Cost of setting up a trust in Hong Kong: what you pay for
The cost of setting up a trust in Hong Kong has three parts: the trustee's set-up work, the law firm's drafting, and other third-party charges such as company formation or any stamp duty. Yearly trustee and administration fees follow. This page explains each part; the quote form then gives an estimate for your case.
The set-up fee for a Hong Kong trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Reporting to authorities
Reporting financial institutions existing before 2027 and not yet registered must register by 31 March 2027[1]
Trustee remuneration
Pay follows the deed; if the deed is silent, the Trustee Ordinance lets a professional trustee charge reasonable pay[3]
Stamp duty on transfers
Stamp duty can arise when Hong Kong shares or Hong Kong property move into a trust[2]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 18,000
Trust set-up in Hong Kong: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up costs pay for the work done once, before and at the start of the trust. They fall into a few clear groups.
Trustee onboarding. Identity and source-of-wealth checks on the settlor, the protector and anyone who controls the trust, plus the risk review the trustee must complete before accepting.
Structure design. Agreeing with you, the law firm and your tax adviser what the trust holds, who benefits and who has which powers.
Acceptance of office. The trustee’s resolution to act, opening the trust’s records and setting up reporting.
Asset transfer. Coordinating the bank account opening and the move of each asset into the trustee’s name.
How much work each group needs depends on the family and the assets. A trust holding cash at one bank is simpler than one holding shares in operating companies in three countries.
The set-up guide shows the order in which this work happens.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Ongoing costs pay for running the trust every year. The trustee’s yearly fee usually covers the routine work:
holding the assets and keeping them separate from the trustee’s own;
trustee meetings and minutes for decisions and distributions;
trust accounts and an asset report that we send you;
periodic identity checks, scheduled by risk;
tax information reporting and record-keeping.
Reporting work is growing: from 1 January 2027 a new ordinance requires every reporting financial institution to register in the IRD AEOI Portal, even with nothing to report (source: Inland Revenue Department, AEOI Ordinance 2026).
Some work is charged when it happens rather than every year.
Typical event charges cover a distribution that needs extra review, an amendment to the deed, adding or removing a beneficiary, a change of protector, a move of the trust to another trustee, or winding the trust up.
Work outside the agreed scope is billed on time spent, and we say so before we start it.
Third-party costs
Third-party costs come from providers other than the trustee. They are either passed through at cost or billed to you directly, and your quote says which.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Drafting the deed and helping with your letter of wishes
Law firm
At set-up, and when the deed changes
Advice on your own tax position
Your tax adviser
Before signing, and when circumstances change
Forming and maintaining a holding company or PTC
Corporate services provider
At set-up, then every year
Stamp duty under the Stamp Duty Ordinance (Cap. 117)
Hong Kong government
Can arise when Hong Kong shares or property move into the trust
Bank account, custody and transaction charges
Bank or custodian
Ongoing
Audit, if you want one
Auditor
Yearly, by choice
Basis: how we run Hong Kong trusts, and the Stamp Duty Ordinance (Cap. 117) for the stamp duty row, checked 2026-11-05. The set-up fee shown on this page is the fee for a standard trust; other lines are quoted after we review your case.
Government charges such as stamp duty depend on what moves into the trust and how (source: Stamp Duty Ordinance, Cap. 117), so the law firm confirms them for your assets when the structure is designed, before the deed is drafted.
For example, a transfer of Hong Kong shares into a trust for no payment can be charged as a voluntary disposition inter vivos under Head 2 of the First Schedule to that ordinance (same source); the law firm confirms this for your shares.
Five things move the total more than anything else:
Type of structure. A discretionary trust, a reserved powers trust, a private trust company or a family office trust each need different drafting and different ongoing work.
Value band of the assets. Our yearly fee is quoted by bands of asset value, because more value usually means more reporting and more review.
Kinds of assets. Cash and listed securities are simpler to hold than private company shares, property or insurance policies.
Number of beneficiaries and places involved. More people and more countries mean more checks, more reporting and more local advice.
Companies under the trust. Each holding company or PTC adds formation work and annual filings.
Two families with the same assets can still receive different quotes, because their circumstances differ in ways that change the work.
When you compare quotes from different providers, check what each one includes. Look at which services sit inside the yearly fee and which are charged when they happen.
Also check which third-party costs are passed through at cost and which you pay directly. A lower headline figure can leave more items outside the fee.
Ask each provider to state its assumptions in writing, so that the quotes can be set side by side.
Tax reporting also adds work in some cases. The tax and reporting page explains what the trustee files, which helps you see why a trust with beneficiaries in several countries costs more to run.
How to get a quote
You receive a quote after answering a short set of questions: the structure, the value band, the kinds of assets, the number of beneficiaries, whether a company is involved, and how many countries are connected.
The estimate states the assumptions behind it.
We confirm the estimate once we have seen the documents, because a detail in an asset or a family arrangement can change the work.
If your case is unusual, you can also book a call and talk it through first.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Hong Kong?
You pay for the trustee's set-up work (checks, structure design, accepting office), the law firm that drafts the deed, and any company work. Stamp duty may apply if Hong Kong shares or property move in. Your quote lists each item.
Are there ongoing costs?
Yes. The trustee charges a yearly fee for holding the assets, meetings, accounts, records, identity refreshes and reporting. Companies under the trust need annual filings. Deed changes and distributions needing extra review are charged when they happen; bank and audit charges are passed through or billed to you directly, as your quote states.
How do I get a quote?
Use the quote form: give the structure, the rough value band, the kinds of assets, the number of beneficiaries, any company involved and how many countries are connected. You receive an estimate and the assumptions behind it based on those answers, confirmed once we have seen the documents.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
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