For a Hong Kong founder, the difficulty is rarely not knowing that compliance is required — it is not remembering when. Annual returns, profits tax, personal tax, employer's returns, business registration renewal, MPF contributions: each has its own deadline, scattered across the year, and missing one brings a penalty or worse.
This article gathers the key 2026 deadlines for a Hong Kong company — accounting, audit, filing and the annual return — into one calendar worth keeping. All dates follow the official announcements of the Inland Revenue Department and the Companies Registry. We also share an idea rarely spelled out: choosing your year end is choosing your filing deadline. Bookmark this page and refer back through the year.
In this article
- 1. Why you need a tax calendar
- 2. Profits tax deadlines (N / D / M codes)
- 3. Personal tax deadlines
- 4. Employer's return
- 5. Annual return and BR renewal
- 6. Provisional tax and payment
- 7. Monthly and annual employer duties
- The 2026 month-by-month calendar
- First-year arrangements for new companies
- Late penalties at a glance
- Four steps to a reminder system
- FAQ
1. Why you need a tax calendar
Compliance is not hard; remembering every deadline is. A calendar solves exactly that.
The five deadlines founders miss most
- Annual return (NAR1): within 42 days of the incorporation anniversary — most often missed because nobody reminds you.
- Profits tax return: the deadline depends on your accounting date (N / D / M code) — most often miscalculated.
- Personal tax return: different deadlines for sole proprietors and employees — most often confused.
- Business registration renewal: annually or every three years — most often missed because the demand note did not arrive.
- MPF contributions: by the 10th each month — most often late because payday and contribution date are out of step.
Our view: the enemy of compliance is forgetting, not ignorance. An observation that gets to the point: almost every SME compliance failure comes not from not knowing how — filing methods are a search away — but from not remembering when. Once business gets busy, the deadlines fall out of mind until a penalty notice arrives. So managing compliance is less about acquiring knowledge than about building a deadline reminder system. This calendar is the first step in turning memory into a system.
2. Profits tax deadlines (N / D / M codes)
The profits tax deadline is not the same for everyone; it depends on your company's accounting date.
Issue date and the general deadline
Profits tax returns are issued on the first working day of April each year. On 1 April 2026 the IRD issued about 270,000 profits tax returns for 2025/26, 120,000 property tax returns and 340,000 employer's returns.
Generally, the profits tax return and any required supplementary forms should be filed within one month of the date of issue, and the deadline is printed on page 1 of the return.
Block extensions for 2025/26 returns
Where your tax representative has applied under the block extension scheme, the deadline is normally extended as follows:
| Accounting date code | Year end falls between | Extended due date | Electronic filing due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "N" code | 1 April to 30 November | No extension | 4 June 2026 |
| "D" code | 1 December to 31 December | 31 August 2026 | 2 October 2026 |
| "M" code | 1 January to 31 March | 16 November 2026 | 16 December 2026 |
| "M" code (loss for the year) | 1 January to 31 March | 1 February 2027 | 1 February 2027 |
A correction: it is sometimes said — including in an earlier version of this article — that D code extends to 17 August and M code loss cases to 31 January. That does not match the official announcement. For 2025/26 the correct dates are D code 31 August and M code loss cases 1 February 2027. The dates are announced each year in the IRD's Circular Letter to Tax Representatives and may be extended further in exceptional circumstances, so rely on the latest announcement.
Two additional extensions
- Voluntary electronic filing: where a corporation or partnership files electronically through the Business Tax Portal (BTP) or the Tax Representative Portal (TRP), the IRD grants one extra month beyond the normal deadline.
- Entities required to file electronically: Part 4AA entities subject to mandatory electronic filing may receive a further one-month extension; where they did not notify the IRD of their status before March 2026 and continued to receive paper returns, it is not granted automatically and must be applied for.
An easily overlooked requirement: whichever mode is used to file the profits tax return for years of assessment 2020/21 to 2026/27, all supplementary forms must be filed electronically — exported as XML files and uploaded through the electronic filing services of the BTP or TRP. The commonly used forms include "S1 — Person electing for two-tiered profits tax rates", S2 (transfer pricing), S3 (research and development expenditure) and S19 (specified foreign-sourced income). To get the 8.25% two-tiered rate you must file the S1, and you must file it electronically.
