Authorized Company

An Authorized Company (“AC”) is governed by the Companies Act 2001 and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (“FSC”) of Mauritius. An AC is a tax-exempt entity which is essentially utilised for international investment holding, property holding, international trade and management and consultancy.

Authorized Companies are not resident for tax purposes and do not have access to Mauritius' tax treaty network.


KEY CORPORATE FEATURES

  • Conducts business principally outside Mauritius
  • Place of effective management must be outside Mauritius
  • Filing of Financial Summary with the FSC
  • No auditing of account is required
  • An AC is tax exempt in Mauritius, but annual return has to be filed with the Tax Authority
  • No publicly accessible records
  • Issuance of registered shares, preference shares, redeemable shares and shares with or without voting rights allowed
  • Meetings can be conducted outside Mauritius

TIME FRAME FOR INCORPORATION

  • Approximately 1 week (following the submission of all required documents to the FSC)

PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES

An Authorised Company can carry out any lawful business activities except the following activities which are set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Financial Services Act 2007:

  • Banking
  • Financial services
  • Carrying out the business of holding or managing or otherwise dealing with a collective investment fund or scheme as a professional functionary
  • Providing of registered office facilities, nominee services, directorship services, secretarial services or other services for corporations
  • Providing trusteeship services by way of business
  • Any other activities that the FSC may determine as being detrimental to the good repute of Mauritius as a centre for financial services or contrary to public interest

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

An applicant for an AC should meet the following conditions:

  • the majority of shares or voting rights or the legal or beneficial interest in the company, are held or controlled, as the case may be, by (a) person(s) who is/are not a citizen(s) of Mauritius;
  • the activity(ies) of the Company is/are being conducted principally outside Mauritius or with such category of persons as may be specified in FSC Rules; and
  • the company has its place of effective management outside Mauritius.