TTPS Category A has long been a popular route for the mainland middle class to relocate to Hong Kong. No academic qualifications are required, nor a local job offer — as long as the annual salary threshold is met, one may apply. However, since the enhancement measures came into effect at the end of 2024, the assessment criteria and document requirements for Category A have become more refined. Applicants in 2026 who prepare their materials with outdated thinking risk rejection at the final hurdle. This article will provide a detailed breakdown of the TTPS Category A 2026 income threshold, supporting document requirements and common pitfalls, helping the mainland middle class assess their eligibility, so as to avoid wasting time and money.
TTPS Category A 2026 Income Threshold: How Exactly Is HK$2.5 Million Calculated?
The basic threshold for TTPS Category A is that, in the 12 months immediately preceding the application, the applicant’s annual income reaches HK$2.5 million or above. This figure may seem straightforward, but several key points are often overlooked in practice.
First, income is not limited to salary. According to Immigration Department guidance, both taxable employment income and business income may be counted, including salary, allowances, gains from share options, company dividends, commissions, and profits from a sole proprietorship or partnership. The key point is that these incomes must have been taxed — whether tax was paid in the mainland or in Hong Kong, the corresponding tax documents must be provided.
Second, “the 12 months immediately preceding the application” is a rolling window, not a calendar year or a financial year. If you plan to submit your application on 15 March 2026, the income assessment period would be 16 March 2025 to 15 March 2026. If you receive several large bonuses or dividends within those 12 months, you must ensure they all fall within this window; otherwise, even if the total meets the threshold, they will not be accepted.
In addition, personal investment gains such as profits from share trading, fund redemptions and property transfers are uniformly excluded from Category A income. The Immigration Department has repeatedly emphasised that income must derive from “work” or “carrying on a business,” and pure capital appreciation does not meet the requirement.
Document Requirements: Four Types of Materials Mainland Applicants Must Prepare
For a TTPS Category A application in 2026, mainland middle-class applicants need to submit a complete set of supporting documents proving that their income is genuine, lawful and has been taxed. Generally, these can be divided into four tiers.
1. Tax Records
The most essential document is the individual income tax payment record or tax clearance certificate issued by the tax authority, which must clearly show the tax year, taxable income and the actual tax paid. Mainland applicants can download the “Individual Income Tax Payment Record” via the “Personal Income Tax” App, covering at least the most recent complete year and the months preceding the application. If part of the income comes from overseas or Hong Kong, the salaries tax assessment notice issued by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD) must also be provided.
2. Bank Statements and Credit Records
The figures on the tax document must match the actual inflow of funds. Applicants must submit bank statements for their salary card or main receiving account, marking out the monthly salary credits, year-end bonus and dividend payments, etc. If the company uses a mainland bank transfer, the statement should bear the bank’s stamp or an electronic verification code; if it is an overseas bank, a formal monthly statement should also be provided.
3. Employment Contract or Business Proof
Employed persons must provide an employment contract stating the position, annual salary, bonus mechanism and share option terms. If income includes commission, a commission calculation breakdown must also be provided. Self-employed persons or company owners must provide the business licence, company articles of association, audit report, as well as the dividend resolution and bank credit advice evidencing the profits actually received by the individual from the company.
4. Internal Company Documents
Even with a tax document, the Immigration Department may still request supplementary documents, such as a salary confirmation letter issued by the company setting out the composition of the total annual income; the grant notice and exercise records of share options; and the approval notice for the year-end bonus, etc. Although these internal documents are not mandatory, they can greatly improve assessment efficiency and reduce delays caused by back-and-forth requests for further documents.
Common Pitfall One: Treating Company Business Revenue as Personal Income
This is the most common mistake made by mainland business owners. Many believe that if their wholly owned limited company’s annual profit exceeds HK$2.5 million, they qualify under Category A. In practice, however, the Immigration Department only recognises taxable profits distributed to the individual, not the company’s undistributed profits on the books.
For example, suppose a mainland company’s after-tax profit in 2025 was HK$4 million, but the shareholders decided to distribute only HK$1.5 million in dividends and declare it under individual income tax. In that case, the income available for the application would be only HK$1.5 million, far short of the threshold. Shareholders must, through a lawful dividend distribution procedure, convert the profits into personal income and pay tax on them before they can be recognised.
For partnership enterprises or sole proprietorships, the situation is slightly different. The profits of a sole proprietorship are treated as the operator’s personal income, and as long as a tax clearance certificate for individual business income is provided, the full profit may be counted. However, multi-tier shareholdings or partnership arrangements still require clear profit distribution documents.
