Company Registration in Tanzania

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Company Registration in Tanzania

Company Registration in Tanzania

To register a company in Tanzania is a right of those who wish to associate and form themselves into a company pursuant to the existing company laws..


Benefits of Company Registration in Tanzania

  • Tanzania allows free outflow of capital and profits, and does not exercise foreign exchange controls or restrictions - promoting investment activity.
  • The expenses in setting up a business in Tanzania are low, as the country has one of the lowest consumer cost indices in Sub-Saharan Africa.y
  • The special economic zones in Tanzania have several incentives to offer, like 100% exemption of value added tax (VAT) on utilities and no corporate tax or withholding tax for 10 years.


The law provides for the following types of companies

  • Private companies are normally formed by persons with prior relationship other than only business relationship eg. Father and sons and or daughters, friend etc
  • Minimum number of memberships is two and maximum is fifty.
  • The shares of these companies are not freely transmissible.
  • The transferability is subject to strict control and regulations, as such these type of companies may not list in the stock exchange for purposes of trading in shares.
  • These types of companies are suppose to submit for filing annual returns and any other statutory filable documents to the Registrar (e.g. Changes of particulars of directors, change of company names etc). Filling fees are also payable and penalty for late filing is also levies.
  • Public companies are open ended, in that there is no maximum number of members, while the minimum number is also two.
  • Any person may subscribe and buy shares in the company, which may be listed in the stock exchange.
  • One condition for incorporating these types of companies is the issuance of a offer document which prior to its registration must be approved by the capital Markets and Securities Authority. A an offer document is in essence an invitation to the general public to subscribe for shares.
  • A private company may be converted to a public one by merely amending its Articles of Association and issuing a prospectus.
  • The type of companies needs to have very effective articles of association to regulate the relationships between the members themselves, members and company directors, dealers and stock brokers (in cases of listed companies) with the stock exchange.
  • These types of companies are incorporated outside Tanzania mainland and they come in the country as branches of such foreign companies. Even if all subscribers and or shareholders are nationals of the United Republic of Tanzania, the companies are regarded as foreign.
  • They are registered under part XII of the Companies Act..
  • The Registration procedure of this type of companies includes the submission to the Registrar of;
    - Certified copies of Memorandum and Articles of Association.
    - Notice of situation of the registered office in the country of domicile.
    - List of Directors of the company.
    - Person resident in the country who are the representatives of the company.
    - Copy of most recent accounts and related reports of the company.
    - Certificate of compliance is issued after the process.

Local Companies Registration Procedures

  • Applicants submit a letter for name clearance, the registry clears establish: -
  • The availability or non-availability of the applied name
  • Prepare Memorandum and Articles of Association which complies with ISIC classification and submit the same to the Registrar for registration process.
  • Compliance with all requirements relating to formation of the company is declared in form no.14b which is sworn before Commissioner for oath.
  • Signing and stamping of Ethics form
  • Signing and dating of consolidated form generated by the system
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Frequently Asked Questions

Tanzania Online Company Registration

The Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) has completed the development of a modern Online Registration System (ORS), the system comprises registration of Companies, Business Names, Trade and Service Marks and their respective post registrations, issuance of Patents and Industrial Licenses. The system will enable customers to access all BRELA services wherever they are without visiting BRELA premises, at any time of the day. BRELA has started rendering services online in modules starting with Industrial Property services: Trade and Service Marks and Patents and Companies registrations.
In addition, the number of the registered company through ORS corresponds to the Registered Company's TIN ID Number. Therefore, you are advised to submit a company registration certificate to the nearest Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) office to collect the Company's TIN certificate. .

Companies Annual Returns Filing

All local companies need to submit for filing annual returns which is done in prescribed forms.Company accounts (unless exempted under the law) form part of the returns.Foreign companies are required to file only audited balance sheets of their companies.

Post Registration Matters

Any changes that occur in the company should be reported to the Registrar immediately. The registrar after noting the reported change registers the same on payment of filing fees. Penalty is charged if the change in particular is not reported in time.
If a company after one year fails to take off, for any reasons whatsoever, the officers thereof may notify the Registrar who issues notice to strike such company off the register off companies if no notification is made, the Registrar has reason to believe that the company is carrying on business and is therefore required to comply with all the requirement relating to existing companies. .

How to Register a Company in Tanzania?

1. Decide on a Business Structure for Your Company
Choose the legal entity type you wish to run your business as – from among limited liability company, public company, branch or representative office.

2. Register Your Business Name
Register the name of your company with the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA). Keep in mind that the name proposed should be unique and not identical to the existing registered business in Tanzania.

3. Submit Documents
Prepare the Memorandum & Articles of Association (MAA) and fill form 14A, giving detailed information about office location, directors and company secretary. Submit form 14A to BRELA. This shall be processed (taking about 2 days), and if everything is in order, BRELA will issue a certificate of incorporation.

4. Register with the Tax Authority
Obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for your company. It is issued for free by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA). Once TRA has issued a TIN, they will open a tax file for your business and you will be required to fill the tax return form.

5. Get a Business Licence
Obtain a business licence, wherewith you can commence your business in Tanzania legally. The type of business licence would depend on the nature of activity your business in involved in. A general business licence can be obtained from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment or the Municipal Council in the locality which your business is would be operating. Businesses in certain sectors like oil & gas, food & beverage, manufacturing, consultancy, etc. are required to apply for special licences or permits.

Documents Required for Business Registration in Tanzania
- Certified Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Certified copy of the lease agreement (with stamp duty and withholding tax paid) for the office
- Passport copies of the shareholders and directors
- TIN application form
- VAT application and registration form
- Application for employer registration.