Pearl River Post
Stories

Stories

Reporting, guides and operating notes on Hong Kong banking, company setup, tax and cross-border payments.

Latest

Field notes

Each story starts from the document or decision that usually causes a delay, follows the process in the order it actually happens, and ends with the primary sources we checked.

BankingWhat a Hong Kong business account application actually asks forThe documents behind ownership, trading activity and expected payment flows. →BankingVirtual bank, traditional bank or EMI: the practical splitThree regulated models, three different answers to the same operating question. →SetupCompany registration for a foreign founder: the operational sequenceFrom name search to first bank meeting, in the order the paperwork actually moves. →Cross-borderWhen a Hong Kong payment to Mainland China takes the long routeWhy a transfer across the boundary can stall — and the documents that unstick it. →TaxTerritorial profits tax: what evidence matters before the conclusionSource of profits is a factual question. The file you keep decides the answer. →SetupAnnual return, BR and audit: three clocks that founders mix upThree separate obligations, three separate dates, one company. →
Desks

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Desk

Banking

Account applications, institution types and operating an account.

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Desk

Virtual banks

The eight HKMA licences and what they mean for companies.

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Desk

Setup

Registration, statutory records and recurring filings.

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Desk

Cross-border

Payments and documents between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

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Desk

Tax

Territorial profits tax and record-keeping.

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Tool

Setup cost calculator

Plan the cost lines of a new Hong Kong company.

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FAQ

Questions readers ask

How are stories chosen?

From the questions founders run into most often in Hong Kong banking and company operations — especially where documents, sequence or cost are misunderstood.

Are the stories updated?

Yes. Each story lists its sources with a checked date and is revised when a rule, fee or product changes the conclusion.

Can I republish a story?

Please link to the original page instead. Short quotations with a link and attribution are fine.

How do I report an error?

See the corrections page. Material corrections are logged publicly.

Sources

Primary references

  1. HKMA register of authorized institutionsChecked 2026-11-12
  2. Companies RegistryChecked 2026-11-12
  3. Inland Revenue DepartmentChecked 2026-11-12
  4. HKICL — Faster Payment SystemChecked 2026-11-12