Are You Thinking Of Business Setup in Bangladesh! Set Up Branch Or Liaison Office Too?

How Can You Setup Your Business In Bangladesh? In Few Steps

Many foreign companies do not want to set up a subsidiary in Bangladesh. These businesses can establish a liaison office or a branch office.

What Are The Process To Setup Your Business?

The liaison office is unable to conduct business in Bangladesh and create profit. A branch office, on the other hand, can only perform limited business. A liaison office or branch office must additionally seek a trade license, an ETIN, and VAT registration after receiving approval from BIDA (for branch office).

Bangladesh law requires that the permitted Office pay duty, income tax, VAT, revenues, and other taxes to the government. The VAT rate is 15%, and the income tax rate is 32.5 %. Duty is calculated based on the assessable value of the imported goods.

What Is a Liaison Office and What Does It Do?

A Liaison Office [also known as a representative office] can only carry out liaison activities, that is, it can operate as a communication conduit between the Head Office and parties in Bangladesh. It is illegal to engage in any type of business set up in Bangladesh, and it is also illegal to earn money there.

What Is a Branch Office and How Does It Work?

A foreign entity's country office is referred to as a branch office. Usually, a branch office is not allowed to engage in any business activities in Bangladesh and cannot earn any money there. However, there are possibilities to broaden the scope of the branch office, such as allowing the branch office to participate in commercial activities with BIDA's prior approval.

What Are The Formalities of Registration And Statutory Requirements?

Registration with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority is a bit budgeting.

Investment funds must be repatriated within two months after obtaining a BIDA Trade License from the local city corporation and registering for income tax and VAT with the National Board of Revenue.

The Required Documents Include:

1. Completed, signed, and stamped prescribed Application Form
2. Details of operations to be done in Bangladesh.
3. Information about the company's shareholders, promoters, and directors.

4. The Principal Company's MOA and AOA, as well as the Certificate of Incorporation.

1. Last financial year's audited accounts.
2. Board resolution to open a Bangladesh branch/liaison/representative office.
3. The office's proposed organogram.

The planned office must apply online first, then submit the necessary documentation to BIDA. All documentation must be provided to BIDA in four copies.

Important: The documents in items 4-6 must be attested by the Bangladesh Embassy, the Bangladesh High Commission, or the Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce in the country of origin

Focus Point:

1. The BIDA registration process takes 3-4 weeks from the moment it is submitted.

1. Permission to operate is usually granted for three years, after which it is renewable for another three years.

1. For registration with BIDA, the government charges around USD 300. Local government fees for acquiring a Trade License are an additional USD 100.

The Minimum Capital Requirement

To open a liaison office in Bangladesh, foreign companies or sponsors must deposit USD 50,000 into the designated account of the branch office or liaison office in Bangladesh within two months of receiving approval from BIDA.

Importing and Exporting

It's not allowed. However, Branch Offices may get an Import and Export Registration Certificate and operate in import and export with the consent of BIDA

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Bringing It All Together

Liaison or Branch offices can be established by foreign investors who wish to carry out limited monitoring, supervision, and marketing activities in Bangladesh without having to register as a limited company under Bangladeshi law. This allows investors to engage in limited activities and, as a result, they are unable to produce revenue in Bangladesh.

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