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Company Formation Home Page >> Start a New Limited Company >> Information on Incorporating a CompanyUK COMPANY INCORPORATION SERVICE. INCORPORATE A LIMITED COMPANY IN ENGLAND, WALES OR SCOTLAND. ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES OF LIMITED LIABILITY: With years of professional experience we have built an excellent reputation for limited company formation. The establishment of a private company in the UK is easy and straightforward. No permission is required to establish a business presence, although there is some regulation of the use of business and trading names. All companies registering in the UK are required to do so with Companies House and have to submit accounts as well as annual returns. Overseas companies establishing a branch or place of business in the United Kingdom must register and file annual accounts. Companies operating in the financial, defence, oil exploration and other regulated areas may require licences or authorisation to conduct business. Before you apply to set up a company, or do anything to change its name, it is a good idea to search the index at Companies House to see if there are already any companies with names similar to the one you want. If in doubt, call Companies House or search the website company name index.
 Finding and Using Information: How to Incorporate with Us? | Other Additional Services | Types of Business Presence | Business Models for Foreign Investors | Company Incorporation Requirements | Download Forms |
If you are selling goods or services, you need to consider forming a company or limited liability partnership for your business activities. What is a limited company? What paper work is required to form an LTD? Do I need an attorney to form a company? Simply call us by phone, by fax or via the Internet and incorporate your business online! We provide a full range of products and services to make your business incorporation process as simple as possible. We also provide services for your needs after companies' incorporation, including our registered address service and of annual return filings. We offer electronic English, Irish and Scottish limited companies incorporation and electronic filing of documents. Your company is incorporated electronically as soon as we receive your details (and payment) it could not be done any more easily or quickly.
How to Incorporate with Us?
Clients can verify whether their proposed name has been registered or incorporated and obtain information regarding business entities and not-for-profit organizations operating in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland by conducting corporate name and unincorporated business name and limited partnership searches of the UK public record. The Companies House records the name and company number of UK corporate entities that are incorporated, continued, amalgamated or licensed to do business in the United Kingdom. The public record is comprised of companies, which conduct business for profit as well as not-for-profit organizations such as charities.
We review your choice of company name etc., and Companies House make a number of checks (to verify the registered address details etc.,) and your company is incorporated as soon as this process is complete. It can take three hours, it may take twenty-three hours, it all depends on how busy Companies House staff and systems are. We send your package to you by first class recorded delivery, as part of the service. We also offer Nominee Secretary and Registered Office facilities in addition to company incorporation UK.
We will incorporate your company with your intended directors, company secretary, registered office and shareholders all in place and recorded at Companies House at the time of incorporation, although we can of course still use our nominees for incorporation purposes if you prefer. We complete all the minutes, statutory registers and official documents on your behalf, and ensure that all necessary forms and resolutions are correctly filed with the Registrar of Companies. If you have any questions about the company registration then please E-Mail or call us: Call FREE 0800 081 1510, Overseas Residents: +44 845 020 4269 or +44 20 7748 3039, Fax: +44 20 7681 3318.
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Other Additional Services
Full documents, no activation fees, your own officers, freephone help and advice online! Normally the formation or acquisition of a limited company at the beginning is a very quick and informal process. Of course the company will require professional advice and professional services during its development. Our consultants can help you to start-up your business and support it in many ways during its development. As ancillary services to the formation of UK companies, we can offer you the following services:
Nominee Directors from - £125.00
Nominee Company Secretaries from - £75.00
Nominee Shareholders from - £100.00
Registered Office from - £75.00
Maintenance of Statutory Registers and Filing of Annual Returns
Preparation of Special Resolutions from £50.00
Bank Introductions from - £250.00
Day-to-day Administration
Telephone Answering
Post Office Box
Computerised Book-keeping and Production of Periodic Financial Statements
Assistance with International Audit Requirements
Completion and Filing of Annual Returns from - £90.00
General Power of Attorney
Notarial and Apostille Services from £70.00
Open an Online Banking Checking Account
Rent Office Space in London
UK Work Permits and UK Work Visas
International Reinvoicing Services
If you want to become familiar with the description and the contents of online limited companies formation packages, offered by Coddan CPM LTD and to find above, what kind of service is included in this or that UK companies incorporation package, to get an idea about the price of annual fees, please, select the package you need from the list, situated below the banner. The information in the banner will be renewed according to the package you've chosen. All of our Memorandum and Articles of Associations and Partnership Agreements were reviewed and approved by a volunteer U.K. lawyer. Our products start from just £42.00 for our E-Quick service.
