Tuesday, July 26, 2011

How To Set Up And Register A Limited Company In The UK

By Gabriel Carew


When setting up a business in the United Kingdom, there are several models on which to base it. Most common is the structure of the sole trader. In this model, the finances of the company are not tied to personal finances. This is why another desirable business structure is a limited liability company. It is referred to as limited because personal finances are unrelated to business finance. That, and shareholders assume no responsibility for debts that the business takes on. There are some things to know about setting up a limited company.

Once you have taken care of the preliminary planning of your business and are ready to begin operations, you must be registered with the Registrar of Companies at Companies House. The proper documents must be filed by you or an agent who works on your behalf. This process can even be performed online. These documents include the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association, and Form IN01. Respectively, these forms detail the company's name and type of business; the directors' powers and rights of the shareholders; and the details of the directors, secretary and shareholders. Occasionally, more information will be requested if particular wording shows up on your forms.

Companies House must also receive the yearly accounts regarding your company. These accounts will accompany an Annual Return, abbreviated AR01, which provides timely information about the company. Filing this form requires a fee. Annual profits and other taxable income your business experiences must be brought to the attention of HMRC. Finally, a corporation tax return must be submitted, and liabilities must be paid on inside of nine months.

You will also need to decide upon the type of limited company you will form. Some of the main types include private companies limited by shares, private companies limited by guarantees, and public limited companies. Those limited by guarantee do not possess shareholders, while the company must be that of public limited in order to trade on the stock market.

Setting up a limited company is really not all that difficult. The amount of forms and attention to detail on them can become tedious, but it is more about getting registered so that you are legal. Most of the work is done in the planning phases, considerations such as what your product will be, how you wish to limit your company either with shares or guarantees, and what type of director setup you desire. Once your limited company is set up, then you are ready to get down to business.




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