A:UK limited companies are distinct entities for which the liability of its members or subscribers is limited, by shares or by guarantee. Limited company shareholders or directors are not responsible for any debts run up by the business and their personal assets cannot be touched. Sole traders are personally liable for business debts, limited companies provide protection for business owners against liabilities.

When "Limited by shares", companies are usually businesses that make a profit. This means the company:

• is legally separate from the people who run it
• has separate finances from your personal ones
• has shares and shareholders
• can keep any profits it makes after paying tax

When "Limited by guarantee", companies are usually ’not for profit’. This means the company:

• is legally separate from the people who run it
• has separate finances from your personal ones
• has guarantors and a ’guaranteed amount’
• invests profits it makes back into the company

A limited company limited by shares, may be further divided into public companies and private companies. A limited company is registered at Companies House and must operate within the Companies Act 2006 [opens in new window].

Private companies: At least one director must be appointed to run the company. At least one director must be an individual. Appointment of a company secretary is optional.

Public companies: At least two directors and a secretary must be appointed. At least one director must be an individual and the secretary of a public company must be qualified.

A:Anyone can own a Ltd company and setup a company in the UK. Below are the basic requirements needed to set up a UK Limited company:

1. Company Name: You need to make sure that your desired company name is available at Companies House. It must not be the same as an existing name and must not contain any sensitive words. You can find list of sensitive words in the Annexes A-C at Companies House.
2. Director: Only one director is required for the company formation. However there is no limit to the number of directors you can appoint. At least one director must be a natural person. You cannot be a company director if:
   • you are under the age of 16
   • un-discharged bankrupt
   • or disqualified from acting as a company director
3. Shareholder: Only one shareholder is required. However there is no limit to the number of shareholders you can appoint. Can be an individual or a corporate body, can also be the director. At least one share must be issued.
4. UK Registered office address: This address will appear on the public register. All statutory mails from Companies House and HMRC will be sent to the registered office address. However companies are not required to trade from this address.
5. Service address: This address does not have to be in the UK. It is required by every director and shareholder of the company. It can be a residential address or the same address as the registered office. This address will appear on the public register.

If you are interested in setting up a UK company and need assistance. We can help you in forming a company. Providing expert advice throughout the process, including full service company incorporation with bank account and tax efficient formations packages.

For more information and to register a Ltd company in the UK, please contact us at mail@cgincorporations.com.

A:Yes it is possible to register your company online.  Our company formation services ensure that your company formation is as quick and easy as possible.

If you are a non-UK resident looking to register a UK company however, please contact us.

A:Private companies: At least one director must be appointed to run the company. At least one director must be an individual. A private company does not need to have a secretary.

Public companies: At least two directors and a secretary must be appointed. At least one director must be an individual and the secretary of a public company must be qualified.

A:You can not be a company director if:

• you have been disqualified from acting as a company director (unless permitted to act for a particular company);
• you are an undischarged bankrupt (unless permitted to act for a particular company);
• under the age of 16.

A:There are a number of restrictions on your choice of company name. You can find list of sensitive words in the Annexes A-Z at Companies House.

Before choosing a name for your Ltd company, ensure the name you would like to register is unique and is acceptable to Companies House. As they have some restrictions on names.

A:Yes. Every company must have a registered office.

This must be an address in England and Wales, in Wales (a "Welsh" company), in Scotland or in Northern Ireland.

Your registered office address must be a physical location where legal documents can be delivered to the company. You can use your home address or trading address or we can provide a registered office in London for you to use.

You can NOT use a Po Box as your registered office address.

A:Directors can be legally charged for not filing certain documents. If convicted, they will be fined up to a maximum of £5,000 for each offence and can also have a criminal record. Therefore it is important to be aware of all the statutory deadlines.

• Informing HMRC your company is active: When your company starts trading, you must inform HMRC. Do this by downloading the form CT41G (Corporation Tax - Information for New Companies) from HMRC website.
• Data Protection Registration: Do you use personal information on a living and identifiable individual? If the answer is yes, then you need to register for Data Protection and notify the Information Commissioner's Office. Failure to notify is a criminal offence and carries a fine of up to £5,000.
• Annual Return: An annual return is a general information about the company's directors, registered office address, shareholders and share capital. Every UK company must file an annual return to Companies House at least once every 12 months. It must be filed within 28 days of the anniversary of incorporation of a company. Or the anniversary of the made-up date of the last annual return.
• Annual Accounts: Every UK company, whether it is trading or not, must file their annual accounts at Companies House. You must do so 9 months after your company's financial year ends.
• Corporation Tax filing: Each year, your company is required to file a corporation tax return. You must pay any corporation tax that your company is liable for 9 months after your company's financial year ends.
• Bank Account: Once you have successfully registered your company you will probably need to setup a bank account for your new business. High street banks and bank accounts are difficult to setup without being in the UK personally. We can help you setup one of our digital bank accounts. These can be setup remotely for company formation UK with guaranteed bank account, or you can use a foreign bank account.

A:Companies House SIC codes are five-digit codes that represents the companies economic activity and allows for standardised classification of companies with Companies House.

SIC = Standard Industrial Classification of economic activities.

Here you can find an up-to-date list of current SIC codes.

A:After registering a company, it is important to find out whether or not you need to register as an employer. Even if you're the only person working in your newly set up limited company, you might still need to register as an employer. This is because you will be considered both an employer and an employee.

You must register as an employer if:

• the employee already has another job
• they are receiving a state pension
• you're paying them at or above the PAYE threshold
• you're providing them with benefits
• you're paying them at or above the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit

If you meet one of these requirements you must register as an employer and you will need to provide HMRC with the following:

• name, business name, partner's name, company name (or charity/organisation name)
• business or home address
• a contact email address
• a contact telephone number
• the date of your first payday or, if earlier, the first date you made payments of expenses and/or provided benefits to your employees

Most employers can register with HMRC by telephone or online. The easiest way to register is via HMRC website as it gives you clear instructions on how to register.

You will be unable to register online if:

• you have a simplified PAYE scheme with more than 10 employees
• your limited company has more than 9 Directors
• or you're in partnership with more than 10 partners.

In the event you cannot register online you will have to register over the phone by contacting HMRC's New Employer Helpline. If your payroll is unusual you will need to register through an HMRC office.

Once registered as a new employer, you will need to familiarise yourself with the guidelines, forms and returns that are needed to complete your payroll. There is a payroll system available on the HMRC website that will help you manage your payroll. Contact us for help registering as an employer.

A:If a company does not trade and has no accounting transactions it can be considered dormant.