Corporate services in Qatar

Corporate Services in Qatar

Realia Family Office offers its clients the opportunity to open a company in Qatar, as it is currently the most favorable period for doing so. The Qatari government is focused on developing non-energy sectors of business, such as real estate, financial and insurance services, education, healthcare, manufacturing, HORECA, sports, and tourism. Despite being relatively small in territory, Qatar boasts one of the world’s wealthiest economies per capita, with 70% of government revenues coming from oil and gas revenues.

Qatar is a country with a rapidly growing economy and an advanced development strategy that provides diverse investment opportunities for businesses. There are numerous ways to invest in infrastructure development and diversify profits due to the effective economic policies implemented in the country.

Advantages:

• No personal income tax
• No export taxation
• High quality of life
• Growing economy
• Effective education and healthcare
• Supportive infrastructure

FREE ZONE

Qatar has three key platforms that are most favorable for conducting financial and economic activities in various sectors of the economy. In the free zones, it is possible to open a company with 100% foreign ownership. Here, more than 20 years of tax holidays are provided, along with access to investment funds, and there are no customs duties on imports.

QATAR FINANCIAL CENTER (QFC) is not technically a free zone but operates in a format similar to one. QFC is designed to provide an environment exclusively for attracting international and local companies that provide financial services. QFC is currently accepting business registration applications from non-financial service providers as well, such as in management consulting, personnel recruitment, sports, and entertainment.

• Double taxation avoidance agreements with more than 70 countries
• No personal income tax
• No property tax or zakat (mandatory charitable donations)
• Corporate profit tax is 10%
• An investor can benefit from a preferential tax rate of 0% as an investment manager, reinsurer, captive, or if your business is at least 90% owned by a Qatari citizen
• Tax optimization is available

QATAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK (QSTP) is part of the Qatar Foundation and aims to become an international center for scientific and technological innovation, technological entrepreneurship, and high-tech business.

• Double taxation avoidance agreements with more than 70 countries
• QSTP companies can be fully exempt from Qatar’s tax regime
• Companies exempt from taxes are still required to submit tax declarations and apply VAT to payments from non-residents

QATAR FREE ZONE (QFZ) consists of two free zones focused on key sectors:

• Industrial and consumer equipment
• Food products
• Agricultural technologies
• Eco-friendly technologies
• Sustainable energy
• Information and communication technologies
• Healthcare, pharmaceuticals
• Media technologies
• Transportation
• Industry
• Chemical industry
• Logistics
• Maritime shipping

QFZ offers the following advantages for foreign residents:

• 20-year renewable tax holidays
• No corporate tax
• No personal income tax
• Zero customs duties on imports
• No restrictions on capital repatriation
• Double taxation avoidance agreements with more than 70 countries
• All taxes combined amount to 5%

QFZ tax base is actively developed, standard audit/reporting commitments apply

100% FOREIGN OWNERSHIP:

Free Zone (QFZ) and Qatar Financial Center (QFC) allow 100% foreign ownership of a company, which is also permitted outside the free zone (Mainland), especially in sectors such as:

• Agriculture
• Consulting
• Technical services
• Culture
• Sports
• Entertainment
• Distribution services
• Natural resources development and research
• Education
• Healthcare
• IT
• Industry
• Tourism

Branches can also be created with 100% foreign ownership, but they must fulfill a government contract. Opening a trade representative office is also possible, but this type of organization cannot engage in trade.

MAINLAND (outside the free zone)

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is the most common organizational form for companies in Qatar. This form is suitable for businesses of any size. The LLC format allows ownership to be divided among shareholders, up to fifty. The Qatari government encourages the creation of such companies, so the process of registering an LLC is usually simple and fast. This organizational form also provides investor protection. Each shareholder is only liable for the percentage of the company’s profits that corresponds to their investment size.

