Corporate Services
Incorporation, registered office, company secretarial and nominee services. Our corporate team handles formation and ongoing maintenance of your Labuan holding company.
See corporate servicesA tax-efficient regional holding vehicle with access to Malaysia's extensive double tax agreement network. Incorporated under the Labuan Companies Act 1990 and taxed under LBATA 1990 according to how income is classified.
A Labuan holding company is a Labuan entity that holds shares, investments or intellectual property rather than conducting active trading. It is incorporated under the Labuan Companies Act 1990 and taxed under the Labuan Business Activity Tax Act 1990 (LBATA) according to how its income is classified.
An Investment Holding Company (IHC) holds passive assets and is not subject to Labuan Business Activity Tax: dividends, capital gains and passive income pass through without a Labuan-level tax charge. A Trading Holding Company conducts active holding alongside trading activities and pays 3% tax on net audited profits, with audited financial statements required. The classification depends on the nature of activities, not the legal form.
Labuan holding structures are supervised by Labuan FSA and must be incorporated through a Labuan FSA licensed trust company such as Signature Trust, giving international families and corporate groups access to Malaysia's tax treaty network within a regulated midshore environment.
Speak to our teamA Labuan holding company is taxed under the Labuan Business Activity Tax Act 1990 (LBATA). Treatment depends on whether the entity carries on a Labuan business activity. An investment holding company that passively holds shares, investments or intellectual property is not considered to carry on Labuan business activity and is therefore not subject to LBAT. Dividends received, capital gains realised and other passive income pass through to the shareholder without a Labuan-level tax charge.
A Labuan trading holding company that combines holding activities with active trading is subject to LBAT at 3% on audited net profits. The classification between passive and active is decided by the nature of the activities, not the legal form of the company. An entity that moves from purely passive holding to active trading during the year may change its tax treatment, so early classification and ongoing monitoring matter.
Labuan entities can access Malaysia's network of Double Tax Agreements (DTAs) for reduced withholding tax on cross-border dividends, interest and royalties. A number of DTAs contain specific provisions that exclude Labuan entities from their benefits, so the availability of relief should be confirmed per counterparty jurisdiction before structuring any cross-border holding arrangement.
0% tax on dividends, capital gains and passive income for an IHC. A trading holding company pays a flat 3% on audited net profits, significantly lower than most regional headline rates.
Labuan entities can benefit from Malaysia's 70+ Double Tax Agreements for reduced withholding tax on cross-border dividends, interest and royalties, subject to specific carve-outs in certain treaties.
A pure equity IHC has no employee requirement, only a minimum MYR 20,000 annual OPEX in Labuan and a board meeting held in Labuan. A lighter footprint than typical onshore alternatives.
Supervised by Labuan FSA under the Labuan Companies Act 1990 and LBATA. 100% foreign ownership is permitted with no foreign exchange controls, in a stable common-law-friendly jurisdiction.
We discuss the underlying assets, target subsidiaries and DTA jurisdictions. We confirm whether an IHC or a trading holding company best fits and outline the substance and filing implications of each.
We collect KYC and source-of-funds documentation for shareholders and directors, draft the Memorandum and Articles of Association and confirm registered office, resident director and company secretary arrangements.
We file the incorporation application with Labuan FSA, settle the FSA fees and obtain the Certificate of Incorporation. Share capital is set at the agreed nominal level for the entity.
We support bank account opening, set up substance arrangements where required and put annual filings, board meetings and FSA retainer on a maintenance schedule managed by our team.
Common questions about Labuan holding companies.
A Labuan investment holding company (IHC) that does not carry on active Labuan business activity is not subject to Labuan Business Activity Tax. Dividends, capital gains and passive investment income held through a Labuan IHC are not taxed at the Labuan level. A Labuan trading holding company that conducts active business pays 3% tax on net audited profits.
Yes. A Labuan holding company can hold shares in a Singapore subsidiary. Singapore does not impose withholding tax on dividends under its one-tier corporate tax system, so dividends paid by a Singapore subsidiary to a Labuan holding company are not subject to Singapore-level tax. The tax treatment of other income types depends on the structure and activities involved.
A Labuan pure equity holding company (holding only shares) is exempt from the full-time employee requirement but must incur a minimum annual operating expenditure of MYR 20,000 in Labuan and hold at least one board meeting in Labuan each year. A Labuan entity that holds investment assets other than equity (such as bonds, property or loans) requires one full-time employee and MYR 20,000 in annual operating expenditure. A trading holding company that conducts active business is subject to the full economic substance test.
Incorporation timelines depend on the completeness of documentation and Labuan FSA processing times. The full onboarding process, including bank account opening, may take longer.
Under the Labuan Companies (Amendment) Act 2022, every Labuan company must have at least one resident director. This role can be fulfilled by a trust officer of a licensed Labuan trust company such as Signature Trust. A licensed company secretary based in Labuan is also required. Signature Trust provides both services as part of its corporate services offering.
There is no statutory minimum paid-up capital requirement for a Labuan company under the Labuan Companies Act 1990. Share capital is typically set at a nominal amount such as USD 1, though the appropriate capitalisation depends on the intended activities and banking requirements.
Speak with our team about your structure, or browse our full range of corporate and fiduciary services. Signature Trust handles incorporation, registered office, company secretarial and annual maintenance from one Labuan FSA licensed team.