What are company secretarial services? Which companies does it apply to?
in Hong Kong，The Companies Ordinance requires companies to have a company secretary (Company Secretary)，Responsible for assisting the company in fulfilling statutory declarations、Maintain company statutory records、Arrange board/shareholders meeting procedures，and ensure that corporate governance documents are regulated、bank、Can be verified in audit and transaction due diligence scenarios、traceable、auditable。
Typical applicable objects：
1) Hong Kong Limited Company (Local and Foreign Investment Structure)
2) Hong Kong holding/financing/trading/settlement entity of cross-border group
3) Account entities that need to face the bank’s continuous due diligence (KYC Refresh)
4) Enterprises that intend to engage in or have engaged in regulated business (such as MSO、pay、Fintech related businesses)，Higher quality requirements for corporate governance and compliance documents
Hong Kong Xintong's company secretarial services are based on "statutory compliance" + Governance available + "As friendly as possible" as the goal：More than completing forms and filings，Systematize company files，Reduce account opening、audit、Financing、Frictional costs of license applications and regulatory inspections。
Service scope and delivery list (Deliverables)
Process secretary appointment/resignation、Companies Registry filing for changes of directors/shareholders/registered office etc.；Ensure company structure is consistent with actual control information。
Establish an annual compliance calendar and reminder mechanism；Assistance with annual returns、Business registration renewal data preparation and declaration coordination (according to the actual situation of the company)。
Maintain shareholder register、List of Directors、meeting minutes、决议、Share transfer/allotment documents, etc.；Standardized template，Facilitates auditing and due diligence。
Assist in identifying and recording important controller information、Keep supporting documents and update records；Connect banks and audits with their SCR verification needs。
Organize company files according to bank logic：Organization chart、UBO link certification、Sample business contracts and invoices、Funding path description、Governance file index table。
Connect with AML/risk assessment/customer due diligence documents produced by compliance consultants，corporate governance documents、Version control of appointment documents and policies is integrated into the unified archives system。
Our special emphasis on delivery standards：
– File "Availability"：Can be used directly to open a bank account、audit、Investor due diligence and regulatory inquiries，rather than just meeting formal compliance。
– Version and permissions：Document listing、Numbering，Keep version records and signature tracks of key files，Easy to trace。
– consistency：Company registration information、SCR、Bank KYC is consistent with tax/CRS standards，Avoid "multiple calibers" triggering tightened due diligence。
If the enterprise is also involved in cross-border tax caliber management，Can be linked：BEPS Compliance Consulting、Cross-border tax consultingandCRS tax consulting，Open up the chain of governance documents and tax compliance evidence。
Implementation process (from onboarding to ongoing compliance)
Identify the company type、Equity link、business model、Account opening and due diligence objectives、Whether it involves regulated activities；Output file gap list。
Verify director/shareholder/UBO certification documents，Unify company registration information、SCR、Bank KYC and tax standards；Create a compliance calendar。
Draft resolutions/meeting minutes/appointment documents/change forms and file them；Organize statutory records and indexes。
Output information package according to bank/audit/investor due diligence list；Provide key points for replying to inquiries and replenishment paths when necessary.。
Review changes on a quarterly/half-year basis、SCR update、Changes in key contracts and funding paths；Annual review of compliance risks and improvement items。
Fee structure and budget range (including regulated business reference)
The cost of company secretarial services usually consists ofBasic legal maintenanceandProject-based change/due diligence supportComposed of two parts。If the enterprise is involved or plans to be involved in regulated business (such as MSO/payment, etc.)，Depth of Governance and Compliance Documentation、Preparation of suitable candidates for directors、AML system documents and evidence retention requirements are higher，The overall budget will also be increased accordingly。
The following areRegulated business (based on the common investment structure of Hong Kong MSOs)budget matrix，Used to help management make annual compliance budgets and project evaluations (actually based on business complexity、Equity Hierarchy、The number of personnel and the scope of delivery shall prevail)：
| cost module | project | Reference fee (HKD) | illustrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government fees (Gov) | Application | 3,310 | License/application government fees (according to applicable items) |
| Government fees (Gov) | Fit&Proper | 860/people | Fees related to fit and proper examination (based on number of people) |
| Basic operation (Base) | Company Reg | 8,000 – 15,000 | Company establishment/basic registration maintenance (depending on structural complexity) |
| Basic operation (Base) | Office | 20,000 – 80,000/Year | Investments related to office space and substantial operations (by scale) |
| Professional Services (Agency) | MSO service | 60,000 – 150,000 | Regulated business compliance/reporting/project management services |
| Professional Services (Agency) | AML Docs | 20,000 – 80,000 | AML Regulatory Documents、risk assessment、Process and form system construction |
| Total | Standard | 150,000 – 400,000 | Standard range (fluctuates depending on business and organizational complexity) |
Relationship with company secretarial services：In the above budget，Company secretaries are usually responsible for the "auditability of corporate governance documents and statutory records"，Secure director appointments、Authorization link、Meeting resolution、SCR is consistent with company registration information and compliance system documents，avoid at the bank、Risks amplified due to governance flaws in auditing or supervision。
If account opening is promoted simultaneously，Can be referenced：Hong Kong (HSBC/Standard Chartered/Hang Seng) account opening；If it involves the establishment of a financial technology compliance system，Can be linked：Fintech Compliance Consulting。
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The registered office is the legal mailing address and point of receipt of government correspondence.；The company secretary is a statutory functional role，Responsible for corporate governance procedures、Statutory reporting and record book maintenance。Both can be provided by the same service provider，But compliance responsibilities are different from job content。
Bank KYC and continuous due diligence focus on beneficial owners (UBO)、control、Funding sources and business substance。meeting minutes、SCR、Appointment documents and equity link certificates constitute the governance evidence chain，Used to verify the authenticity and consistency of authorization and control relationships。
Common risks include：Company registration information is inconsistent with actual control、SCR is not updated in time、Resolution authorization link missing、Confusing file versions lead to inconsistent external calibers、Failure to file major changes on time triggers banks to tighten due diligence。
It is recommended to complete it in advance：Verifiable documentation of director/officer appointments and segregation of responsibilities、Authorization Matrix and Conference Governance Mechanism、SCR and UBO evidence chain、Compliance system document approval and version control process。This can reduce the cost of replenishing materials during the Fit&Proper and AML review phases.。
Can。Based on the corporate governance document system, we can，Collaborating with CRS/BEPS and cross-border tax standards，Form a consistent evidence chain management plan for "corporate governance - tax compliance - bank due diligence"。
Need to combine company secretarial services with account opening、Tax or FinTech Compliance Package Advancement，You can learn about relevant capabilities from the following entrance：About、Cross-border business compliance、CRS tax consulting。
