Profits tax returns in Hong Kong: deadlines and what to file

When returns are issued

The IRD bulk-issues profits tax returns at the start of April each year. From the date on the return you normally have one month to file, but almost no one runs on the bare one-month deadline, because of the block extension scheme below.

The block extension scheme

If a tax representative represents your company, the filing deadline is extended based on your accounting year-end date. The IRD publishes the exact dates each year, but the shape is stable:

• Year-end between 1 April and 30 November ("N" code): no extension; the return is due around the start of May.
• Year-end in December ("D" code): extended to roughly mid-August of the following year.
• Year-end between 1 January and 31 March ("M" code): extended to roughly mid-November.

This is why so many Hong Kong companies choose a 31 December or 31 March year-end: it buys months of breathing room. Check the IRD's current-year block extension circular for the precise dates before relying on them.

Your first return as a new company

A newly incorporated company usually receives its first profits tax return about 18 months after incorporation, and gets an extended window (typically three months) to file it. The catch: your first return covers everything since day one, so if the books weren't kept as you went, the first filing season becomes an archaeology project.

What accompanies the return

A corporation's return is supported by audited financial statements and a tax computation reconciling accounting profit to assessable profit. Smaller corporations may not need to attach the supporting documents when filing, but still must prepare them and produce them if the IRD asks. Hong Kong's two-tiered profits tax rates for corporations are 8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% above that.

If you miss the deadline

Late filing starts with penalties and estimated assessments (the IRD can assess you on its own estimate of your profits, which is rarely in your favour) and escalates from there. The cheapest way to handle a profits tax return is to have the books already closed and correct when the return arrives.

General information current as of mid-2026. This is not tax, legal or accounting advice. Deadlines and rates change; confirm the current position with the IRD or a licensed practitioner.