Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Latin America |
| ISO 3166-1 | AG / ATG |
| Registry | Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office (ABIPCO) |
| Last updated | 2026-06-10 |
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Antigua and Barbuda and submit them as strings on the application body.| API field | Local name | Issuer |
|---|---|---|
businessInfo.taxId | Tax Identification Number (TIN) | Inland Revenue Department (IRD) |
businessInfo.businessEntityId | Company Registration Number | Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office (ABIPCO) |
Sector regulators
Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) · Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) · Inland Revenue Department (IRD) · Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP)
Legal structures
| Local name | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Private Company Limited by Shares | Ltd. | Incorporated under the Companies Act 1995 (No. 18 of 1995); share transfer restricted by articles; closely held; intended for domestic business operations with a registered office in Antigua and Barbuda; subject to local corporate income tax at 25% on worldwide income of residents. Requires at least one shareholder and one director. The standard SME and domestic operating vehicle. Closest US equivalent: C-Corp. |
| Public Company Limited by Shares | Plc | Incorporated under the Companies Act 1995 (No. 18 of 1995); shares may be offered to the public and listed on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE); subject to enhanced governance and public disclosure obligations at ABIPCO. Subject to local taxes. Closest US equivalent: C-Corp. |
| International Business Corporation | IBC | Incorporated under the International Business Corporations Act Cap. 222 (originally 1982, consolidated with subsequent amendments including Act No. 10 of 2002); regulated and registered by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC); must be incorporated and managed through a licensed registered agent; legally barred from conducting business with Antigua and Barbuda residents or engaging in local commerce; 100% tax-exempt on income, capital gains, and withholding taxes; confidentiality of directors and shareholders maintained — names never appear in public records. Widely used for cross-border holding, trading, and financing. Closest US equivalent: C-Corp. |
| International Limited Liability Company | ILLC | Formed under the International Limited Liability Companies Act 2007; regulated by the FSRC; an unincorporated entity with full legal personality; members hold membership interests governed by an Operating Agreement; 100% foreign ownership permitted; exempt from income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance and gift tax, stamp duty, and exchange controls under the Act; prohibited from doing business with Antigua and Barbuda residents; confidentiality of members maintained. Combines limited liability with pass-through flexibility. Equivalent to a US LLC. |
| General Partnership | — | Two or more persons carrying on business together; no separate legal entity from its partners; partners bear unlimited joint and several liability; must register with ABIPCO under the Companies Act 1995 and/or register any business name other than the partners’ own names. Closest US equivalent: General Partnership (GP). |
| Limited Partnership | LP | One or more general partners with unlimited liability and one or more limited partners whose liability is capped at their capital contribution; registered with ABIPCO; limited partners may not participate in management. Closest US equivalent: Limited Partnership (LP). |
| Sole Proprietorship / Sole Trader | — | A single individual trading on their own account; no separate legal entity; unlimited personal liability; must register any business name other than the owner’s own name with ABIPCO under the Registration of Business Names Act; must obtain a TIN from the IRD and a Trade Licence (Business Licence) from the IRD under the Business Licence Act 1994. Equivalent to a US Sole Proprietorship. |
| Non-Profit Company | — | Incorporated under the Companies Act 1995 with Attorney General approval; constitutive documents must state no authorised share capital and no pecuniary gain to members; requires at least three directors; registered with ABIPCO. Used for charitable, civic, and social purposes. Closest US equivalent: 501(c) non-profit corporation. |
| Co-operative Society | — | Registered under the Co-operative Societies Act 2010 (No. 9 of 2010), replacing the earlier Co-operative Societies Act 1997; members share a common bond of philosophy and socio-economic objectives; governed by elected officers; registered with the FSRC as part of its non-banking financial institution supervision mandate. Closest US equivalent: member-owned cooperative. |
| External Company (Branch of Foreign Corporation) | — | A foreign corporation carrying on business in Antigua and Barbuda registered under the Companies Act 1995 (s.228 and s.340); must register with ABIPCO within 12 months of commencing business; must file certified corporate instruments (Memorandum and Articles of Association, Articles of Incorporation, Charter, or equivalent, together with the Certificate of Incorporation); not a separate legal entity — the foreign parent remains fully liable. Closest US equivalent: Foreign corporation branch office. |
How documents combine