This package offers fast electronic company registration documents and like all of our formation products is usually completed with in three hours. Our Economy English or Scottish limited company set-up not only have a Certificate of Incorporation on the required legal paper, but also has the provision of having your company registered office at our prestigious City of Liverpool, Manchester or London address. As all literature and documents must display the company's registered office, having your registered office at our address can enhance your company's profile in the eyes of both customers and suppliers.
You May Use This Form to Register a New Limited Company » Click Here if You Want to Form a Company Online  |
We appreciate that not everyone likes to place orders over the Internet, preferring to place orders by phone, fax or even post. We are happy to take orders through any of these methods, but prefer to have the order in writing to avoid any possibility of error. This form can be completed on your computer (on screen) and then saved and e-mailed to us.
To Download This Order Form Simply »  Click Here (Our printable order form is in Excel format. To download, click the right mouse button and "Save target as")
Incorporate a company online in minutes at lawyer-free prices. Coddan was developed by expert attorneys with experience at the most prestigious law firms in the country. We've helped over 50,000 satisfied customers, and our know-how allows us to prepare legal documents quickly and efficiently. Our documents contain advanced provisions that are not found in simple "do-it-yourself" kits or manuals. Coddan lets you take care of common legal procedures without ever leaving your home or office. We're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our research area contains plenty of helpful guidance. Simply answer an easy-to-understand questionnaire, and Coddan takes care of the rest - no need to download, no need to print.
You will receive the completed legal documents printed on quality acid-free paper. Did you know that 70% of those who try to complete their own legal documents make mistakes? With Coddan, you can rest assured, knowing that your documents are treated with the utmost care and attention. Before you submit your order, Coddan will review the answers you provide on the questionnaire for consistency, completeness, spelling and grammar. Furthermore, our customer service specialists are available to answer your questions by E-Mail or call us: Call FREE 0800 081 1510, Overseas Residents: +44 845 020 4269 or +44 20 7748 3039, Fax: +44 20 7681 3318.
Please note » The prices payable for the items that you order are clearly set out in the web site. There will be no contract of any kind between you and us unless and until we receive payment from you. We act as your agent in the incorporation of companies and electronic filing of Companies House forms. We are not able to guarantee that any such filing will be acceptable to Companies House, nor are there any contractual obligation upon us to do so. If Companies House rejects incorporation or other electronic filing, we will credit your account with a full refund and the contract between us will be made void.
Companies House does not offer a cancellation facility for the incorporation of companies or the electronic filing of documents. We will be unable to cancel any such submission on your behalf and will not refund any payment you have made. All prices shown at Coddan Web Site are in Great British pounds. Credit cards are the preferred method of payment; we accept VISA, MasterCard and Delta. We can accept payment in UK Pounds Sterling, US Dollars, Euros, Australian Dollars and Canadian Dollars.
Live Help » Live Help is a real time "chat" feature which enables you to interact with a customer service representative without a phone call. Get answers to your questions while using our website. Clicking the "Live Help" button will start an on-line session with one of our representatives. Live Help is currently available during normal business hours. Outside of the above opening hours our business center will be closed. When you click on the button you will see an e-mail form that will allow you to send us a mail with your questions. Live Help is absolutely free! There are no hidden fees. We offer the service as a courtesy to our website visitors.