Our view: choosing your accounting year end is choosing your filing deadline. People pick a year end at incorporation almost at random, without realising it locks in their annual filing deadline and how much preparation time they get. Choose 31 March (M code) and the deadline runs to November or even December — the most preparation time. Choose 31 December (D code), convenient for consolidating with an overseas parent, and the deadline falls in August to October. Choose April to November (N code) and there is no extension at all, so bookkeeping and audit must be rushed. Choosing a year end is choosing the rhythm of your tax year, and the sensible founder picks it deliberately when incorporating.
3. Personal tax deadlines
Beyond the company's profits tax, the owner has personal obligations — especially sole proprietors. Note that the profits of a sole proprietorship are reported in the individual return (BIR60), not in a separate profits tax return.
Key personal tax dates in 2026
On 4 May 2026 the IRD issued about 2.77 million individual tax returns for 2025/26. The general deadlines:
| Taxpayer | General deadline | Online filing |
|---|---|---|
| General taxpayers (employed, rental income) | Within 1 month of issue (about 4 June 2026) | Generally an automatic 1-month extension (about 4 July) |
| Sole proprietors | Within 3 months of issue (about 4 August 2026) | Generally an automatic 1-month extension (about 4 September) |
*The exact deadline is the date printed on the return.
Our view: directors confuse the company's return with their own. The owner of a limited company has two filing identities: the company files profits tax (BIR51), and the individual drawing directors' fees files salaries tax (BIR60). Many directors remember the company's return and overlook their own, and end up late personally. Remember: the company and the director are two separate filing entities, each with its own deadline. Keeping the two identities distinct is what stops one being lost behind the other.
4. Employer's return BIR56A
If you employ anyone — including salaried directors — you have employer filing obligations.
- Issued: generally on the first working day of April; about 340,000 were issued on 1 April 2026.
- Deadline: to be filed with the IR56B forms within one month of issue.
- Required even with no employees: if you employ nobody, have not started trading, or have suspended or ceased business, you must still return the BIR56A with the "no" box ticked.
- Reporting threshold: single employees earning HK$132,000 or more a year, all married employees, part-timers and directors must be reported.
Other IR56 forms have their own deadlines: IR56E for new hires (within 3 months of commencement), IR56F on cessation (1 month before employment ends), IR56G on departure from Hong Kong (1 month before departure, with payments withheld). See our payroll and MPF service.
5. Annual return and business registration renewal
Annual return (NAR1)
- Deadline: a private company must file the NAR1 within 42 days after the incorporation anniversary.
- Fee if on time: HK$105 registration fee within the 42 days.
- The date moves: every company's anniversary differs, so the deadline depends on when you incorporated.
- Stepcon handles it: annual return filing service $395 + government fee $105 = $500.
Business registration renewal
| Certificate | Registration fee | Levy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year business registration certificate | HK$2,200 | HK$150 | HK$2,350 |
| 3-year business registration certificate | HK$5,720 | HK$450 | HK$6,170 |
| Branch registration certificate (1 year) | HK$80 | HK$150 | HK$230 |
| Branch registration certificate (3 years) | HK$208 | HK$450 | HK$658 |
The two-year waiver of the HK$150 Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund levy ended on 31 March 2026, so a one-year certificate returns from HK$2,200 to HK$2,350. The duty to renew applies even if no demand note arrives. See our guide to business registration renewal.
Our view: the annual return follows the company's birthday, not the calendar. The point most easily got wrong: profits tax and personal tax deadlines are broadly synchronised across Hong Kong, following the tax year. The annual return deadline follows your company's birthday — 42 days after the incorporation anniversary — and is different for every company. Owners applying calendar thinking to compliance assume the deadlines are the same for everyone and miss their own. Remember: tax follows the calendar; the annual return follows the company's birthday. Know your incorporation date and you can work out the right deadline.
6. Provisional tax and payment
A Hong Kong tax bill has two parts: the tax payable for the current year, plus provisional tax for the next year charged in advance on this year's profits. So the first bill is often close to double what people expect.
- Instalments: provisional tax is generally payable in two instalments, on the dates shown in the notice of assessment.
- Holding over: apply in writing on form IR1121, delivered to the IRD by the later of 28 days before the due date for the provisional tax, or 14 days after the date of the notice for payment.
- Objecting: the notice of objection must be received by the IRD within one month of the date of the notice of assessment, using form IR831 or through eTAX.
- Late payment: a 5% surcharge, with a further 10% if still unpaid after six months.
