The process of company formation in Martinique is done in accordance with the French commercial law, as Martinique, an island located in the eastern part of the Caribbean, is an overseas French territory. Our consultants can offer full legal representation in the process of company incorporation in Martinique and can help you select the most suitable structure for your investment plans.
Table of Contents
Company types available in Martinique
Given that Martinique is a French territory, the company types that can be incorporated here are the same as the ones available in France, namely:
- the limited liability company (LLC);
- the public limited company (SA);
- the simplified share business (SAS);
- the single person simplified share business (SASU).
These are legal entities that are designed for commercial purposes. The French legislation also provides several entities designed for civil purposes, created for holding assets, real estate management or for certain categories of professionals. Our consultants can help you open a company in Martinique regardless of its purpose (the registration procedure is similar for both categories of structures).
When starting the process of company formation in Martinique, investors should have a clear image of its duration, the steps involved and the order in which they must be completed, the documentation required and many others. With the assistance of our team of specialists in company incorporation in Martinique, you can easily manage all these procedures, which will entail some of the following:
- drawing up the statutory documents;
- obtaining approvals, permits, and other necessary authorizations (it can depend on a case-to-case basis);
- allocating a business address for the legal entity;
- appointing directors;
- opening a bank account, etc.
What documents are necessary for company incorporation in Martinique?
The documentation that investors must prepare when they set up a company in Martinique can slightly vary based on the legal entity selected for incorporation.
In the case of a limited liability company, one of the most common ways to start a business here and in other French territories, the representatives of the company must prepare a file containing the company’s signed bylaws, documents reflecting the residency of the founders and a declaration on the beneficial owners of the company.
It is also required to make proof of publishing an advertisement announcing the incorporation of the legal entity, the licenses issued by the local authorities (where necessary) and the personal details of the company’s manager.
What taxes are charged to companies in Martinique?
Businesses that have their tax residency in Martinique are liable to local taxes imposed on commercial companies, unless they benefit from certain exemptions. Please know that Martinique is not a destination for offshore incorporation, therefore the offshore tax regime (which allows numerous tax exemptions) is not applicable here. Some of the taxes are:
- 25% – standard corporate tax;
- 15% – reduced corporate tax, available for small companies (for their first EUR 42,500 of taxable profits);
- 0% to 25% – withholding tax on dividends (it varies based on the provisions of the tax treaties signed with partner countries);
- 0% to 25% – withholding tax on interest.
We invite you to address our team for more information on the process of company formation in Martinique. Our team of consultants can assist in tax registration formalities and can offer accounting services. You can also rely on us if you want to start the process of offshore company formation in neighboring countries, many of which allow offshore company setup and the registration of an offshore bank account.