Dear visitors, while having a chat session with a customer, we are frequently requested to give a piece of advice on tax planning or business structuring. We would like to inform you that it is against our principles to provide online advice pertaining to these issues. The points that may be covered during a session include service description, package or service price, navigation at our website, ways of making an order, methods of payment etc. Yet, if you wish us to provide you with advice on tax or business structuring, you should be aware that this service is chargeable. If you have any questions about the company registration then please E-Mail or call us: Call FREE 0800 081 1510, Overseas Residents: +44 845 020 4269 or +44 20 7748 3039, Fax: +44 20 7681 3318.
We have many Ready Made companies (aged readymade companies), which are ready to trade, and can be transferred to you within hours. Click here for our Limited Company Registration costs and full details of our packages for UK companies or call us for free no obligation advice.
You may use this link to select a ready made company » List of Ready-Made Companies |
If you own an old dormant company that you never used then we may be interested in buying it from you or selling it on your behalf. The older the company is the better. If you have simply registered a company but then changed your plans we can take it off your hands and offer you payment in return. If you have a company for sale you would like to please E-Mail or call us: Call FREE 0800 081 1510, Overseas Residents: +44 845 020 4269 or +44 20 7748 3039, Fax: +44 20 7681 3318.
INCORPORATING A LIMITED COMPANY. TYPES OF BUSINESS PRESENCE: The law provides for the incorporation of four different types of company: private company limited by shares (LTD) - members' liability is limited to the amount unpaid on shares they hold. Private company limited by guarantee - members, liability is limited to the amount they have agreed to contribute to the company's assets if it is wound up. Private unlimited company - there is no limit to the members' liability. Public limited company (PLC) - the company's shares are offered for sale to the general public and members' liability is limited to the amount unpaid on shares held by them.
For almost all business purposes the form used is the company limited by shares, either as a private limited company (LTD) or as a public limited company (PLC). MOST foreign companies incorporate a private limited company. No consents are needed, no local shareholders or directors are required and no minimum capital rules apply. Certain documents (e.g. Memorandum and Articles) must be filed with Companies House in order to form the company.
ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODELS FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS: In addition, investors can also establish a business presence in the United Kingdom through the setting up of a branch or place of business of the overseas company, partnership or joint venture or subsidiary company. Overseas companies can either register as a branch or as a place of business: a branch is part of an overseas limited company organised to conduct business through local representatives in the UK. Constitutional documents and accounts must be in your own language, with (if not in English) a certified translation made in the country where your company was incorporated. A place of business is a premise where there is a physical or visible indication that the company may be contacted there. An overseas company also has to register if it habitually conducts business from a particular location in the United Kingdom even if there is no physical sign of the company's connection with it.
An overseas company can incorporate a base in the United Kingdom by joining with a British company. Such joint ventures (JVs) are usually with limited companies or as a partnership. Information on possible JV partners may be available from the relevant United Kingdom trade associations. A company that is resident in the United Kingdom is a subsidiary of another company if it is a body corporate, which satisfies the conditions: It qualifies as a 51% subsidiary as defined in ICTA 88/S838 except that the other company is treated as not being the owner.
Of any share capital which it owns directly in a body corporate, if a profit on the sale of the shares would be treated as a trading receipt of its trade. Of any share capital which it owns indirectly, and which is owned directly by a body corporate for which a profit on the sale of the shares would be a trading receipt. Of any share capital which it owns directly or indirectly in a body corporate not resident in the United Kingdom.
By running your business through a limited company you stand to save tens of thousands of pounds in tax and national insurance every year. Why? To start with UK corporation tax rates are much lower than Income tax rates. Secondly, company owners can pay themselves dividends, which are taxed much less heavily than other forms of income. Finally, setting up a company with your spouse allows you to split your income which almost always results in a lower tax bill.