Common Pitfall Two: Assuming Share Options and Equity Incentives Count Without Being Exercised
Many mainland middle-class professionals in the internet and technology sectors hold large numbers of share options or restricted stock units (RSUs), with considerable paper value, only to find at the application stage that they do not pass muster. The Immigration Department’s rule is clear: share options must have been exercised, and the exercise gain must have given rise to a tax liability, before it can be counted towards the income of the year preceding the application.
Suppose you were granted 100,000 share options in a given year but never exercised them. Even if the fair value of those options at the time of application was far above HK$2.5 million, they cannot be counted. Only at the moment of exercise, when the difference between the exercise price and the market price is declared as personal income and tax is paid, will that gain be treated as part of the annual income. Likewise, RSUs can only be counted after the shares have vested and tax has been paid.
Therefore, applicants who plan to meet the threshold through equity incentives must plan their exercise timing in advance, ensure the gain falls within the 12-month window preceding the application, and retain complete exercise records and tax documents.
Common Pitfall Three: Under-reporting Income to Obtain Mainland Tax Concessions, Affecting Category A Assessment
Some mainland cities offer individual income tax concessions or rebate policies for high-end talent, and some applicants have grown accustomed to handling part of their income through expense reimbursements or benefits platforms to reduce taxable income. This approach carries significant risk when applying for TTPS Category A.
When assessing an application, the Immigration Department checks not only the tax records but also the actual credited amounts on the bank statements. If the bank statements show HK$3 million credited each year, but the taxable income on the tax document is only HK$1 million, officers will naturally raise questions and may request an explanation of the source of the difference. Once a reasonable explanation cannot be provided, not only will the income not be accepted, but the credibility of the entire application may even be affected.
A safer approach is, in the year before preparing the application, to ensure that all employment income is declared in full and taxed in accordance with the rules, so as to avoid the entire TTPS application falling at the final hurdle due to tax irregularities.
How the Mainland Middle Class Can Assess Their Own Eligibility: A Three-step Self-check List
If you are considering a TTPS Category A application in 2026, you can use the following checklist to quickly determine whether you are on the right track.
- Time review: Choose an expected application submission date, count back 12 months, and check whether the total of salary, bonuses, dividends and share-option exercise gains during that period reaches HK$2.5 million.
- Completeness of the evidence chain: Can each large income item be matched to a tax document, bank credit record and company proof document? If any link is missing, it should be obtained from HR or the finance department as early as possible.
- Filter by nature of income: Strip out all investment gains such as share trading and property transfers, keeping only employment and business income. If the amount falls short of HK$2.5 million, consider whether it can be topped up through a reasonable year-end dividend or share-option exercise, but tax must be paid at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Must TTPS Category A income be taxed in Hong Kong?
No. Income that is lawfully declared and taxed in the mainland or another region is acceptable, as long as an official tax payment certificate issued by the local tax authority can be provided.
Q2: Is there an age limit for TTPS Category A applications?
No. Unlike the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), TTPS Category A sets no upper age limit and has no academic requirement; the assessment is based purely on the level of income.
Q3: What if my income just meets the threshold but exchange rates fluctuate?
The Immigration Department generally refers to the prevailing exchange rate at the time of application. HK$2.5 million is a clear line, and it is advisable to leave some buffer in the income so that exchange-rate fluctuations do not bring the calculated figure below the threshold.
Q4: Self-employed persons have no employment contract — what can be used instead?
Self-employed persons need to provide the company’s audit report, a tax clearance certificate for individual business income, business contracts and bank statements, using the whole set of documents to prove that the business income is stable and belongs to the individual.
Q5: After approval, must one work in Hong Kong continuously?
For the first 24 months after approval there are no other conditions of stay, and you are free to work or start a business in Hong Kong. At the renewal stage, you will need to be employed or have established a business in Hong Kong, with income reaching a certain level.
Conclusion
TTPS Category A offers the mainland middle class a fairly direct route to developing their career in Hong Kong, but the 2026 assessment criteria place increasing emphasis on the authenticity, compliance and traceability of income. Merely having HK$2.5 million in a bank account, or the company’s book profit, is not enough to meet the requirement.
The key is to build in advance a trinity of evidence — “tax document + bank statement + company documents” — and avoid the common pitfalls: distinguishing company income from personal income, ensuring equity incentives have been exercised and taxed, and closing any loopholes of inconsistent income declaration. As long as these elements are handled properly, together with precise planning of the application timing, the mainland middle class still stands a fairly high chance of a successful TTPS Category A approval.