parties. No official sentence says so outright, so we confirm your case first.

A US$15,000 trapTrading for itself, run from the islands

The licence tax counts own-account digital asset trading: the greater of US$15,000 or 0.25% of revenue, up to US$100,000.

Registration firstServices for clients

Registration with the Securities Commission: US$12,500 a year, or US$18,750 for an exchange. Fees are set to rise on 1 January 2027.

05The whole bill

Bahamas IBC cost, every line

Government fees are small, and an agent is compulsory. The substance report many quotes charge extra for is in here.

To start

Incorporation feeAt cost, authorised capital up to US$50,000US$400

Name and register filingsAt costUS$50

Heirson, first yearLicensed agent and office, filing, owner database filing, documents, bank account set up with youUS$740

You payUS$1,190

Every year

Government annual feeAt cost, due 1 JanuaryUS$350

HeirsonLicensed agent and office, substance report, records declaration, owner updates, remindersUS$640

You payUS$990

One hour service+US$450The Registrar's own charge

Capital over US$50,000+US$800US$1,200 to form, then US$1,000 a year

Certificate of good standingUS$50The Registrar's fee, for banks that ask

Fees from the International Business Companies Act schedule. We invoice the government's US$350 before each 1 January, and our US$640 on your anniversary. About 10% below the lowest complete yearly package we found, US$1,099, in November 2026.

Questions

Bahamas company questions, answered

Comparing Caribbean options? See the BVI, Cayman and Belize, or use the compare tool.

How much does a Bahamas IBC cost?

With Heirson, US$1,190 to start: US$450 in government fees plus our US$740. Then US$990 a year: the US$350 government fee plus our US$640, with the agent, office and substance report included.

Does a Bahamas company pay tax?

The Bahamas has no income, corporate or capital gains tax. An IBC doing business in or from The Bahamas owes business licence tax. One run from abroad doesn't, and your home country may still tax you.

What is the Bahamas business licence tax for an IBC?

If caught, US$2,500 a year on outside revenue up to US$1 million, then 0.25%, up to US$100,000. Own-account trading pays the greater of US$15,000 or 0.25%. Consulting and other professional services count as local revenue, at the regular rates of 0% to 1.25%. More in our Bahamas tax guide.

Are Bahamas company directors public?

Yes. A copy of the register of directors, with names and addresses, is filed with the Registrar and open to public inspection. A company can be the director, so the name shown doesn't have to be yours. How the public record is searched, and what it lists, is in our Bahamas company search guide.

Can I use a nominee director in The Bahamas?

No. Since 19 January 2026, acting as a director on someone else's instructions is banned, with fines up to US$50,000 or 12 months in prison. Be wary of anyone still offering it.

Who can see the owners of a Bahamas company?

The authorities. Owners of 10% or more go in a secure database that isn't open to the public, banks or private firms. The share register is open only to members.

Can a foreigner set up a Bahamas IBC?

Yes, but only through a licensed provider, because the law doesn't let anyone else incorporate one. One director is enough and needn't live there, and the licensed agent and office are compulsory.

Does a Bahamas IBC file accounts?

No accounts filing or audit rule applies to an ordinary IBC. It must keep reliable records for five years, make a yearly records declaration and file a substance report within nine months of its year end. Every yearly date and penalty is in our Bahamas annual fees and filings guide.

Is The Bahamas on the EU blacklist?

No. It's on neither EU list after the October 2026 update, and not on the FATF lists after the October 2026 meeting.

Can a Bahamas IBC open a bank account?

Yes, and it doesn't have to be in The Bahamas. We prepare the file and apply with you. The bank decides, and it almost always goes through. Our Bahamas IBC bank account guide covers the routes and documents.

Let's begin

No income tax, and an owner list nobody can browse.

US$1,190 now, then US$990 a year, with the substance report inside. You pay after you've signed.

Start my Bahamas IBC Choose my director