Ecuador company registration

DOING BUSINESS IN ECUADOR IN 2023

pay fee by instalmentsbusiness setup without travelGuaranteed solutions

Since 2003, Healy Consultants Group has assisted our Clients with starting their company in Ecuador. Our services include i) Ecuador business registration ii) assistance to license the company iii) Ecuador corporate bank account opening services iv) employee recruitment v) visa strategies and vi) office rental solutions.

SummaryLimited liability companyCorporationAgribusiness companyTourism companyBranch office
Also known asCompañía de responsabilidad limitadaSociedad AnonimaEmpresa de agronegociosCompañía de turismoSucursal
Best use of company?All products and servicesCapital raising from publicAgricuture and fishing activitesNature tourism and related activitiesSpecific projects
How soon can you invoice Clients\sign sales contracts?12 weeks12 weeks12 weeks14 weeks14 weeks
How soon can you hire staff?12 weeks12 weeks12 weeks14 weeks14 weeks
How soon can you sign a lease agreement?12 weeks12 weeks12 weeks14 weeks14 weeks
How long to supply corporate bank account numbers?4 weeks4 weeks4 weeks4 weeks4 weeks
How long to supply company registration \ tax numbers?12 weeks12 weeks12 weeks14 weeks14 weeks
Corporate tax rate on annual net profits?25%25%0% for 1st 10 yrs for new investments25%
Limited liability entity?YesYesYesYesNo
Government grants/incentives available?YesYesYesYesYes
Government approval required for foreign owners?No NoNoNoNo
Resident director/partner/manager/ legal representative required?YesYesYesYesYes
Minimum paid up share capital?US$400US$800US$400US$400US$2,000
Can bid for Government contracts?YesYesYesYesYes
Corporate bank account location?CitibankBanco del PichinchaBanco del PacíficoBanco de GuayaquilProdubanco
Can secure trade finance?YesYesYesYesYes
VAT payable on sales to local customers?12%12%0%12%12%
Average total business set up engagement costs?US$13,950US$15,200Request a proposalRequest a proposalUS$16,200
Average total engagement period?4 months4 months4 months5 months5 months

Ecuador company registration summary

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  • Advantages and disadvantages

    Advantages of Ecuador company registration

    business opportunity in Ecuador for foreigners

    1. Registering in Ecuador can be relatively easy because:
      • Ecuador companies can be registered with 1 director and 3 shareholders, who can be of any nationality. As a result, companies can be 100% foreign owned;
      • A low minimum share capital of US$400 is required under the law. Furthermore, our Client will not be required to travel to Ecuador to complete the company registration process;
      • In 2000, US dollar was adopted as the national currency of Ecuador. This move has helped stabilize the country’s economy. As a result, businesses will benefit from stable exchange rates and low inflation rates.
    2. Record oil revenues in Ecuador are sparking new infrastructure projects in the country. Registering a company allows our Clients to take advantage of related new business opportunities in Ecuador;
    3. 100% foreign ownership is permitted when setting up a company in Ecuador;
    4. Healy Consultants can open a corporate bank account to support the Ecuador business. Our Ecuador business registration agents are indeed used at working with internationally-recognized banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Citibank;
    5. To incorporate a LLC in Ecuador, two directors and two shareholders are needed. The minimum share capital is US$800 and there is no need to travel to Ecuador;
    6. Ecuador has four Special Economic Development Zones (ZEDEs) that provide a range of benefits to companies incorporating in any of these zones. The benefits include:
      • an exemption from corporate taxes for first 20 years;
      • provision of good infrastructural facilities;
      • an exemption from tariffs on imported goods entering in these zones.

    Disadvantages of Ecuador company registration

    1. An Ecuadorean company is subject to a corporate tax rate of 25%. Capital gains are taxed at 10%;
    2. Ecuador subsidiary company registration is time-consuming due to bureaucracy and unclear incorporation procedures. According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 Survey, Ecuador ranks poorly at 114th in the world for its ease in which to do business in. The survey measures factors including business startup procedures, time, cost, and minimum capital required for company setup;
    3. Ecuador suffers from a poor international perception. As evidence of this, Ecuador is negatively ranked as the world’s 110th least corrupt country in the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, a global measure of corruption amongst public officials and politicians. Ecuador is ranked very poorly as the world’s 156th freest economy, and scores at 30% in terms of investment freedom and capital flows in the Heritage Foundation’s 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, a measure of freedom enjoyed in business, trade, monetary, financial, investment, and labor markets;
    4. An annual tax return and financial statement must be submitted to the Superintendency of Companies following business registration in Ecuador;
    5. Ecuador has been poorly ranked at the 97th position ( out of 137 countries) in the Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 edition. This is largely due to the nation’s i) political instability, ii) high tax rates and tax regulation and iii) an underdeveloped financial market.
  • Best uses for an Ecuador company

    1. Our Clients may choose to setup manufacturing operations in Ecuador because:
      • Companies investing in industries in the mining, forestry and oil & gas sector will be eligible for 100% corporate tax exemption for up to 12 years;
      • Companies incorporated in certain prioritized sectors will benefit from corporate tax exemption for 5 years. To receive these benefits, the investment projects must be undertaken outside the areas of Quito and Guayaquil;
      • Companies incorporated in the free zones will benefit from 100% exemption from taxes including VAT, import duties, and provincial & municipal taxes. Further, such companies are allowed to sell their products to local exporters in Ecuador;
      • SMEs investing in programs for improving business productivity including i) technical training for workers ii) technological innovation iii) market analysis and iv) packing design are allowed to deduct an additional 100% on these expenses for 5 years;
      • MERCOSUR membership (union of Latin American countries) will allow Ecuadorian companies i) tariff free exports into other Latin America countries ii) access to a regional market of 300 million people and iii) absence of withholding taxes on foreign payments.

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Contact us

For additional information on our company registration services in Ecuador, please contact our in-house country expert, Mr. Petar Chakarov, directly:
client relationship officer - Petar
  • Mr. Petar Chakarov
  • Sales & Business Development Manager
  • Contact me!
ecuador-bank ecuadorian american chamber of commerce ecuador ministry of finance ecuador public procurement