Form a credible UK company with the ownership, identity verification, registered office, tax setup, banking-readiness and annual compliance requirements planned from the beginning.
The familiar “Ltd” is often the practical choice for a new operating company, but it is not the only UK route. Ownership, liability, tax, fundraising and the relationship with any overseas parent should be reviewed first.
A separate legal entity owned by shareholders and managed by directors. Common for trading, consulting, technology, e-commerce, international services and subsidiaries.
A body corporate with members rather than directors and shareholders. Frequently considered for professional or partnership-led businesses; tax treatment differs from an Ltd.
An overseas company opening a UK place of business may need to register as an overseas company. This does not create the same separation as a standalone UK subsidiary.
An available and compliant name, normally ending in “Limited” or “Ltd”. Sensitive words, similarity rules and trade marks must be checked separately.
A director must generally be at least 16. At least one director must be a natural person. Directors do not have to reside in the UK.
At least one shareholder is required for a company limited by shares. One person may act as both shareholder and director. Share classes and rights should match the ownership plan.
PSCs must be identified—commonly a person with more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or equivalent control—and reported accurately.
New directors and PSCs are subject to Companies House identity-verification requirements and must connect their verified identity to relevant company roles using a personal code.
An appropriate physical UK address in England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, matching the jurisdiction of incorporation. It appears on the public register.
A monitored email address must be supplied to Companies House. It is used for official communication but is not shown publicly.
One or more Standard Industrial Classification codes describe the activity. Subscribers must confirm the company is being formed for lawful purposes.
Memorandum of association, articles of association and a statement of capital. Standard model articles may suit simple companies; bespoke governance may need legal drafting.
Passport or accepted identity evidence, residential address evidence, ownership details, contact data and business information may be needed for verification and service-provider checks.
Companies House registration is one step. A usable company also needs its tax, records, banking story and ongoing responsibilities organised.
Activity, markets, owners, directors, expected turnover and operating model.
Ltd, LLP or branch logic; name, jurisdiction, shares and control.
Complete required director and PSC verification and obtain personal codes.
Secure the appropriate UK address and monitored company email.
Submit incorporation data, articles, capital, officers, PSCs and SIC codes.
Obtain the UTR and tell HMRC when the company becomes active.
Prepare the commercial profile, ownership, source of funds and expected flows.
Accounts, confirmation statement, tax return, VAT and payroll duties.
These are statutory filing fees effective in 2026 and exclude professional services, registered-office services, verification providers, legal advice, accounting, tax, banking or regulated-sector approvals.
| Companies House service | Digital / online | Paper / other |
|---|---|---|
| Company incorporation | £100 | £124 by paper |
| Same-day incorporation | £156 via suitable software filing | Not generally available by paper |
| Confirmation statement | £50 per 12-month payment period | £110 by paper |
| Voluntary strike-off application | £13 | £18 by paper |
Where the company is managed, where it trades, where customers are located and the residence of its owners can create cross-border tax questions. Obtain advice for the actual facts, not only the place of incorporation.
Tell HMRC within three months after the company becomes active and within the charge to Corporation Tax. For 2026, the small-profits rate is 19% up to £50,000; the main rate is 25% above £250,000, with marginal relief between those limits. Associated companies can affect the thresholds.
Mandatory registration generally applies when UK taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 over the previous 12 months or is expected to exceed it in the next 30 days. Special rules can apply to overseas businesses and particular supplies; voluntary registration may be possible.
Register as an employer when employing staff and usually before the first payday. This can also apply where the only employee is the director. Payroll, National Insurance and workplace-pension duties may follow.
HMRC normally sends the company’s Unique Taxpayer Reference to its registered office. The company uses its business tax account to manage relevant taxes and filings.
Incorporation alone does not authorise regulated work. Financial services, immigration advice, recruitment, food, transport, healthcare and other activities may need separate licences or permissions.
A UK registration does not automatically settle the tax residence of the company or its owners. Management and control, permanent establishment, transfer pricing, withholding and local-country reporting should be reviewed.
Failure to file can lead to penalties, director consequences and eventual strike-off. Dormant companies still retain Companies House obligations.
First accounts are generally due 21 months after incorporation. Later annual accounts are generally due nine months after the financial year end.
Review company information and file at least once every 12 months, normally within 14 days after the review period ends.
For most companies, Corporation Tax is due nine months and one day after the accounting period ends.
The usual filing deadline is 12 months after the Corporation Tax accounting period ends, when HMRC requires a return.
Maintain accounting and company records and report relevant changes to directors, PSCs, shares, registered office and other company information.
Directors and PSCs must meet the applicable identity-verification and personal-code requirements for their roles and filings.
A foreign-owned UK company can be formed without relocating the director, but real-world operation requires more than a certificate.
Use an address service that meets Companies House rules and reliably forwards government and legal correspondence. The registered office is public.
A public correspondence address is required for each director. The residential address is supplied separately and is generally protected from the public register.
Account providers examine nationality and residence, business model, customers, suppliers, source of funds, expected transactions and economic substance. Approval is never guaranteed by incorporation.
Customers, platforms, banks and tax authorities may look beyond the certificate to decision-making, contracts, staff, premises, management and genuine commercial activity.
Owning or directing a UK company does not itself grant permission to live or work in the UK. Immigration permission is a separate process.
Companies House name acceptance does not create trademark protection. Search relevant UK trademarks and domains separately before committing to the brand.
The final scope is agreed around the owners, structure and operating plan. Regulated legal, tax, audit or immigration work is handled only by appropriately authorised professionals where required.
Business activity, ownership, company type, name, SIC codes, share structure, PSCs and required documentation.
Application preparation, identity-verification workflow, Companies House filing and certificate/document handover.
Suitable address and mail-handling arrangements, subject to provider terms and KYC acceptance.
UTR tracking, activity-date planning and introduction to accounting or tax support where separately agreed.
Ownership chart, company profile, source-of-funds evidence, anticipated flows and supporting business documents.
Calendar planning for confirmation statements, accounts, renewals, updates and relevant provider coordination.
These answers cover the standard position. Your ownership, residence, business activity and tax facts may change the correct route.
Yes, UK private limited companies can generally be wholly foreign-owned. A UK-resident shareholder or director is not generally required, but an appropriate UK registered office is mandatory.
Yes. A single individual can normally be the sole director and sole shareholder of a straightforward company limited by shares.
A private limited company does not normally need a company secretary, although it may appoint one. The directors remain legally responsible for the company.
There is no broad statutory minimum for an ordinary private company limited by shares. A simple company is often formed with a small issued share capital, but the amount and rights should reflect the real ownership arrangement.
No. Incorporation and banking are separate decisions. Each provider applies its own KYC, residence, risk, substance and commercial criteria.
No. Company ownership or directorship does not itself confer a right to enter, reside or work in the UK.
Yes. Dormant companies generally must still file annual accounts and a confirmation statement with Companies House, even if Corporation Tax obligations differ.
No. Companies House, HMRC, banks, address providers and other authorities make independent decisions. We prepare and coordinate the file but cannot guarantee acceptance.
Information checked against official UK guidance in August 2026. It is general business information, not legal, tax, accounting, banking or immigration advice. Rules, thresholds and fees can change. Obtain professional advice based on the company’s actual activities, owners and countries of operation.
Send us the business activity, owners’ countries of residence, expected markets, ownership split and whether registered-office, tax, accounting or banking-readiness support is required.