COMPANIES INCORPORATION REQUIREMENTS: Step 1 » Choose a company name. You cannot use certain terms (without special permission) including Royal, Bank, British and various others. Your name should not be the same or similar enough to be confused with an existing company.
Step 2 » Fill in Form 10 (this document is issued free by Companies House. It is one of the suites of documents required when incorporating a company. Form 10 needs to be completed with the initial directors, the company secretary, and the address of the registered office of the company. The registered office could be in England and Wales, or in Scotland. The company secretary can also be a director, with at least one other person as a director, i.e.: at least two people are required) and Form 12 (this document is issued free by Companies House.
It is one of the suites of documents required when incorporating a company. Form 12 is a statutory declaration that should be signed by one of the directors identified on Form 10. Form 12 should be dated and signed after the other incorporation forms have been completed - as this indicates confirmation of compliance with the company registration rules. It must also be witnessed by a Notary Public, a Solicitor or a Commissioner for Oaths), both are issued free by Companies House, and you can download them directly from this website. Form 12 will need to be witnessed by a solicitor, a notary public or a commissioner for oaths, and not dated until after all other documents have been prepared.
Your registered office is the legal address of the business (not necessarily its trading address) at which Companies House, the Inland Revenue and legal authorities acting on behalf of customers, suppliers and the public can serve official documents and assume that they have been received by the company directors. Details of shareholders and officers must also be available for public scrutiny at this address. Coddan provides the registered office address for your business for the agreed fee, which is renewable annually. A company registered in England & Wales must have its registered office address in England or Wales and a Scottish company must have its registered office in Scotland. Each can trade freely in the other jurisdiction (and have trading addresses there) but its registered office must always stay in the jurisdiction in which it was originally registered.
Step 3 » Prepare a Memorandum of Association (the Memorandum of Association is one of a number of documents required to incorporate a company. It sets out: the company's name, where the registered office of the company is situated (in England, Wales or Scotland); and what it will do (its objects). The object of a company may simply be to carry on business as a general commercial company. The company's Memorandum delivered to the Registrar must be signed by each subscriber in front of a witness who must attest the signatures, and your Articles of Association (the Articles of Association are one of a number of documents required to incorporate a company). This document sets out the rules for the running of the company's internal affairs. Clauses refer to share capital, shareholders, appointment, powers, and termination of directors, as well as other internal procedures. All companies, whether limited by shares or limited by guarantee, as well as unlimited companies must register Articles with Companies House (unless the whole of Table A is being adopted without modification). These are not available from Companies House.
Memorandum of Association which states: the name of the company. The made-up date of the previous Annual Return registered at Companies House. Having the most comprehensive tax treaty network in the world. The company's objects. That the liability of its members is limited. The amount of authorised share capital and its division into fixed amounts. That each member will contribute to the assets of the company if it is wound up; and if applicable, that the company is to be a public company.
The second document is the Articles of Association, which regulate a company's internal affairs and management. They usually include provisions governing: the rights of shareholders. Whether shareholders can transfer shares and rules relating to the issue of new ones. The procedures for general meetings. The powers and duties of directors including their power to borrow; and how dividends are to be paid and reserves held.
Step 4 » Send all documents by post, with accompanying letter to the registrar (the Letter to the registrar at Companies House is one of a number of documents used to incorporate a company. It briefly sets out the documents included, and confirms your wish to incorporate as a company) at Companies House. The full address (for England and Wales is Cardiff, for Scotland is Edinburgh) is on Form 10.
Step 5 » Once you have your company incorporated, you need to have your first directors board meeting (the meeting confirms the incorporation of the company, the names and roles of the directors, adjustments to shareholdings, and (as appropriate) appointment of solicitors, bankers and accountants). The shareholders or their advisers must present these documents, with a filing fee to the Registrar of Companies who will issue a Certificate of Incorporation. A company is required under United Kingdom Companies Law, periodically, to file prescribed documents.
