Company Formation Service Qatar | Excel Consultants & Partners LLC

Company Formation Setup and Service in Qatar

Company formation services by Excel Consultants & Partners LLC are thorough, professional, and focused on helping you create a business entity in Qatar within the shortest possible time.

Why Hire Our Company Formation Services in Qatar

One of the top benefits of hiring company formation services in Qatar by Excel Consultants & Partners LLC is that we are located in Doha and fully understand the different types of companies in Qatar that you can choose from. Our company formation specialists in Qatar have successfully helped many local and foreign investors.

Company Formation Options in Qatar

There are many options when it comes to company registration in Qatar.

Shelf Company

If you want to immediately start your business without waiting, you can buy a shelf company in Qatar. Excel Consultants & Partners can arrange for shelf companies in Qatar with previous work history.

Virtual Office

Get in touch with Excel Consultants & Partners LLC to know more about the different options that we provide for virtual office packages in Qatar and other allied services.

Subsidiary

Our team of experienced Qatar company formation specialists can assist you. They will take care of all the documentation requirements to help you start a subsidiary in Qatar to extend your company’s presence here.

Formation of A Subsidiary Company

Excel Consultants & Partners LLC has subsidiary formation specialists in Qatar to help you with the process of opening your commercial enterprise.

Setup A Branch Office in Qatar

If you are looking to open a branch office in Qatar, let us help you.

Open A Corporate or Business Bank Account in Qatar

Our team of experts can also assist you in opening a corporate or business bank account in Qatar.

Guide to Setting Up a Company in Qatar

Qatar remains one of the top destinations for foreign investors and entrepreneurs. The country offers low corporate tax rates and great business opportunities to start your business. It offers great quality lifestyle with robust GDP and economic growth. There are a few restrictions on foreign entities regarding ownership. However, you can navigate through this requirement by becoming a partner with a Qatari citizen. Get in touch with us for more on the different types of companies in Qatar and their foreign ownership requirements. Also, the government is working hard to improve the ease of doing business, already jumping a few points to rank 77^th in the world on that index.

The Steps to Opening a Company in Qatar

Foreign companies that want to establish their presence in Qatar can go for incorporating a new business or open a branch office.

Companies abroad need to appoint a representative in Qatar for conducting business on their behalf. For more information on company formation, get in touch with one of Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation agents in Qatar. We are glad to answer any questions that you may have about the incorporation of your business in the country.

Here are a few steps that investors need to take to open a company in Qatar.

You need to get a company name approved from the Commercial registered after confirming availability.
You also need to go for trademark registration in Qatar to be safe in case a competitor tries to hijack your brand’s identity to use for their benefit.
Open a business bank account and deposit the minimum share capital.
Get the Articles of Association drafted to submit to Qatar’s Commercial Companies Control Department for submission and get approval.
Fulfill the requirements and documents required to the Commercial Registry working under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Get your company registered or tax and have your company seal prepared.
Apply for the trade and signage license from Doha Municipality. You may also need other permits and licenses for conducting company activities depending on your business nature.

The above-mentioned steps for company formation in Qatar are necessary to get your business entity registered and perform as a legal business entity. For more information on any of these company formation requirements get in touch with our Qatar company or firm registration experts at Excel Consultants & Partners LLC and we would be happy to help. Our experts will guide you step by step along the process and assist in complying with the requirements to register your commercial business in Qatar with foreign ownership.

Types of Companies in Qatar

There are different types of companies in Qatar that you can register to operate a legal business entity. Foreign investors and businesses register different types of companies in Qatar including LLC (limited liability company), branch office, public shareholding company, partnership, limited partnership, or joint partner. They can also form joint ventures. Foreign investors coming to Qatar mostly form a Limited Liability Company in Qatar. The major shareholding is of a Qatari citizen or citizens (more than one partner in one business) at 51%.

