Cook Islands

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Overview

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Identifiers

Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Cook Islands and submit them as strings on the application body. Tax ID: International Companies registered with the FSC are subject to Cook Islands corporate income tax under the Income Tax Act 1997 (as amended effective 18 December 2019). Tax-resident International Companies — where effective management or control is exercised in the Cook Islands, or where 3 or more directors are Cook Islands residents — pay 20% on worldwide income. Non-resident International Companies (controlled and managed outside the Cook Islands) pay 20% on Cook Islands-sourced income only. All International Companies must register with the RMD and obtain an RMD Number; those incorporated from 18 December 2019 were immediately subject to tax, while pre-existing companies became subject to tax from their 2022 income year. Appears on tax returns, VAT registrations, and correspondence from the RMD. Registration number: Unique numeric identifier assigned by the Registrar at incorporation under the Companies Act 2017 (domestic companies) or the International Companies Act 1981-82 (international companies). Appears on the Certificate of Incorporation and all subsequent registry filings. No publicly confirmed fixed-length format; numeric sequences are used. For Limited Liability Companies registered with the FSC, the same registry assigns a numeric identifier under the Limited Liability Companies Act 2008.

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Sector regulators

Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) · Revenue Management Division (RMD), Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) · Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) · Cook Islands Ministry of Justice (Registry Services)

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Legal structures

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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.

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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. Not applicable in Cook Islands: Operating Permit. Skip these areas — no local artifact exists.

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Collection notes

• Legal Registration: Issued by the Cook Islands Registry Services (Ministry of Justice) for domestic companies under the Companies Act 2017, or by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) for international entities under the International Companies Act 1981-82 or Limited Liability Companies Act 2008. Issued electronically; contains entity name, registration number, date of incorporation, and Registrar’s authorisation. For FSC-registered entities, a Company Search Report (including entity name, registration number, registered office, administering trustee company, and company status) is available as a certified registry extract; this is the primary evidence of registration for IBCs and LLCs since the register is not publicly searchable.
• Constitutive Documents: For domestic companies under the Companies Act 2017, the constitutive document is a constitution (model or customised) filed with the Registrar at incorporation; the Act provides three default/model constitutions; companies may adopt a customised constitution and must provide a copy to the Registrar. For international companies under the International Companies Act 1981-82, the constitutive document is a Memorandum and Articles of Association filed with the FSC. For LLCs under the Limited Liability Companies Act 2008, the governing document is an LLC Agreement / Operating Agreement. Amendments must be notified to the respective Registrar.
• Tax Registration: The Revenue Management Division (RMD) of MFEM assigns a five-digit RMD Number upon tax registration. Entities incorporated under the Companies Act 2017 must apply separately for this number after company registration. International entities registered with the FSC are also required to register with the RMD for tax purposes under the Income Tax Act 1997. Cook Islands levies corporate income tax at 20% on profits for all companies. There is no formal printed TIN certificate as such; the RMD Number appears on tax returns, VAT registration confirmations, and official MFEM/RMD correspondence. VAT registration (if applicable) under the Value Added Tax Act 1997 issues a separate VAT registration number.
• Sector-Specific License: The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is the sole licensing authority for all financial institutions in Cook Islands: banks (Banking Act 2011), general and offshore insurers (Insurance Act 2008), captive insurers (Captive Insurance Act 2013), money-changing and remittance businesses (Money-Changing and Remittance Businesses Act 2009; combined or separate licences), and trustee companies (Trustee Companies Act 2014). The FSC also registers and supervises international companies, LLCs, international trusts, international partnerships, and foundations. The Financial Transactions Reporting Act 2017 (FTRA 2017) governs AML/CFT obligations for all regulated entities. Cook Islands is not on the FATF grey/black list as of June 2026.
• Governance Records: Required to be maintained by all companies under the Companies Act 2017 and the International Companies Act 1981-82. For domestic companies, directors may appear in the online registry (registry.justice.gov.ck). For FSC-registered international companies and LLCs, the register of directors is private and held by the registered agent/trustee company — director identities do not appear on the public record. A Company Search Report from the FSC registry or a Certificate of Incumbency (listing directors and officers) from the trustee company serves as the evidential document.
• Signing Authority: Board resolution of the directors authorizing a named signatory is the standard mechanism; no statutory form prescribed — company letterhead resolution is standard practice for Cook Islands companies. For LLCs, a manager resolution or member consent serves the equivalent function. Power of attorney (notarized where required by counterparty) may also be used. Both instruments accepted by financial institutions and counterparties for Cook Islands entities.
• Address: For registered-office and operating-address verification. Lease agreement (no time limit) OR utility bill OR bank statement dated within 90 days accepted. Cook Islands does not mandate a specific form; the same documents used globally are accepted by FSC-regulated trustee companies and the Ministry of Justice registry.
• Good Standing: Issued by the respective Registrar (Cook Islands Registry Services / Ministry of Justice for domestic companies; FSC Registrar for international entities). Confirms the company is registered and in good standing — current on annual return filing and fee obligations. For FSC-registered international companies, the Certificate of Good Standing is a standard document required by financial institutions globally for account opening; must typically be no more than 6 months old. For domestic companies, available from registry.justice.gov.ck. Annual return filing fee is NZD $50 (NZD$200 if filed late); maintaining good standing requires annual renewal fees. A Certificate of Incumbency issued by the registered agent/trustee company is commonly provided alongside or in lieu of a Certificate of Good Standing for FSC-registered entities.

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Person roles

When you submit a person on the application body, set their role to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.

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Notes

• The Cook Islands has a dual-registry structure: domestic companies are registered with the Cook Islands Registry Services (Ministry of Justice) at registry.justice.gov.ck; international entities (International Companies, LLCs, Foundations, International Trusts, International Partnerships) are registered with the FSC at fsc.gov.ck. Conduit will primarily encounter FSC-registered international entities.
• For FSC-registered entities (IBCs, LLCs, Foundations), neither the register of members nor the register of directors is publicly accessible. All ownership and governance records are held privately by the licensed registered agent (trustee company). A Certificate of Incumbency and a Company Search Report from the FSC are the primary KYB anchors for these entities.
• Cook Islands levies corporate income tax at 20% on profits for all companies (domestic and international). Tax-resident International Companies (effective management in the Cook Islands, or 3+ Cook Islands-resident directors) are taxed on worldwide income at 20%. Non-resident International Companies are taxed at 20% only on Cook Islands-sourced income. International companies incorporated before 18 December 2019 had a transitional exemption; the first taxable income year for those grandfathered companies was 2022. There is no capital gains tax. A 15% withholding tax applies to dividends, interest, and royalties paid to non-residents (5% for residents). The Cook Islands is not a zero-tax offshore jurisdiction for new incorporations.
• The FSC launched a new secure international business registry in September 2024 (developed with ADB/PSDI support) providing enhanced AML/CFT functionality; the prior registry system was replaced. Registry information for international entities is now maintained in this new system.
• The Cook Islands International Trust (under the International Trusts Act 1984) is among the most creditor-resistant trust structures globally. Where a Cook Islands trust is part of the ownership chain, the trustee company is the registered entity owner for company purposes.
• Annual return filing is mandatory for all registered entities (NZD $50 fee; NZD$200 if filed late). Failure to file results in loss of good standing and eventual striking off. Certificate of Good Standing and Certificate of Incumbency are the primary documents financial institutions require for account opening; these must typically be no more than 6 months old.