Activating a British company - incorporated by non-British residents
British companies are very useful because they are inexpensive to incorporate compared to other European companies. We offer a complete activation package, so that your company can get on with trading or with holding property.
Registering for VAT
VAT (the European sales tax) has to be collected and paid by a company. Companies have to register in the country where they are trading (as a first preference) or in the country of incorporation. If the company has been incorporated in Britain, but is not initially going to trade in Britain, it is difficult to get a VAT number. However, we can do this for you.
Tax Representative
We have attracted a large amount of business as Tax Representative - the people responsible in a jurisdiction for keeping company records and making these available for the tax authorities. Once we undertake this work, we have to keep documents for the statutory period, which is up to six years. Having a Tax Representative is usually a persuasive factor in allowing the company to get a VAT number.
Notification of Commencement of Activity
When a company is incorporated, HMRC send a document asking for notification that activity has begun in a company.
Certified and legalised copies of the Company Statutes
Strangely, for users coming from Civil Law jurisdictions, the company statutes are not notorised and the signatures thereon are not verified by anyone. This means that the only copy of the statutes considered legitimate is held in Companies' House: there is no copy held with a notary, and no copy held with any body such as a Chamber of Commerce.
In most countries, a copy of the statutes is needed to open a bank account and to buy property. Companies' House can give a certified copy which we legalise with the British Government. Should further legalisations or translations be needed, we can do these at an extra charge. This may be necessary if the country where trading or purchasing takes place is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, or there are rules about admitting documents in a language other than the official one.
Certificate of Good Standing
To show foreign authorities that a company exists and is complying with regulations to date, and to show specific details about a company - Companies' House will produce a Certificate of Good Standing on a given date for the company. These certificates are needed, particularly to demonstrate to foreign authorities, notaries or banks, who is a director, and who can bind the company in a public contract.
We usually get this certificate legalised, and can ask for specific legalisations, where these are to be used in countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention.
Company Secretaries
While the client is usually director, another person or corporate body needs to be Secretary. We are willing to be Secretaries and recommend the service, as often somebody with specific authority needs to speak to tax or government authorities during the life of the company. If we are appointed as Secretaries, we can do this, without asking for another written document giving us authority to do so.
Do I need to be a UK citizen or a UK resident to set up a UK company?
- You do not need to be a UK citizen or a UK resident
- You do not need to go to the UK to set-up the company
- You do not need any documents notorised before setting up a UK company
- You do not need more than one person to set up a new company
- The UK company can be formed without any intention to trade in the UK
- You do not need to have premises in the UK, you do however, have to have a registered office. If you do not have one, we can offer our registered office service.
Unlike other jurisdictions, there are no restrictions on setting up a UK company; if you are thousands of miles away, with intention to do business a long way from the UK- you can still incorporate in the UK; almost instantly.
We will guide you. Initially you have to:
- Select the name you want for the company
- Let us know your name and address
- Decide what extra services you want us to provide
When a company has at least one director, one secretary and one shareholder and we can act as company secretary and nominee shareholder for you.