7. Monthly and annual employer duties
| Item | Timing | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| MPF contributions | On or before the 10th of each month | Deferred to the next working day if it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, gale warning day or black rainstorm warning day; late payment carries a 5% surcharge |
| MPF enrolment for new employees | Within the first 60 days of employment | The employer's contributions run from the first day of employment |
| Statutory minimum wage | From 1 May 2026 | Rising from HK$42.1 to HK$43.1 an hour; now reviewed annually |
| Statutory holidays in 2026 | 15 days in the year | Easter Monday (6 April) is a newly added statutory holiday |
| Employees' compensation insurance | Continuously in force | For up to 200 employees, not less than HK$100 million per event |
The 2026 calendar, month by month
Every key deadline of the year, in one table:
| Month | What happens |
|---|---|
| January | Organise last year's vouchers and books; first instalment of provisional tax (per your assessment) |
| March | 31 March is a common accounting date; the PWIF levy waiver ends on 31 March |
| April | 1 April: IRD issues profits tax, property tax and employer's returns; new business registration fees take effect (1-year certificate $2,350); 6 April Easter Monday (new statutory holiday) |
| May | 1 May: minimum wage rises to $43.1; 4 May: individual tax returns issued; employer's return BIR56A due (within 1 month of issue) |
| June | 4 June: general individual return deadline; N code profits tax electronic filing deadline |
| July | 4 July: general individual return deadline for online filing |
| August | 4 August: sole proprietor individual return deadline; 31 August: D code profits tax deadline |
| September | 4 September: sole proprietor online individual return deadline |
| October | 2 October: D code profits tax electronic filing deadline |
| November | 16 November: M code profits tax deadline |
| December | 16 December: M code profits tax electronic filing deadline; 31 December is the D code accounting date; review the year's compliance and prepare for the year end |
| February 2027 | 1 February: final deadline for M code loss cases |
| 10th of each month | MPF contribution deadline |
| Moves through the year | Annual return NAR1 (within 42 days of the incorporation anniversary); business registration renewal (before the certificate expires); annual bookkeeping, audit and directors' signing |
*The above are the arrangements for the year of assessment 2025/26. The exact deadline for an individual return is the date printed on the return; block extension dates are announced annually by the IRD and may be adjusted in exceptional circumstances.
First-year arrangements for new companies
- First profits tax return: normally issued about 18 months after the business commenced or the company was incorporated, to be filed within about 3 months of issue (two months beyond the standard one), with generally no further extension available.
- A longer first accounting period: the first financial year may run up to about 18 months, which helps in arranging the first audit.
- First annual return: still due within 42 days of the first incorporation anniversary.
- First audit: involves auditing the opening position, so allow 4–8 weeks (see a start-up's first audit).
- Choose the year end strategically: the early days are the best time to fix your accounting date, which sets your filing rhythm for years.
Plan the year end and the compliance timetable from the first day of incorporation and the first year stays manageable. See also what to do after incorporation.
Late penalties at a glance
| What is late | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Annual return NAR1 | Registration fee rises from HK$105 to: HK$870 up to 3 months late, HK$1,740 up to 6 months, HK$2,610 up to 9 months and HK$3,480 beyond 9 months; the company and every responsible person may also be prosecuted |
| Failing to file the tax return on time | Inland Revenue Ordinance s.80(2): fine up to HK$10,000 plus three times the tax undercharged; an estimated assessment may also be issued |
| Additional tax | Inland Revenue Ordinance s.82A: where no prosecution is brought under s.80(2) or s.82(1), additional tax of up to three times the tax undercharged may be assessed |
| Late payment of tax | 5% surcharge, with a further 10% after six months |
| Failing to lay the audited reporting documents before the company | Companies Ordinance s.429: fine of HK$300,000; up to 12 months' imprisonment where wilful |
| Failing to keep business records for 7 years | Inland Revenue Ordinance s.51C: fine up to HK$100,000 |
| Late MPF contributions | 5% surcharge; a fine of HK$5,000 or 10% of the arrears, whichever is higher, with a maximum penalty of HK$450,000 and 4 years' imprisonment |
| Failing to enrol employees in MPF | Fine up to HK$350,000 and 3 years' imprisonment |
For detail see late audits: consequences and remedies.
Four steps to a reminder system
- Write down three dates: the incorporation date (to derive the NAR1 deadline), the accounting date (to establish N / D / M code) and the business registration expiry date.