These include an Annual Return and Annual Accounts. They must be delivered to the Registrar of Companies, who has the duty to make them available for public inspection. The company itself has to make certain documents available for inspection. In some cases this right of inspection is restricted to members of the company. In others any member of the public has a right of inspection. The Annual Return MUST includes prescribed company information including the registered office address, the names and addresses of its directors and its secretary, and the location of the register of members if it is not kept at the registered office. The accounts include: a profit and loss account and a balance sheet.
An auditor's report and a director's report, each containing certain information, must also be prepared and sent to the Registrar with the accounts. These are statutory requirements and unless a company is very small and its affairs simple, professional advice in respect of the preparation of accounts should be obtained. However, special provisions exist for dormant and small to medium-sized companies to deliver modified and less detailed accounts. Many companies with turnover below £90,000.00 can dispense with the statutory audit completely, while those with a turnover between £90,000.00 and £350,000.00 can replace the audit with a simple report prepared by a qualified independent accountant. Further details are included in leaflet CHN19, available from Companies House. A company is also required under United Kingdom Company Law to file particulars of changes in its directors, secretary, registered office and share capital, or if it wishes to change its name. It is also required to file particulars of mortgages and charges, and copies of special and extraordinary resolutions.
Option 1 » is to go to your accountant and ask them to do it all for you. The downside? Cost. Accountants charge for their services and experience, and LTD company can cost £150.00 or more and for most limited companies formed this isn't needed.
Option 2 » is to go to UK company registration agent who has already registered a company with their own directors, secretary and shareholder. Benefits of a shelf company. They are ready immediately so if, for example, a company number is required for a contract, then this can be given even before the acceptance of the new directors by Companies House. Next, they are aged - sometimes an entrepreneur will need a company that is not new. One factor against the aged benefit is that because they are 'old', extra annual returns payments may sometimes have to be paid either at the time of acquisition or shortly thereafter. Coddan understands and caters to the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. We realise that you may need to have a company that has been in existence for a period of time. Coddan forms UK companies just for this reason.
Shelf companies are simply companies that are formed, but have never been used. Each shelf company was filed by Coddan for the specific purpose of being a readymade corporation. Our shelf companies come with a certificate of incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association that have been filed with the Companies House. The incorporation documents for the shelf companies are already in our office and simply need to be completed to allow you to legally use and operate the company.
Option 3 » is to do it yourself using the old paper based systems. The downsides? You spend time understanding the forms and what they mean, you pay Companies House the £20 administration fee, you pay a solicitor to sign the forms for you and to provide you with the "rules" for your company (called the Memorandum and Articles of Association), which is likely to be at least £30.00-£50.00 and then you hope that Companies House don't reject your registration on a technicality and you repeat the whole process again 2 weeks later.
Option 4 » - all you need to do is use the free availability check to see if your chosen company name is available. If so, then fill out a few details using the online forms, enter your payment details, and submit your application. No documents to sign. We form companies with you as the first directors, secretary and shareholders. Our online order form is a completely web based application, whereby all the company details are entered into our system and submitted electronic through The Companies House Filing Service.
Download Forms
Appointment of Director or Secretary form 288a
First Directors and Secretary form 10
Declaration on Application for Registration form 12
Terminating Appointment of Director or Secretary form 288b
Change of Particulars of a Director or Secretary form_ 288c
Change of Situation or Address of Registered Office form 287
Change of Accounting Reference Date form 225
Return Allotment of Shares 88 (2)
Consolidation Shares form 122
Notice of Increase in Share Capital form 123
Declaration in Relation to Assistance for the Acquisition of Shares form 155 (6a)
Return by a Company Purchasing its own Share form 169
Declaration in Relation to the Redemption or Purchase of Shares out of Capital form 173
Location of Register of Members form 353
Location of Register of Members in a Non Legible form 353a
Withdrawal of Application for Striking off 652c
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U.K. Limited companies
Information on Forming a Company
