Preparations before registration
When registering a company in Beijing, the preparations before registration matter as much as the process itself. First, decide the company type: limited liability companies and sole proprietorships are the main options; an LLC offers limited liability, while a sole proprietorship has simpler tax treatment but certain limits on business operations and invoicing. Second, decide the registered address: several Beijing districts require a physical operating address; without one, a compliant park address is an option, but a false address should be avoided, as it may lead to inclusion on the abnormal-operations list. Third, define the business scope: it should reflect actual business activities while leaving room for expansion, since how the scope is stated affects subsequent invoicing and license applications.
The registration process
The registration process consists of five steps. The first is name approval, submitting candidate names for duplicate checking in the commerce system. The second is document submission, including the articles of association, shareholder information, and address proof. The third is license issuance, receiving the business license after approval, now mostly under the multiple-licenses-in-one scheme. The fourth is seal and bank account, carving the company, finance, and legal-representative seals and opening a corporate bank account. The fifth is tax registration, completing tax registration, confirming tax types, and signing the tripartite agreement.
With complete documentation, the entire process typically takes from several days to two weeks.
Self-filing vs hiring an agency
Self-filing costs less — mainly seal and account-opening fees — but requires more time. Hiring an agency generally costs from several hundred to one or two thousand RMB, and a licensed, traceable agency should be chosen.
Follow-up after registration
Receiving the license is only the beginning. Bookkeeping and filing are required from the date of license issuance, including zero filings when there is no income. The annual report must be filed by June 30 each year; late filing leads to the abnormal-operations list. Social insurance and housing fund accounts must be registered once employees are hired. The corporate bank account is a prerequisite for receiving payments and issuing invoices.
RuiQifu, under CRBPO (Zhongrui Yuehua), has handled company registration, bookkeeping, and business changes for thirty years.