Background & General Outline
Background & General Outline
Curacao is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the southern Caribbean Sea. It covers 444 square kilometres and is home to over 159,000 people.
Languages spoken include Dutch, English, and Papiamento. Some citizens have a working level of Spanish. It’s capital, Willemstad is the business and financial hub of the country and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main industries of Curacao include its seaport, oil refinery, tourism, and its flourishing financial services industry.
Curacao is a country full of potential for those looking to set up an offshore company, get an online gaming license, or branch out into blockchain or cryptocurrency.
Political Structure & Legal System
Curacao is an autonomous country but remains a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It benefits from close ties with the EU state and uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder as its currency.
Curacao has an open and well-developed economy. This supports a high standard of living- 46th in the world in terms of GDP per capita and 27th in terms of nominal GDP per capita. It has a high-income economy and the government is actively trying to diversify the economy and attract more foreign investment. Particular areas of interest are technology, fintech, and offshore banking.
Curacao is a civil law jurisdiction. National laws are combined into a referable system which is the primary source of law. The Civil Code of Curacao deals comprehensively with all matters related to contracts, business, finance, and liability.
Name Restrictions for Company Incorporation in Curacao
As in other jurisdictions, names cannot be the same or very similar to other already incorporated companies. They must also not be obscene, offensive, or suggest they are a part of the government. It must also end in “Naamloze Vennootschap” or its abbreviation NV.
Trading Restrictions
Curacao companies wanting to take advantage of zero tax status cannot carry out business inside of Curacao. They can carry out business functions from Curacao with customers and partners outside of the country only.
Taxation in Curacao
Companies incorporated in Curacao whose income is solely generated from outside of Curacao, and who meet the permanent establishment requirements are able to take advantage of a special tax rate of just 0%. Additionally, there is 100% participation exemption and no VAT on sales to foreign customers. Withholding tax is also not levied on dividends.
Double Taxation Treaties
Your Curacao Offshore Company can benefit from four double tax treaties, four agreements to promote economic relations with other countries and 21 tax information exchange agreements. These include The Netherlands, France, Malta and Norway.
In 2019, Curacao deposited its Instrument of Acceptance for the OECD Multilateral Instrument. It entered into force on 1 July 2019. The Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters is also applicable in the country.
Accounting & Financial Statements
A company incorporated in Curacao must prepare financial reports and submit them by the end of March every year. Part of this requires the provision of financial statements but are not generally required to have them audited.
Disclosure of Beneficial Owner
Beneficial owners and ultimate beneficial owners must submit their information to the Tax Authorities. This information isn’t public. Requests for information on BOs and UBOs are assessed by the authorities on a case by case basis.
Capitalization Requirements for Incorporation in Curacao
If you incorporate a company in Curacao, there are no minimum capital requirements. But when you incorporate, and after, the shareholders’ net equity must not fall below zero. If share capital is desired, it can be in one or several currencies. Shares can be with, or without par value.
Exchange Control
Curacao-based companies owned by non-residents and don’t carry out business in Curacao can obtain a license exempting them from exchange control regulations. Repatriation of capital or income from Curacao requires a license but these are granted automatically. In other circumstances, transactions involving foreign exchange in Curacao are subject to a 1% license fee.
How Much Does Curacao Offshore Company Cost?
You can get your company incorporated in Curacao for as little as €6,500 with our Formation Package. You can also benefit from our special renewal package and additional optional services. To get full price details, related documents and services click on the button below:
Contact Us for Company Incorporation in Curacao
Curacao´s business environment is increasingly becoming more and more attractive. With a whole host of benefits and a cost-efficient and easy setup, it is the jurisdiction of choice for a growing number of businesses. Contact us today to get your offshore company registered in Curacao.
More Locations to Incorporate Your Company
Not sure about Curacao? No problem! There are several other locations to consider. Select any of the countries below to learn more:
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