Company limited by shares (profit company, Form 1A)Jamaica
What it takes to form, own and run a private limited company in Jamaica, 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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A private company shall have at least one director, but a public company shall have at least
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A company registered as a public company having a share capital on its original incorporation shall not do business or exercise any borrowing powers unless the Registrar has issued it with a certificate under this section
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The Cost to Register the Company is $27,000.00 (There is an additional charge of at least $500.00 if the documents are stamped at the Companies Office.)
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unregulated companies will see a reduction in the rate of Corporate Income Tax (CIT) to 25%, down from 33 1/3%.
Form it
Who registers it
- Registry
- Formed without visiting
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Formed online
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
What it takes to form
Not in our records A notary, A resident director, Paying up the capital: none of these is in our records for the Company limited by shares (profit company, Form 1A).
Own it
Who may own and run it
- Directors
- At least 1 · a company may be one
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A private company shall have at least one director, but a public company shall have at least
- Shareholders
- At least 1 · at most 20 · a company may be one
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One or more persons may form a company by-
- Members
- At least 1 · at most 20 · one person may form it alone
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One or more persons may form a company by-
- A local company secretary
- Not required
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(2) Every company shall have a secretary.
- A local registered agent
- Not required
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A company shall have a registered office to which all communications and notices may be
Each year, at the registry
- Annual registry fee
- JMD 5,000
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For registration of annual return for a company having share capital
- Accounts on the public record
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Audit for a small company
- Not required
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shall be exempt from providing audited financial statements and an auditor's report as required under this Act with respect to that financial year.
- Audit
- Every company appoints an auditor at each AGM (s.154); a small company (two of: turnover under J$40m, balance sheet under J$30m, fewer than 25 employees) that is not a public company, bank, insurer etc. is exempt from audited statements for a financial year if its members pass a unanimous resolution and its articles do not provide otherwise (s.159, Seventh Schedule Part II paras 6-7).
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shall be exempt from providing audited financial statements and an auditor's report as required under this Act with respect to that financial year.
Important dates
When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.
- Beneficial owners identified at incorporation, on BOR Form A and/or B
- Stated; see the note
With Companies Office of Jamaica
Filed with the Articles and the BRF1 at incorporation, per the Services page.
- Annual return
- Not in our records
With Companies Office of Jamaica
Not stated on orcjamaica.com when checked
- Notice of change of directors or secretary
- 14 days after change of officers
With Companies Office of Jamaica
Services page: notice within fourteen days of the change. Not available online per that page.
- Change in beneficial owners, filed on Form 27A or 27B and BOR Form C
- 14 days after change of beneficial owners
With Companies Office of Jamaica
Services page: within fourteen days of any change in the particulars of the beneficial owners or members.
- Change of registered office
- 14 days after change of registered office
With Companies Office of Jamaica
Companies Act s.106(2): notice of change in the situation of the registered office to the Registrar within fourteen days.
What is public
- Directors
- Public
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the list of directors and shareholders of the company and all allotment of shares and all changes to this information.
- Shareholders
- Public
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the list of directors and shareholders of the company and all allotment of shares and all changes to this information.
- Beneficial owners
- To the authorities only
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the list of directors and shareholders of the company and all allotment of shares and all changes to this information.
Tax
Tax on profit
How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.
Varies · 25–33.33%+1 regime
Corporate income tax at 25% for unregulated companies; 33 1/3% for companies regulated by the FSC, OUR, BOJ or the Ministry of Finance (TAJ notice carried by JIS, effective 1 Jan 2013). TAJ's own FAQ page still shows the older 33 1/3% company rate.
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unregulated companies will see a reduction in the rate of Corporate Income Tax (CIT) to 25%, down from 33 1/3%.
Special regimes that may apply
- Special Economic Zones Act, 2016 (No. 7 of 2016) free zone · 12.5%
An approved SEZ operator — a developer or occupant licensed to carry on a trade, profession or vocation within a designated special economic zone Special Economic Zones Act, 2016 (No. 7 of 2016)
Whether a company qualifies depends on its activity and conditions set in each statute.
- CFC rules in Jamaica
- Not in our records
Close it
Closing it
The other end, which most guides leave out.
- Route
- A company may be removed from the Register of Companies where the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe that the Company is not operating.
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A company may be removed from the Register of Companies where the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe that the Company is not operating.
- Statutory fee
- Not in our records
Every business in Jamaica
Sales and consumption tax
- The tax
- General Consumption Tax (GCT)
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The GCT is a value added tax which is applied on the value added to goods and services at each stage in the production and distribution chain.
- Standard rate
- 15%
Tax Administration Jamaica's guide lists the standard rate's history ending at April 2020 at 15.0%, its most recent entry; the same guide's body text still quotes the older 16.5% standard rate, which its own history table supersedes.
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History of the standard rate: Date Percentage October 1991 10.0% June 1993 12.5% April 1995 15.0% May 2005 16.5% January 2010 17.5% June 2012 16.5% April 2020 15.0%
- Other rates
- 0% Goods and services listed in Appendix 1 of the GCT Act, taxed at zero percent
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The goods and services which attract a rate of zero percent are listed in Appendix 1.
- Registration threshold
- JMD 15,000,000
gross value of supplies, including exempt supplies for a mixed activity; 12-month period, or an average of $1,250,000 per month for a shorter period
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Effective April 1,2025, that value of supply is $15,000,000 over a 12-month period or an average of $1,250,000 per month for a shorter period.
- Voluntary registration
- Yes
A person who qualifies for registration as a Registered Person may apply voluntarily, subject to the Commissioner General's approval.
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A person who has applied for registration and qualifies for registration as a Registered Person may voluntarily apply to be registered as a Registered Taxpayer.
- A foreign company
- See the note
Tax Administration Jamaica's GCT guide sets out registration for persons engaged in a taxable activity in Jamaica but states no separate rule for a supplier with no establishment there, so no answer is recorded.
- Returns filed
- Monthly
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Due on or before the last day of the following month of the return period.
- Tax authority
- Registration page read 2026-10-22
Payment and banking services
None of the services whose lists we hold names Jamaica. Each provider, and what a listing means.
Reference
Its name and code
- Kind
- Private limited companyDerived our grouping, the same words in every country
- Name in law
- Company limited by shares (profit company, Form 1A)
- ISO 20275 code
- HCBESecondary GLEIF, Entity Legal Forms code list