Public company ltd.Barbados
What it takes to form, own and run a public limited company in Barbados, and how its profit is taxed. Each figure links to the page it was read from.
This company type
At a glance
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the liability of the owners or shareholders is limited to the amount invested in the company
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A company may be incorporated by one or more competent persons
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a public company must have no fewer than three (3) directors
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(b) the classes and any maximum number of shares that the company is authorised to issue;
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is levied on the profits of a company earned in a fiscal period that should not exceed 53 weeks.
Form it
Who registers it
- Registry
- Formed without visiting
- Yes
- Formed online
- Yes
What it takes to form
- A notary
- Not required
- A resident director
- Not required
- Paying up the capital
- Each share must be fully paid before it is issued, in money or in property or past service that is the fair equivalent of the money (Companies Act s.30(1)); no minimum amount of capital is set.
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A share may not be issued until it is fully paid (a) in money, or (b) in property or past service that is the fair equivalent of the money that the company would have received if the share had been issued for money.
Own it
Who may own and run it
- Directors
- At least 3 · none need live there · a company may be one
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a public company must have no fewer than three (3) directors
- Shareholders
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Members
- At least 1
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A company may be incorporated by one or more competent persons
- A local company secretary
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- A local registered agent
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
Each year, at the registry
- Annual registry fee
- BBD 100
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to accompany the annual return filed under 2001-30. section 15A $ 100
- Accounts on the public record
- Yes
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(a) that is a public company, or
- Audit for a small company
- Required
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shareholders and at each succeeding annual meeting, appoint an
- Audit
- A public company cannot dispense with the auditor: the shareholders must appoint an auditor at each annual meeting (s.155(1)) and the s.156 dispensation excludes a company mentioned in s.152(1), which includes every public company.
Important dates
When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.
- Notice of change of directors
- 30 days after change of officers
With Business Barbados (CAIPO)
The registry's director-notice page states 30 days after the change under s.74(1) of the Companies Act. Fee BDS $25.00.
- Notice of change of address of registered office
- 15 days after change of registered office
With Business Barbados (CAIPO)
Stated in s.169(2) of the Companies Act and on the registry's change-of-address page. Fee BDS $25.00.
What is public
- Directors
- Public
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during normal business hours, to examine, and to make copies of or extracts from, a document required by this Act or the regulations, to be sent to the Registrar
Tax
Tax on profit
How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.
Varies · 1–5.5%+1 regime
Corporation tax is levied on the profits of a company; 5.5% on taxable income up to BBD 1,000,000, 3% to BBD 20,000,000, 2.5% to BBD 30,000,000, 1% above. The grandfathered IBC / international society rates (1%-2.5%) were closed to new entrants from 31 December 2018 and are not listed as a regime.
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is levied on the profits of a company earned in a fiscal period that should not exceed 53 weeks.
Work it out on a profit figure: the company’s tax, the owner’s, and what is left.
Special regimes that may apply
- Foreign currency permit free zone
A qualified person — a company, external company, firm, society or trustee of a registered trust — that earns 100 per cent of its annual income in foreign currency, and holds a permit granted by the Director of International Business Foreign Currency Permits Act, 2025-5, ss. 9 and 10
Whether a company qualifies depends on its activity and conditions set in each statute.
- CFC rules in Barbados
- Not in our records
Close it
Closing it
The other end, which most guides leave out.
Not in our records Route, Statutory fee: none of these is in our records for the ltd..
Every business in Barbados
VAT
- Standard rate
- 17.5%
A 22% rate applies to telecommunications services and a 7.5% rate to accommodating direct tourism services.
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The VAT Rates are as follows: 0% - Zero-rated items 7.5% - VAT on accommodating direct tourism services 17.5% - Rate for standard supplies 22% - VAT on telecommunications services
- Other rates
- 7.5% Accommodating direct tourism services
- 0% Zero-rated items
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The VAT Rates are as follows: 0% - Zero-rated items 7.5% - VAT on accommodating direct tourism services 17.5% - Rate for standard supplies 22% - VAT on telecommunications services
- Registration threshold
- BBD 200,000
annual income or monthly revenue from taxable supplies; annual, or monthly revenue above 16,666.67
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Persons who meet the following criteria must register for VAT: Persons whose annual income is $200,000 or more Persons whose monthly revenue is greater than $16,666.67
- A foreign company
- See the note
The Barbados Revenue Authority pages read set out who must register, the rates and the filing periods, but say nothing about non-resident suppliers.
- Returns filed
- Monthly
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The VAT filing periods are shown in the below table: Reporting Period Period Period Number Category Dec 01 - Jan 31 1 202201
- Tax authority
- Registration page read 2026-10-22
Payment and banking services
None of the services whose lists we hold names Barbados. Each provider, and what a listing means.
Reference
Its name and code
- Kind
- Public limited companyDerived our grouping, the same words in every country
- Name in law
- Public company (ltd.)
- ISO 20275 code
- TEPYSecondary GLEIF, Entity Legal Forms code list