01. Statutory Licensing Status & Service Classification (Trust vs Corporate Services)
Under Section 53F of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), operating a trust or company service business without a license is a criminal offence punishable by a Level 6 fine (HK$100,000) and 6 months imprisonment. The Companies Registry divides TCSP licensees into two distinct branches: ① Trust Business (~377 entities), authorized to act as express trustees for family offices and offshore wealth protection structures; and ② Corporate Services (~6,717 entities), authorized to provide statutory secretarial services, registered office addresses, and filing submissions. 86hc.com connects directly to the official registry to verify licensee identity, BRN, TC license numbers, and validity periods.