For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.| Evidence area | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Legal Registration | Any one of: Certificate of Incorporation · Certificate of Incorporation · Certificate of Organization · Certificate of Registration |
| Constitutive Documents | Any one of: Articles of Incorporation · Memorandum and Articles of Association · Operating Agreement |
| Tax Registration | TIN Registration Certificate (optional: ABST Registration Certificate) |
| Operating Permit | Trade Licence |
| Ownership Records | Register of Members |
| Governance Records | Register of Directors |
| Signing Authority | Any one of: Board Resolution · Power of Attorney |
| Address | Any one of: Utility Bill · Bank Statement · Lease Agreement |
| Good Standing | Any one of: Certificate of Good Standing · Certificate of Good Standing |
Documents to collect
The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed.| Document | Proves |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Incorporation (Domestic Company) | Legal Registration |
| Certificate of Incorporation (IBC) | Legal Registration |
| Certificate of Organization (ILLC) | Legal Registration |
| Certificate of Registration (External Company) | Legal Registration |
| Articles of Incorporation (Domestic) | Constitutive Documents |
| Memorandum and Articles of Association (IBC) | Constitutive Documents |
| Operating Agreement (ILLC) | Constitutive Documents |
| TIN Registration Certificate | Tax Registration |
| Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax Registration Certificate | Tax Registration |
| Trade Licence (Business Licence) | Operating Permit |
| Register of Members / Register of Shareholders | Ownership Records |
| Register of Directors | Governance Records |
| Board Resolution | Signing Authority |
| Power of Attorney | Signing Authority |
| Utility Bill (not older than 90 days) | Address |
| Bank Statement (not older than 90 days) | Address |
| Lease Agreement | Address |
| Certificate of Good Standing (Domestic Company) | Good Standing |
| Certificate of Good Standing (IBC) | Good Standing |
| Sector-Specific License | Financial Services Regulatory Commission Licence, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Banking Licence |
Collection notes
- Legal Registration: Domestic companies incorporated under the Companies Act 1995 receive a Certificate of Incorporation issued by ABIPCO. IBCs incorporated under the IBC Act Cap. 222 receive a Certificate of Incorporation issued by the FSRC. ILLCs formed under the International Limited Liability Companies Act 2007 receive a Certificate of Organization issued by the FSRC. External companies registered under Companies Act 1995 s.340 receive a Certificate of Registration from ABIPCO. All certificates confirm entity name, registration number, date of incorporation/formation, and governing statute.
- Constitutive Documents: Domestic companies under the Companies Act 1995 file Articles of Incorporation (Form 1, s.5) with ABIPCO, accompanied by By-laws governing internal management; a statutory declaration by an Attorney-at-Law is also required. The Articles set out company name, registered office, authorised share capital, and classes of shares. IBCs under the IBC Act Cap. 222 file a Memorandum and Articles of Association with the FSRC; the Memorandum specifies permitted activities and the Articles govern internal management. ILLCs under the ILLCA 2007 file Articles of Organization and an Operating Agreement. All constitutive documents must be kept at the registered office.
- Tax Registration: The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) issues a TIN upon completion of the registration process through SIGTAS. Businesses whose annual taxable supplies exceed XCD 300,000 must also register for the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) at 17% (increased from 15% effective 1 January 2024 under the Revenue (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No. 13 of 2023) and receive an ABST Registration Certificate. IBCs and ILLCs are fully exempt from all domestic taxation and do not register with the IRD. Domestic companies and sole traders must register with the IRD after incorporation/registration.
- Operating Permit: The Business Licence Act 1994 (No. 17 of 1994) requires persons carrying on business in Antigua and Barbuda to hold a Trade Licence (also referred to as Business Licence) issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). The licence must be renewed annually. Applications for renewal must be accompanied by Social Security Board and Medical Benefits Scheme certificates confirming good standing. IBCs and ILLCs that are expressly prohibited from conducting domestic business are exempt from this requirement. Sole traders and domestic companies operating in Antigua and Barbuda must hold a current Trade Licence.
- Sector-Specific License: Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC): licences for international banks (International Banking Act), insurance corporations (international), money services businesses (Money Services Business Act 2011, No. 7 of 2011), securities dealers, mutual funds, interactive gaming and wagering corporations, and digital asset/virtual asset service providers. Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB): supervision of domestic banks, credit unions, and other deposit-taking institutions within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). ABST registration with IRD applies when annual taxable supplies exceed XCD 300,000.