- Set recurring calendar reminders: 30 days before the NAR1 deadline, 30 days before BR expiry, the 5th of each month (for MPF), and 30 days after the accounting date (to submit vouchers for the year-end close).
- Build a rhythm for submitting vouchers: a fixed day each month, so nothing piles up at the year end (see managing accounting vouchers and documents).
- Appoint a tax representative: only then is the block extension scheme available, and someone tracks each year's circular for you.
FAQ
When is the 2026 profits tax deadline?
It depends on your accounting date. Under the tax representative block extension scheme, the 2025/26 deadlines are: "N" code (1 April to 30 November) — no extension, electronic filing 4 June 2026; "D" code (December) — 31 August 2026, electronic 2 October 2026; "M" code (1 January to 31 March) — 16 November 2026, electronic 16 December 2026; "M" code loss cases — 1 February 2027 for both paper and electronic.
Without a tax representative, how long do I have?
Generally the profits tax return and any required supplementary forms must be filed within one month of the date of issue, and the deadline is printed on page 1. Block extensions apply only where a tax representative has been appointed and the application made. Filing electronically through the BTP or TRP earns one extra month beyond the normal deadline. We handle extension applications free of charge.
Are personal and company deadlines the same?
No. The IRD issued about 2.77 million individual returns on 4 May 2026; general taxpayers must file within one month of issue (about 4 June) and sole proprietors get three months (about 4 August), with online filing generally granting an automatic extra month. A director of a limited company has two filing identities — the company's profits tax and their own salaries tax — and must track both.
When is the NAR1 due?
A private company must file within 42 days after the incorporation anniversary, with a registration fee of HK$105 if on time. The deadline follows the company's birthday, not the calendar. Late, the fee climbs to HK$870, HK$1,740, HK$2,610 and up to HK$3,480, and the company and every responsible person may be prosecuted.
What is different about a new company's first year?
The first profits tax return is normally issued about 18 months after commencement or incorporation and must be filed within about three months of issue (longer than the usual one month), with generally no further extension. The first accounting period may run up to about 18 months, which helps in arranging the first audit.
Can supplementary forms be filed on paper?
No. Whichever mode is used to file the profits tax return for years of assessment 2020/21 to 2026/27, all supplementary forms — including S1 for the two-tiered rates — must be exported as XML files and uploaded through the electronic filing services of the BTP or TRP.
When is the employer's return issued and due?
Generally on the first working day of April; about 340,000 were issued on 1 April 2026. Employers must file it with the IR56B forms within one month of issue, and must return it with the "no" box ticked even with no employees, or if not yet trading or having ceased.
When does business registration renew, and what does it cost in 2026?
Renew before the certificate expires. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027: one year HK$2,350 ($2,200 + $150 levy), three years HK$6,170; branch certificates HK$230 for one year and HK$658 for three. The duty to renew applies even if no demand note arrives.
Can provisional tax be held over, and by when?
Yes, on a written application (form IR1121) delivered to the IRD by the later of 28 days before the due date for the provisional tax, or 14 days after the date of the notice for payment. Common grounds include assessable profits expected to be less than 90% of the previous year's, the business having ceased, or losses available to carry forward.
How do I make sure I never miss a deadline?
Institutionalise compliance rather than relying on memory. Note the incorporation date to derive the NAR1 deadline, establish whether your accounting date is N, D or M code, set recurring calendar reminders for BR expiry and the 10th of each month for MPF — or simply hand every deadline to a company secretary and accounting team to manage together. The enemy of compliance is forgetting, not ignorance.
Let Stepcon track the year's deadlines
A Hong Kong founder faces profits tax, personal tax, employer's returns, annual returns, business registration and MPF, scattered across the year and easy to miss. Hold to three principles: the enemy of compliance is forgetting, choosing your accounting year end is choosing your filing deadline, and tax follows the calendar while the annual return follows the company's birthday. Bookmark this calendar, institutionalise the process, and nothing slips.
Stepcon Business Services manages compliance end to end — bookkeeping, audit arrangement and tax filing, with company secretarial handling annual returns and business registration renewals, plus payroll and MPF filing — so every deadline is covered. If you have just incorporated, plan the year end and the compliance timetable from the first year.
Tired of worrying about deadlines? Get in touch: call 3687-1127 or message us on WhatsApp / WeChat at 9700-6312. We will build your compliance timetable for the year, with a free consultation and an accurate quote.
