🇬🇧 United Kingdom
The UK pairs a fast, low-cost company registry with one of the world’s most respected legal systems — a default choice for startups raising international capital.
Who it suits
Who it does not
Living
London is a leading global city for talent, finance and culture, though living costs are high. Visa routes exist for founders, skilled workers and investors, and English is the working language everywhere.
Business
A private limited company (Ltd) can be formed in 24–48 hours fully online. English contract law, a mature professional-services market and broad investor familiarity make it easy to raise and do business.
Tax
Corporation tax has a main rate of 25% and a small-profits rate of 19%. There is no withholding tax on dividends, and the UK has one of the world’s largest double-tax-treaty networks.
Figures are indicative and change over time. We confirm the current rules, rates and requirements for your specific situation before you commit.
How incorporation works
- Name and structureClear the name against the register and the sensitive-words list, then settle who is a director, who a shareholder and who a person with significant control. The PSC answer is the one most often corrected later.
- Identity verificationEvery new director and PSC must have a verified identity before the company can be registered — the rule took effect in November 2025. Verification runs through GOV.UK One Login or an authorised corporate service provider; from outside the UK, the provider route is usually the workable one.
- Registered officeGive the company an address where post is genuinely received. A PO box no longer qualifies, and the address is public.
- IncorporationFile the memorandum, articles and statement of capital with Companies House. The certificate normally comes back within a working day or two.
- PSC and registersEnter the persons with significant control and open the statutory registers.
- HMRC registrationRegister for corporation tax, and for VAT and PAYE where the trade or the payroll requires them.
- Bank accountOpen the bank or EMI account. UK banks ask what the company will do, who it will invoice and where the money comes from before they ask for documents.
- Filing calendarFix the confirmation-statement date and the accounting reference date so the first year does not quietly run past them.
What we need from you
- Passport or other photographic ID for every director, shareholder and PSC
- Recent proof of address for each of them
- Identity verification completed through One Login or an authorised provider
- A preferred company name, with an alternative
- The registered-office address and who will read the post
- A description of the business, its customers and where its money comes from
- The share split between shareholders
- Powers of attorney or engagement forms where we file on your behalf
What you end up with
- Certificate of incorporation
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Share certificates and the statutory registers
- Company number and authentication code
- Corporation tax reference, plus VAT and PAYE registrations where applied for
- Registered office and director service address
- A corporate pack banks and counterparties will accept
Every year after that
- A confirmation statement to Companies House, which now also confirms that directors and PSCs have verified their identity
- Annual accounts, filed at Companies House and with HMRC
- A corporation tax return, with the tax paid
- VAT returns under Making Tax Digital where registered
- PAYE reporting for any payroll
- Keeping the PSC register and the register of members current as ownership changes
Common questions
How long does it actually take?
Registration is fast — usually one or two working days once identity verification is done. Verification sets the pace now, and banking sets it after that. A company number in 48 hours does not mean a working account in 48 hours.
Do I need to be in the UK?
No. There is no residency requirement for directors or shareholders. But the company needs a real registered office in the UK, and a bank will want to see some genuine connection — customers, a contract, a UK director, or at least a clear reason for the structure.
What changed with identity verification?
From 18 November 2025 new directors and persons with significant control must verify their identity before they are appointed. Existing ones verify alongside their next confirmation statement, during a transition running into autumn 2026. Non-residents normally verify through an authorised corporate service provider rather than One Login.
Is a UK company tax-free if I trade abroad?
No. A UK company is taxed on its worldwide profits. There are good reasons to use one, but tax-free trading is not among them, and anyone selling it on that basis is selling you a future problem.
Can the bank account be opened remotely?
Often, with an EMI. High-street banks are harder and usually want a UK-resident director or a meeting. We shortlist by what the business actually does rather than applying everywhere and collecting refusals.
Ltd or LLP?
A Ltd pays corporation tax on its own profits. An LLP is transparent — its members are taxed on their shares. The LLP suits partnerships of professionals and has legitimate uses in structuring, but it is not a way to make UK tax disappear.
Set up your company in United Kingdom
Tell us about your business and we will confirm whether United Kingdom is the right fit — and handle the full incorporation.
- A reply within one working day
- The first consultation is 30 minutes
- Confidential, no obligation