QSTP or Qatar Science and Technology Park and The Qatar Financial Center serve as the two special investment zones for foreign entrepreneurs seeking company formation in Qatar. The investors going for company formation in these special investment zones take advantage of the special tax regime and a business-friendly regulatory framework. The legal framework for the working of the Qatar Financial Centre is derived from Common Law or Anglo-American law. In some cases, foreign individuals and companies have 100% ownership under a special local regime in compliance with the laws applicable to businesses operating in Qatar. Get in touch with Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation agents in Qatar for more information about QFC.

Registering LLC Company in Qatar

Ministry of Economy and Industry registers a limited liability company in Qatar. The incorporation process is simple. However, there are a few things shared below that you need to be cognizant of.
You need to verify and reserve the name of the company to prepare documents for it.
The LLC company in Qatar about to be formed must have its Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association in Arabic language and notarized.
You need to create a business or corporate bank account in Qatar and deposit Qatari Riyals 200,000 as minimum share capital.
Your company may require additional permits and licenses (depends on business nature) to commence business operations in Qatar.
Please note that foreign company owners cannot hold more than 49% stakes in a Qatari business. For that, you need to have Qatari citizens as your business partners for opening a company in Qatar.

Is It Permissible to Open a Branch in Qatar?

Yes, a company can open a branch in Qatar. It needs to abide by a few conditions.

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Qatar must give a decree for the establishment of a company.
There are different documents that need to be submitted and approved by the authorities.
The company that wants to open a branch office in Qatar must also show in writing its parent organization’s intent to open a branch office in Qatar.
Requirements also include submission of the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association, power of attorney, certification of registration of foreign shareholding of the company and approval from the Commercial Registry in Qatar.

For more information on how to open a branch office in Qatar, get in touch with Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation specialists.

Can foreign companies and investors buy a shelf company in Qatar?

Foreign and local investors can buy a shelf company in Qatar. Once you by ready-made company, you skip the registration formalities for opening a company and the requirements that you need to fulfill. Make sure that you carefully go through the transfer process when buying a shelf company in Qatar. A ready-made company has aged over time but it must not have any activities that can jeopardize your business’s presence. It must also not have any pending debts that you have to pay.

Excel Consultants & Partners LLC can help you with the due diligence when you choose to buy a vintage company with a bank account. Once you have the due diligence, your company is ready to commence business operations as soon as the ownership is transferred. A shelf company with a clean corporate history has relative ease in securing a bank loan.

For in-depth details of buying a shelf company in Qatar, get in touch with the company formation consultants of Excel Consultants & Partners LLC.

Can I establish a holding company in Qatar?

A holding company in Qatar can work as a limited liability company with a minimum share capital of QAR 10 million for public companies. There is no VAT, wealth tax, or withholding tax that holding companies in Qatar have to pay, thus a great advantage. Like many other types of companies in Qatar, holding companies in Qatar need to get approval from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Doha.

There must be 5 shareholders or more to form a shareholding company in Qatar. The total number of shareholders for a holding company in Qatar cannot exceed 11. The shareholders must agree to which type of holding company they want to form, whether public or private.

Please note that holding companies in Qatar hold control of several companies but they do not perform any business activities. The process of registration of a holding company in Qatar is simple. However, if you are coming from abroad as a foreign investor, you can get all the assistance you need from Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation agent in Qatar. Let our company formation specialist assist you to open a holding company in Qatar.

Can I Open a Liaison Office in Qatar?

Yes, you can open a representative office, also known as a liaison office in Qatar. Entrepreneurs from abroad who want to present their business to potential customers in Qatar. A liaison office or RO in Qatar helps you perform your business’s marketing activities and target potential customers.

A representative office in Qatar can be opened without having to set aside any minimum share capital. The representative office cannot perform any financial transactions and is not allowed to sign any contracts. However, a liaison office in Qatar is ideal for conducting marketing activities and the promotion of foreign businesses in the country.

