Panama Offshore Company Information
| Key Company Features | |
| Type of entity | Non resident |
| Type of law | Civil |
| Shelf company availability | Yes |
| Our time to establish a new company | 2 days |
| Minimum government fees excluding taxation | US$250 |
| Corporate taxation | Nil |
| Double taxation treaty access | No |
| Share capital or equivalent | |
| Standard currency | US$ |
| Permitted currencies | Any |
| Minimum paid up | US$1 |
| Usual authorised | US$10,000 |
| Directors or Managers | |
| Minimum number | Three |
| Local required | No |
| Publicly accessible records | Yes |
| Location of meetings | Anywhere |
| Members | |
| Minimum number | One |
| Publicly accessible records | Optional |
| Location of meetings | Anywhere |
| Company Secretary | |
| Required | Yes |
| Local or qualified | No |
| Accounts | |
| Requirement to prepare | Yes |
| Audit requirements | No |
| Requirement to file accounts | No |
| Publicly accessible accounts | No |
| Other | |
| Requirement to file annual return | No |
| Change in domicile permitted | Yes |
Setup And Maintenance Costs
Incorporation (Setup) Costs - US$1,300
The fee is all inclusive, no hidden costs.Annual Maintenance Costs - US$700 (+ nominee directors US$500 if required)
The fee is payable after the first year and covers annual taxes, registered agent and nominees. No hidden costs.Our company kits are always delivered with the same documents and may vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. All our companies come in a deluxe corporate "attache kit", which is all inclusive and ready for use document kit.
Our corporate kits are delivered with the following documents:
- Articles of Incorporation in Spanish and English (Notarized and legalized by Apostille)
- Certificate of Good Standing in Spanish and English (Notarized and legalized by Apostille)
- Shareholder certificates
- Minute Books
- Share registry books
- 1 Power of Attorney (Notarized and legalized by Apostille)
- Trust agreement (when applicable)
- Minutes and / or board resolutions when requested
- Corporate seal
Company Information
Type of Company for International Trade and Investment
Generally, corporations are incorporated under the Corporation Statute Law 32 of the 1927 Commercial Code. Limited Liability Companies and Limited Partnerships are used also.Procedure to Incorporate
By presentation of the proposed corporation's signed Articles of Incorporation before a Notary Public who creates a Public Deed for registration at the Public Registry.Restrictions on Trading
Cannot undertake the business of banking, trusteeship and trust administration, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, fund management, investment funds, collective investment schemes or any other activity that would suggest an association with the banking, finance, fiduciary or insurance businesses.Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents
Spanish and certified English translations.Registered Office Required
Yes, must be maintained in Panama at the address of the Registered Agent.Name Approval Required
Yes.Shelf Companies Available
Yes.Time to Incorporate
One day, subject to name approval.Name Restrictions
A name that is similar to or identical to an existing company. Names of well known companies incorporated elsewhere or a name that implies government patronage.Language of Name
Names may be expressed in any language using the Latin alphabet. The Registrar may request a Spanish or English translation.Names Requiring Consent or a Licence
Bank, building society, savings, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, fund management, investment fund, trust or their foreign language equivalents.Suffixes to Denote Limited Liability
All Panamanian corporations must end with the suffix Corporation, Incorporated, Sociedad Anónima or the abbreviations Corp, Inc or SA. They may not utilise the suffix Limited or Ltd.Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Authorities
No.Compliance
Authorised and Issued Share Capital
The standard authorised share capital is US$10,000 divided in to 100 common voting shares of US$100 each or 500 common voting shares of no par value; the capital may be expressed in any convertible currency. The minimum issued capital is either one share of no par value or one share of par value.Classes of Shares Permitted
Non-voting shares, preferred shares, bearer shares and registered shares.Taxation
No corporation tax is levied on non-Panamanian sourced income.Double Taxation
None.Licence Fees
Annual Franchise Tax of US$250 is payable.Financial Statement Requirements
No requirement if income is of non-Panamanian sources.Directors
Both corporations and natural persons may act as directors and the minimum number of directors is three. They may be of any nationality and need not be residents of Panama. Panamanian companies are also required to appoint a minimum of three officers (president, secretary and treasurer) who may also be the directors.Company Secretary
A company secretary must be appointed, who may be a natural or corporate person. The company secretary may be of any nationality and need not be a resident of Panama.Shareholders
The minimum number of shareholders is one.General Information
The Republic of Panama, with an area of approximately 76,900 sq km, is located between Costa Rica and Colombia, forms the narrowest and lowest portion of the isthmus that links North and South America.
