Accounting and bookkeeping in the Bahamas

Bookkeeping for a Bahamas company is less about a local filing calendar and more about keeping records that someone else can reach. The Securities Commission’s guideline on accounting records says companies, IBCs included, must keep reliable records of the money they receive and spend, and an IBC’s records must be accessible to its registered agent. If your accountant and your agent are different firms, agree early how the ledgers reach the agent.

When you compare profiles, look at which entity types a firm names. Some work mainly with trusts and investment funds, others with domestic Bahamian companies and IBCs owned by entrepreneurs. Ask whether the firm keeps the books in your company’s currency, which software it uses and whether it can also act as, or work with, your registered agent.

Six firms on Accountanty offer accounting in the Bahamas: five corporate services providers and one accounting firm, four of them part of large networks. Four say they focus on clients from abroad, and real estate, funds and private equity are the sectors they name most. All six also handle company formation, and they all work from Nassau. For the wider picture, see the Bahamas country guide.

Firms offering accounting in the Bahamas

Frequently asked questions

Does a Bahamas IBC have to keep accounting records?

Yes. The Securities Commission's guideline on accounting records says companies, including IBCs, must keep reliable records of all money received and spent. For an IBC, the records must be accessible to its registered agent, and a statutory declaration about them goes to the Registrar General through the agent.

Can my registered agent also do the bookkeeping?

Often, yes. All six firms offering accounting on Accountanty in the Bahamas also form companies, and five offer payroll. Keeping both roles with one firm saves passing the ledgers between offices, but ask for separate fees for the agent work and the bookkeeping.

Can I keep the books myself from abroad?

You can keep the day-to-day records yourself, but they must stay reliable and, for an IBC, reachable by the registered agent. If a local firm takes over later, agree how often it receives the ledgers so the yearly declaration is not held up.

Other services in the Bahamas

Accountants by city in the Bahamas

Setting up a company in the Bahamas: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.