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce approves the opening of a liaison office in Qatar. Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation representatives in Qatar can handle all the formalities for you.

What is the process of opening a corporate or business bank account in Qatar?

The opening of a business or corporate bank account in Qatar is a simple task. However, international investors may need assistance when it comes to opening a corporate bank account, a key step in the registration of a company. You need to have a valid passport and company documents to successfully open a business or corporate bank account in Qatar. Natural persons from Qatar will provide a company latter that they work for opening a business bank account.

How about opening a virtual office in Qatar?

If you do not want to establish a brick-and-mortar presence in Qatar, you can opt for the establishment of a virtual office. There are different services and packages available for forming a virtual office in Qatar. The services for the formation of a virtual office in Qatar include mail collection and forwarding, fax services, virtual assistants for office chores. Secretarial services, answering and forwarding of the calls, and a reputable business address.

Foreign investors can also book meeting rooms and collect bank statements. The cost of the establishment of a virtual office in Qatar varies from one package to another. Get in touch with our company formation agents in Qatar. Our specialists also assist with providing all the information you require to start a business in Qatar and also information regarding the different Qatari government authorities giving approvals during business incorporation.

Taxation of Companies in Qatar

Qatar offers a low corporate tax rate to companies. An entrepreneur will have a minimum number of corporate taxes to worry about including those from the income. Businesses only pay 10% corporate tax rate in Qatar. However, companies in the oil and gas sector pay 35% corporate tax. They don’t need to pay any withholding tax on the dividends. There are no additional taxes in the form of capital duty, property tax, or payroll. Qatar VAT is still in the process of getting implemented. Ask one of the company formation agents in Qatar at Excel Consultants & Partners LLC to get complete details on the matters of tax that need compliance.

How to do trade registration in Qatar?

The application for registration of a company in Qatar differs with the city in which you want to start your venture. You need to be aware of the city’s Commercial Registry and local offices. There are one-stop-shop systems established to help the foreign investors deal with the business regulation authorities in Qatar. The Ministry of Economy and Commerce governs the Trade Registration in Qatar and gives all the approvals.

The Commercial Registry lets the natural persons and entrepreneurs verify their company information including its total number of employees, owners, and the date of registration without any extra charge.

If you think that company formation in formation in Qatar is a lot to ask or involves too many technicalities, you can always hire the expert company incorporation agents in Qatar by Excel Consultants & Partners LLC to help you with the business incorporation documentation at the Commercial Registry.

When forming a company in Qatar, foreign investors need to register it with Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce and Commercial Registry. The government has established its one-shop-stop system within the Ministry of Economy and Commerce. You need to provide all the information about the company that you want to register in Qatar including details about company directors, managers, number of employees, authorized individuals, and contact details.

You can hire expert company registration agents in Qatar of Excel Consultants & Partners LLC and they can also help you with the search for companies’ registry.

Details Required for Registering a Company with QFC (Qatar Financial Centre)

QFC, short for Qatar Financial Centre, is a designated investment zone with its own registration and taxation regime. QFC offers a public register of companies that allows individuals to find information on companies registered within this special investment zone.

The type of legal business entity
Current status of the company like licensed, or having a suspended license, inactive, or insolvent.
The official address of the company in Qatar
Information about its shareholders and founders
The types of business activities that it is licensed to undertake while running as a commercial enterprise in Qatar

Business Investment in Qatar

The government of Qatar has passed a new law in Jan 2019 to further facilitate the different types of investments for foreign investors and entrepreneurs.

Shared below are some of the salient features of this law that can prove to be very attractive for investors and entrepreneurs interested in investing in Qatar.

Foreign investors can now own 100% in a Qatari company as foreigners. Previously they could only hold 49% of ownership in a Qatari company.
Foreign investors and traders can now also trade on the Qatar Stock Exchange.
Foreign investors are also allowed to participate in private pension plans and other options for financial investments.
The new law allows foreign investors and entrepreneurs to invest in Qatari investments, saving accounts, pension funds, properties, businesses, investment funds, and offshore investments.

