Source-cited draft: company formation & entity choice for Papua New Guinea (tax year 2025) — rates, thresholds and rules with primary-source citations. Unverified; pending local-accountant review.
General reference only
This skill is general tax/accounting reference material for AI-assisted workflows. It has not been reviewed for your personal facts, documents, elections, deadlines, residency, filing status, or local procedures. Do not rely on it to file, pay, amend, or take a tax position without review by a qualified professional in the relevant jurisdiction.
Source-cited draft. This skill is source-cited but has not been reviewed by a licensed practitioner. It may be incomplete, outdated, or wrong.
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| Entity types and incorporation | Companies in Papua New Guinea are incorporated under the Companies Act 1997 and registered with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) Companies Office. The most common vehicle is a company limited by shares; foreign-owned entities require additional certification. | |
| Common entity types | Company limited by shares (private/proprietary and public), branch of a foreign (overseas) company, business name (sole trader), and partnershipCompanies Act 1997 | |
| Registry | Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) Companies OfficeCompanies Act 1997 | |
| Minimum share capital | None — a company must have at least one share and one shareholder, but there is no minimum capital requirementCompanies Act 1997 | |
| Minimum directors | At least one director; at least one director must be resident in Papua New GuineaCompanies Act 1997 | |
| Minimum shareholders | At least one shareholderCompanies Act 1997 | |
| Registered office | A physical address in PNG is required (a P.O. Box is not acceptable) |
Companies in Papua New Guinea are incorporated under the Companies Act 1997 and registered with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) Companies Office. The most common vehicle is a company limited by shares; foreign-owned entities require additional certification.
Other Papua New Guinea computations in the OpenAccountants library.
| Company constitution | Optional — a company need not adopt a constitution at incorporation; the Companies Act default rules apply unless one is adoptedCompanies Act 1997 |
| Foreign enterprise certification | A company that is 50% or more foreign-owned must obtain Foreign Enterprise Certification from the IPA before commencing operationsInvestment Promotion Act 1992 |
| Incorporation application | Incorporation is by application to the IPA (Form 1 / online via the IPA Online Registry System), including company name reservation and consents of directors/shareholdersCompanies Act 1997 |
| Incorporation timeline | Typically a few business days once a compliant application and name reservation are lodged onlineCompanies Act 1997 |
| Incorporation fee | An IPA registration fee applies; verify the current schedule on the IPA portalCompanies Act 1997 |
| Annual return | Companies must file an annual return with the IPA each year to remain on the registerCompanies Act 1997 |
| Stamp duty on property transfer | Up to a maximum of 5% on conveyance of property where value exceeds PGK 100,000Stamp Duties Act |
Rendered from the facts database. General reference only — confirm with a qualified professional before acting.
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