Company Formation from £9.99+VAT

You would form a limited company to run a business and to protect yourself with limited liability for business debts.

The main benefits of a limited company are: reduced personal liability for debts, tax efficiency, enhanced professional status, and the protection of your business name.

Almost any type of business can register as a limited company. Small, medium and large businesses. Profit-making ventures and non-profit organisations. Startups and existing sole traders.

Yes, a limited company can be set up for an existing business or a brand new business. You can even keep your current business name if it hasn’t already been registered by an existing company.

A limited company is more tax efficient if your annual business income is around £25,000 or more. Furthermore, company formation will boost your professional image and you will benefit from limited liability for debts.

Yes, the only way to prevent another company from using your business name is to register a limited company. For additional protection, you should also trademark your company name and register it as a domain.

It’s quicker and easier to register a company using our services. The application form is simple, our packages offer excellent value for money, we provide help and guidance throughout the entire process, and you will receive a full set of company documents.

We review the application and send it to Companies House through a secure electronic filing system. The information on your application will then be checked by Companies House. If everything is in order, your registration will be approved and your company will be ready to trade.

If you use our services, it will usually take 3 to 6 working hours for Companies House to process and approve your company registration, however, this is subject to Companies House workload and in some cases it may take longer. As soon as your company has been approved, you can start trading.

You can set up a ready-to-trade company for £9.99 plus VAT if you choose our Digital Package. You won’t be charged any more than that, unless you buy additional services, all of which are optional.

None. You will only have to pay the price of your chosen company formation package, plus VAT. The Companies House filing fee is included in our prices, and there are no legal fees to pay.

You will receive a confirmation email and copies of your incorporation documents from us when your company registration has been approved. You can then start trading whenever you like.

Anyone over the age of 16 from anywhere in the world can set up a limited company and be appointed as a director, with the exception of disqualified company directors and un-discharged bankrupts. Anyone can be a shareholder, regardless of age, residency, director disqualification and bankruptcy.

A minimum of one person is required, but the individual must be named as both the director and shareholder of the company. There is no upper limit so you can form a new company with as many people as you like.

Yes, you can form and operate a UK company from anywhere in the world. There is no need to live here or travel to the UK to set up a company.

No, you do not have to be a UK citizen to set up a limited company in the UK, nor do you have to live or work here or travel to the UK to register your company.

If you are appointing yourself as a director, you must include your full name, home address, date of birth and nationality. If you are adding yourself as a shareholder, you only have to give your name and a service address.

Yes, the directors' information will be available to the public on the official companies register, with the exception of the day of birth and home address (unless used as a registered office or service address).

Yes, you can be a director and/or shareholder of as many companies as you like.

Yes, you can set up as many companies as you like, and you can be a director and/or shareholder of as many companies as you like.

About 5 minutes. It’s really straightforward.

Probably the most challenging part of the process – choosing a good name! When you have decided on one, enter it into our name-check tool to see if it’s available or whether it’s being used by another company. If it’s available, you can register it.

Yes, of course. If you have an existing business that you want to register as a company, you can use the current name for your company, as long as it is not being used by an existing company on the register.

Yes, you need at least one of each, otherwise you won’t be allowed to set up a company. The good news is, the same person can be named as the director and the shareholder of the company, so you can register a company on your own.

Yes. You have to issue at least one share per shareholder to show how much of the company is owned by each person. If you’re going to be the only shareholder, you only need to issue one share.

Yes, you will need to provide your home address if you are appointing yourself as a director. This information will remain on a private register at Companies House, unless you use it as your registered office or service address.

The registered office is the official company address. You can use any address you like, including your home, but it will appear on public record and must be situated in the country where your company is registered. The main purpose of this address is for receiving official mail from Companies House and HMRC.

Immediately. As soon as you receive confirmation that your registration has been approved, you can start trading. It normally takes about 3 to 6 working hours, so it’s really no time at all.

No – Companies House will tell HMRC that your company has been registered. HMRC will then send an information leaflet to your registered office explaining your tax and reporting obligations.

You will have to file a tax return, accounts and a confirmation statement (previously known as the annual return) - every year.

Most company filing and reporting is free of charge, with the exception of the annual Confirmation Statement which costs £13.00. If you decide to use an accountant to prepare and file your tax return and annual accounts, this could cost anything from £700 to £1,500 a year.

There is no way to recall applications once they have been submitted to Companies House. If we are still reviewing it at our end, it can be cancelled. Otherwise, you will have to initiate a company dissolution procedure through Companies House, which will cost £10.00.

Your company itself will pay 20% Corporation Tax on all profits. It will also have to pay VAT if annual turnover exceeds £83,000 or you register the company voluntarily for VAT.

Company directors pay: Income Tax on annual earnings above £11,000; Class 2 National Insurance Contributions (NIC) of £2.80 per week on earning above £5,965; and Class 4 NIC at 9% of annual income above £8,060.

Company shareholders pay tax on annual dividend income above £5,000. This is charged at 7.5% for basic rate tax payers, 32.5% for higher rate tax payers, and 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers.

Possibly. It is generally more tax efficient to set up a company when annual income reaches around £25,000. As profits increase, you will be able to save more tax if you pay yourself a combination of a salary and dividends.

HMRC will send a letter to your registered office explaining your tax and reporting obligations. When your company starts trading, it will be liable for 20% Corporation Tax on any profit it makes. You may also have to pay VAT when your annual turnover reaches £83,000.

If you want to pay yourself a salary, you will have to register the company for PAYE. And if you plan to pay yourself dividends, you will have to register yourself for Self-Assessment to report and pay to on this extra income.

Only if annual turnover reaches £83,000. It is also possible, and often beneficial, to voluntary register for VAT, even if your turnover is below the threshold.

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is the system used by HMRC to collect Income Tax and National Insurance from employee wages on each payday. You will have to register your company for PAYE if you hire staff or want to pay yourself a salary as a director of the company.

No, you can do your own bookkeeping and accounting. However, it may be more time and cost effective to hire an accountant to take care of these things for you.