Frequently Asked Questions on Company Formation in Qatar

Q1. Why foreign investors should consider investing in Qatar?

Qatar is among the wealthiest nations in the world. The government has made a concerted effort to bring Qatar onto the map of the richest countries of the world. A business enabling environment comes with top investment incentives, world class IT infrastructure, best-in-class banking services, socio-political stability, and great infrastructure.

Q2. What are the types of companies’ business owners can register in Qatar?

There are different options for running a legal business entity in Qatar. Let us have a look.

Limited share partnership company
Partnership Company
Limited Liability Company
Limited Partnership Company
Holding Company
Single Person Company
Particular Partnership Company
Shareholding Company

Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company formation advisors in Qatar will give you all the information on the different types of business entities and the help required to set up a company in Qatar.

Q3. What types of business entities in Qatar are preferred by foreign investors?

Foreign investors in the company favor one particular type of business entity known as the Limited Liability Company (LLC). We understand that foreign entrepreneurs need one or more local partners to start their business in Qatar and help them with the matters involving majority shareholding.

Q4. Why consider getting LLC (Limited Liability Company) Registered in Qatar?

Let us have a look at some of the major features of getting a Limited Liability Company (LLC) Registered in Qatar.

Main Features of an LLC in Qatar.

You need to have 10% of each year’s profits to be kept within the business until your company reaches the legal reserves of 50% of the share capital.
A local Qatari individual must hold 51% of the ownership of the company and not in case of exemptions.
You need to have at least one year of office lease to be able to attain the trade license.
The company will have a minimum share capital of Qatari Riyals of 200,000.

Q5. Can foreign companies open a branch office in Qatar?

The purpose of opening a branch office in Qatar is to complete work related to specific government contracts in Qatar. The Ministry of Economy and Commerce will establish the contract to be called “government qualified”. You do not need to have a local partner for a branch in Qatar. Excel Consultants & Partners LLC’s company registration agents in Qatar can assist with more details to help you establish this form of business.

How can I establish a trade representative office in Qatar?

A trade representative office in Qatar is also known as a shop window. Foreign investors can set it up without the need to partner with a local Qatari citizen. Trade representatives in Qatar cannot start commercial activities in Qatar. The main purpose of these trade offices is to promote their products or services.

What are the corporate taxes that Qatar bound businesses have to pay?

Companies in Qatar owned by foreigners need to pay taxes on the profits they earn. The local companies do not have to pay taxes. However, the foreign partners need to have their share of the company.

The corporate taxes in Qatar are rated at 10% for profits that are between Qatari Riyals 100,000 and 500,000. These corporate taxes can go all the way to 35% for incomes exceeding Qatari Riyals 5 million.

Are foreign companies allowed to do business in Qatar?

Yes, foreign companies can establish a legal presence in the form of establishing a branch office in Qatar.

What are the requirements for filing financial reports or the accounting period followed in Qatar?

The taxpayers in Qatar need to submit the details related to their accounts within four months from the date when their financial year ends.

Are foreigners allowed to own a property in Qatar?

Only local citizens can own a property in Qatar. There are three special economic zones established by the citizens from the GCC countries including Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

If you need any help about opening a company in Qatar, feel free to get in touch with Excel Consultants & Partners LLC so that our company formation specialists can help you decide the best structure for your legal business entity.

Excel Consultants & Partners LLC is a bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, audit, company formation, accounting training & education, Qatar VAT training and implementation, accounting recruitment & HR, business feasibilities and plans, accounting services for eCommerce, project management consultancy, and company formation expert in Qatar. Please click on the relevant link below to get the services you require as a business owner or manager in Qatar.

You can reach us at info[at]ExcelConsultants.org or call us at +974.70268254.

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