Advantages of companies on the mainland:

• Fast completion of all necessary procedures
• Corporate tax – 10%, no other taxes
• Significant investor protection
• Unlimited number of contracts

LLC MAINLAND:

• No personal income tax (PIT), inheritance tax, property tax, value-added tax (VAT)
• Foreign-owned or partially foreign-owned companies with income sources in Qatar are subject to a fixed-rate Corporate Income Tax (CIT) of 10%.
• Companies engaged in oil and gas operations are subject to CIT up to 35%.
• Companies fully owned by Qatari citizens or the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf do not pay Corporate Income Tax (CIT). The organization includes Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
• Foreign corporations selling shares of Qatar-based companies may be subject to a Capital Gains Tax of 10%
• Withholding Tax (WHT) at 5%
• Double taxation avoidance agreements with more than 70 countries
• You are considered a tax resident if any of the following conditions apply:
  • You have a permanent residence in Qatar;
  • You have been in Qatar for more than 183 days in a 12-month period;
  • Your center of vital interests is connected to Qatar
• Individuals are not required to pay any social security taxes. However, employers are required to provide medical insurance for employees and social insurance for Qatari employees (not expatriates).
• Main amendments to the Income Tax Law – February 2023

OUR SERVICES:

We offer a wide range of solutions for entrepreneurs to open a business in Qatar, based on deep expertise in state regulation and international business-building standards with a focus on the Middle East. The service of opening a company in Qatar includes the creation of legal entities registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), including Limited Liability Companies (LLC), Joint-Stock Companies (JSC), holding companies, branches, trade representative offices located in Free Zones and the Financial Center.

We promptly provide reliable and cost-effective service to large corporations as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. With years of experience in the local industry, we have established strong relationships with key government agencies, allowing us to offer our clients a seamless and efficient registration process for all companies, taking into account visa requirements.

Company Formation:

Utilizing our experience and expertise, we will help you determine the most suitable format for your company and advise on how to structure your business more effectively.

• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Foreign company branch
• Trade representative office
• Commercial agency
• Setting up a company in Qatar Financial Center (QFC), Qatar Free Zone (QFZ), and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP)

Other Services:

• Company secretary services
• Local partner services
• Assistance in corporate management
• Authorized signatory (nominee manager services)
• Liquidation and deregistration
• Bank account opening
• Attestation and translation services
• Corporate compliance services

Licensing Services:

• Commercial registration and application for trade license, amendments, and renewals
• Obtaining and renewing regulatory authority permits and licenses, including ministerial approvals if necessary
• Assistance in obtaining industrial licenses and setting up production product registration
• External registrations and submission processes to the Ministry of Labor
• Strong contacts in QFC, QFZ, and QSTP

Visa and Immigration Services:

• Resident, family, and employee visas – application, renewal, cancellation
• QID and renewal of VIP medical and biometric data
• Ministry of Labor – quotas, applications, and assistance
• Wage Protection System (WPS)
• Payroll calculation services
• Document notarization and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) attestation services
• Tender documentation submission
• Application submission

Local Partner Services

We offer a professional, specialized corporate sponsorship platform where we act as a shareholder holding a 51% stake in the company. However, we pay special attention to ensuring the safety of the foreign party and full management control over its assets and intellectual property. Essentially, this allows the client to maintain 100% ownership.

This means that you conduct business directly with our company representatives, benefiting from accessibility, efficiency, transparency, consistency, and our years of experience. We will also provide you with additional protection under local company laws, maintain regular communication with the Qatari government, provide administrative support, and offer a complete set of professional services, including:

• Residential and family visas
• Work permits and identity cards
• Offshore passes, and more.

We are an experienced team that ensures effective communication, including through skilled professionals on the ground who are fluent in Arabic. These experts help foreign companies maintain seamless communication with the Qatari government as well as companies in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. We draw on our years of collaboration with dynamically growing Qatari companies that act as our local partners.

Management Services

If necessary, we can provide an appointed manager within our group who will serve as a permanent on-site manager, company secretary, or authorized signatory empowered to perform managerial, administrative, and secretarial tasks.

The appointed manager exercises management only as a result of direct approval, based on the instructions of the parent company or its board of directors.

HR

Our HR services include administrative support for the HR department, HR consultations, and payroll management, including:

• Outsourced personnel requirements
• Employee hiring, termination, performance management
• Training and development
• HR policies, letters, and templates tailored to company structure
• Leave management
• End-of-service gratuity calculation

Corporate Services

To help our clients stay informed about corporate governance issues and overall company operations, we offer a wide range of corporate services that include tender assistance, bank account opening, and money transfers.

Accounting Services

• Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) accounting rules
• Monthly account maintenance
• VAT
• Quarterly reporting
• Management accounts

How to Register an LLC in Qatar:

• Register the trade name
• Sign the Articles of Association (AoA)
• Obtain commercial registration
• Sign the lease agreement (office or commercial)
• Obtain the trade license and immigration card

OUR PARTNERS: