Yearly Checklist for an Authorised Company

An authorised company annual checklist is most useful when it answers two questions at once: what has to happen this year, and who is responsible for it. This page is a printable tick-list of the recurring tasks of an Authorised Company in Mauritius, the kind of entity many readers call an offshore company. It is built to be used, not read once: print it, hand it to whoever looks after your file, and tick items as they are confirmed.

It is a working list, not a legal calendar. For the reasoning behind each duty, follow the links to the fuller guides on annual obligations and the fees that keep the company in good standing.

Who does what in a typical year

An Authorised Company must have a registered agent in Mauritius at all times, and that agent must be an FSC-licensed corporate service provider (Management Licence). By law the registered agent handles a defined set of tasks: filing the returns and documents required by the Financial Services Act, the Income Tax Act or the Companies Act, passing on communications with the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) and the Registrar of Companies, applying anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures, and keeping the company's records such as minutes, resolutions and transaction documents.

In practice this means the work splits three ways:

The split can differ from one provider to another, and the engagement terms matter. The questions in what to ask an offshore corporate service provider help you pin down who does what before the year starts.

The yearly tick-list

Tick each line once you hold written confirmation, not a verbal assurance. The "owner" in brackets is the usual lead; confirm it for your own file.

1. Fees and standing

• Annual fee payable to the FSC for the authorisation has been paid on time (provider, with funds from you)
• Annual registration fee payable to the Registrar of Companies has been paid (provider)
• You hold a receipt or payment confirmation for both fees (provider, to you)
• The company's status on the Registrar's side is "live" and no strike-off notice has been received (provider)
• The provider's own annual invoice has been checked against the engagement letter (you)

2. Regulatory filings

• The yearly financial summary for the FSC is prepared and filed within the statutory deadline after the financial year-end (provider, using accountant's figures)
• Any annual return due to the Registrar of Companies has been filed, or the provider has confirmed in writing that none is due this year (provider)
• Any change in directors, shareholders or registered office during the year has been notified (provider)
• Tax filings required of the company have been checked with the provider and any adviser (provider and tax adviser)

3. Ownership and AML/CFT

• The beneficial owner is identified and the separate beneficial ownership register is up to date (provider, with your information)
• Identity and address documents held for directors and owners are still valid; expiring ones are replaced (you)
• Any change in who ultimately controls the company has been reported to the provider before it takes effect (you)
• Questions from the provider's compliance team have been answered within the time they set (you)

4. Records and accounts

• Accounting records for the year are complete and match the bank statements (accountant)
• Minutes and written resolutions for decisions taken this year are signed and filed (provider, directors)
• Invoices, contracts and transaction documents are stored where the provider can reach them (you)
• The company's constitution is unchanged, or any amendment was properly adopted and recorded (directors)

5. Management and control

• Central management and control of the company remained outside Mauritius throughout the year (directors)
• The company did not carry out any activity reserved for licensed operators, such as banking, fund management, financial services or company-administration services (directors)
• Board decisions were taken where the directors actually are, and this is evidenced in the minutes (directors)
• No new contracts or staff arrangements have created a risk of a taxable presence elsewhere (you, with an adviser)

6. Banking and housekeeping

• Bank and payment accounts are in good standing and any periodic due-diligence request has been answered (you, directors)
• Signatories and mandates still reflect who actually runs the company (directors)
• Your personal tax position in your country of residence has been reviewed for the year (you, with a local adviser)
• The registered agent's details on file with you are current, and you know how to reach them through the contact form route you were given (you)

Fees to confirm every year

Two separate payments keep an Authorised Company in good standing. They go to different bodies and should not be confused.

The FSC annual fee

Since 1 July 2026, the authorisation of an Authorised Company (code FS-4.3, section 71A of the Financial Services Act) carries a processing fee of 600 USD and an annual fee of 1,400 USD. That 1,400 USD excludes the annual registration fee of 65 USD, or another amount fixed by the Registrar of Companies, which is payable to the Registrar.

Three points are worth ticking off each year:

• The first year is prorated. The first annual fee depends on the quarter in which the authorisation is granted: 1,400 USD (July to September), 1,050 USD (October to December), 700 USD (January to March) and 350 USD (April to June).
• Lateness is expensive. The 1,400 USD fee rises to 1,750 USD if paid within one month after the due date, 2,100 USD between one and three months after, and 2,800 USD between three and six months after.
• Payment runs through FSC One. For the 2026-27 renewal cycle the FSC extended the payment deadline to 30 September 2026. Payment goes through the FSC One platform, including by direct debit or from the deposit account of an FSC-licensed corporate service provider (Management Licence). That date has now passed, so if you have not seen a receipt for this cycle, ask your provider today.

The FSC explained that processing fees had not changed since the 2008 rules and that annual fees had not been reviewed since 2019. It described the reform as the implementation of a 2025/26 budget measure and justified the adjustment for Authorised Companies by their higher inherent risk profile.

The Registrar's annual fee

The Registrar of Companies publishes its own fee list. For 2026 it shows USD 130 for an Authorised Company, rising to USD 200 after the due date. The 2025 list, published in December 2024, showed USD 100. Because the FSC's schedule refers to 65 USD "or such other amount as the Registrar fixes", check the current figure with your provider rather than relying on either number from memory.

The filings behind the ticks

This page deliberately stays at checklist level. Two items deserve a short explanation because readers often misread them.

The financial summary

An Authorised Company files with the FSC each year, no later than 6 months after the end of its financial year, a financial summary in the form of the Ninth Schedule of the Companies Act, or other documents specified by the FSC Rules. It is a filing in its own right and is separate from any tax return. Your accounting records must be good enough to support it; see accounting records for an Authorised Company for what that involves.

The annual return

Under section 223 of the Companies Act, a company files an annual return once a year within 28 days of the date of its annual meeting, signed by a director or the secretary. No annual return is filed in the calendar year of incorporation. Small private companies have a lighter regime, which applies only below a turnover threshold set in the Act. Whether and how this applies to your company, and the exact filing steps, are for your provider to confirm in writing; this checklist only asks that you obtain that confirmation.

What happens if the list is ignored

The consequences are cumulative, which is why a yearly habit beats a rescue operation.

• Late fees. The FSC fee ladder above applies automatically.
• Strike-off. The Registrar may remove a company from the register where, among other grounds, it has not paid its registration fees, has not filed its annual return, or has not complied with beneficial ownership filing requirements (Companies Act, section 309(1)). The route back is covered in restoring a struck-off company.
• Operating without authorisation. A company that operates as an Authorised Company without an authorisation commits an offence punishable by a fine of up to MUR 1,000,000 (sections 71 and 71A of the Financial Services Act).
• Banking friction. Banks and payment providers ask for evidence of good standing. A lapsed company is hard to explain to them.

A company that is genuinely inactive still has to go through most of the list. See keeping an Authorised Company dormant for what changes and what does not.

Using the list in practice

A few habits make the list work:

1. Print one copy per financial year and keep the signed-off version with the company records.
2. Ask for written confirmation of each filing, not just a statement that "everything is in order".
3. Set your own dates a few weeks ahead of each external deadline, so a missing document does not push you into the late-fee bands.
4. Review the provider relationship at least once a year. If it is not working, changing the provider is possible, and the Financial Services Act requires the fee set by the FSC Rules to accompany a request to appoint a new registered agent.

The tax side of the year is a separate subject. The general position for these companies is described in Authorised Company taxation, and the right treatment for you depends on your own residence and facts, so take advice from a qualified adviser. If you want to speak to a licensed provider about your file, use the request form.