Tax compliance in the Bahamas

Tax compliance for a company in the Bahamas means knowing which returns and reports apply to it, and these depend on what the company does and where. A trading company deals with the business licence and VAT. A company that belongs to an international group may have extra reporting of its own. Many entities also have to consider economic substance: the Department of Inland Revenue runs substance reporting under CESRA, and whether your company must report depends on its activities.

Ask a firm to list, in writing, every filing it expects your company to make in a year and who signs each one. Check whether it also advises on your home country’s rules, because profits from a Bahamas company may still be taxed where you live. A profile that names your entity type, such as an IBC, a foundation or a fund, is a good starting point.

Eight of the nine firms on Accountanty in the Bahamas offer tax compliance: four corporate services providers, three law firms and one accounting firm. Six name foreign clients as a focus, and their sectors run from real estate and funds to insurance, banking, shipping and aviation. Read the country guide for the taxes the Department of Inland Revenue administers, or see the VAT page for sales tax questions.

Firms offering tax compliance in the Bahamas

Frequently asked questions

Does my Bahamas company have to file a substance report?

It depends on the company's activities. The Department of Inland Revenue runs substance reporting under CESRA, and a firm that offers tax compliance can check whether your company is in scope and prepare the report if it is. Raise the question when the company is formed, not at the first deadline.

Do group companies in the Bahamas have extra tax filings?

Possibly. Under the Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax Act 2024, the Department of Inland Revenue asks Bahamian entities within scope of its reporting rules to file forms DMTT-24 and DMTT-25, and tells them to seek professional advice on whether they are in scope.

Will I still pay tax in my home country?

You may. Where you live and where the company is managed can make its profits taxable abroad. Ask the Bahamas firm whether it works with an adviser in your home country, or take advice there before you choose a structure.

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.