- Governance Records: All companies (domestic and IBC) must maintain a Register of Directors at their registered office. For domestic companies, director information is filed with ABIPCO and must be updated within 15 days of any change. For IBCs, director details are maintained at the registered office of the registered agent and kept confidential — director information does not appear in public search reports. For ILLCs, a Register of Managers is maintained. Annual returns filed with ABIPCO (domestic) confirm the current list of directors.
- Signing Authority: No statutory prescribed form. A board resolution on company letterhead — signed by the directors and certified by the company secretary — is the standard instrument authorizing a named individual to act on behalf of the company. A notarized Power of Attorney is used where authority is delegated externally. For ILLCs, a Manager’s or Member’s Resolution in equivalent form is used.
- Address: No statutory prescribed form for KYB address verification in Antigua and Barbuda. Standard practice follows regional norms: lease agreement (no time limit) OR utility bill OR bank statement, with utility/bank statements dated within 90 days of submission. Local utility providers include the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) for electricity and water. The document must show the company’s registered or principal operating address in Antigua and Barbuda.
- Good Standing: Two distinct issuers depending on the entity type. For domestic companies under the Companies Act 1995: issued by ABIPCO (Registrar of Companies); confirms the company is validly incorporated, has filed required returns, has paid all fees and penalties, and is not in the process of being struck off or wound up. For IBCs under the IBC Act Cap. 222: issued by the FSRC pursuant to s.332; confirms the IBC was duly incorporated, is recorded in the FSRC register of IBCs, has no strike-off proceedings pending, has paid all fees and penalties under s.283, has not submitted Articles of Amalgamation or Consolidation under s.341, and is in good legal standing as of the date of issuance. The FSRC issues the Certificate of Good Standing only to the licensed registered agent of the company. Commonly apostilled for international use.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
| Local role | Canonical API role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Director | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Appointed officer with executive authority over a domestic company or IBC; named in the Register of Directors. For domestic companies, director appointments and changes must be filed with ABIPCO within 15 days of change. For IBCs, director names are kept confidential at the registered agent’s office. |
| Manager | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Equivalent of a director in an ILLC; exercises the powers of the ILLC and directs its management under the International Limited Liability Companies Act 2007. May be a member (member-managed) or an appointed non-member (manager-managed). |
| Authorized Signatory / Power of Attorney Holder | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Individual authorized by board resolution or notarized power of attorney to act on behalf of the company; no separate statutory definition — authority flows from the constitutive documents and any delegation instrument. |
Notes
- Antigua and Barbuda operates a dual-track corporate regime: domestic companies under the Companies Act 1995 (administered by ABIPCO) and international entities (IBCs and ILLCs) under the FSRC. Conduit will primarily encounter IBCs and ILLCs for offshore/cross-border structures, and domestic Ltd. companies for locally operating businesses.
- IBCs incorporated under IBC Act Cap. 222 are regulated by the FSRC, not ABIPCO; their Certificate of Good Standing is issued only to the licensed registered agent. Documents from IBCs will reference the FSRC, not the Registrar of Companies / ABIPCO.
- ILLCs under the International Limited Liability Companies Act 2007 are regulated by the FSRC and receive a Certificate of Organization (not a Certificate of Incorporation); their constitutive document is an Operating Agreement, not Memorandum and Articles.
- The Trade Licence (Business Licence) under the Business Licence Act 1994 is required for all businesses carrying on domestic commerce; renewal applications must include Social Security Board and Medical Benefits Scheme good standing certificates. IBCs and ILLCs are exempt as they are prohibited from domestic commerce.
- Antigua and Barbuda uses the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) pegged to the USD at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00, as a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The ECCB acts as the central bank and supervises domestic banking institutions.
- The FSRC is responsible for regulation of international financial services including IBCs, ILLCs, international banks, insurance, money services businesses, securities, and interactive gaming. The ONDCP serves as the financial intelligence unit (FIU) for AML/CFT purposes.
- Antigua and Barbuda is a CARICOM member state and is subject to FATF/CFATF (Caribbean FATF) mutual evaluation processes. The ABIPCO registration search facility is available online at abipco.gov.ag/searchtheregister but director and shareholder data is restricted for IBCs.