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UK Ltd

Set up a UK Ltd from abroad — the 2026 walkthrough

You can register a UK limited company from anywhere in about a day. Here's what Companies House needs, what it costs, and what to do after you're incorporated.

The Taxly team
The Taxly team Formation & tax specialists · · 1 min read

A UK limited company is one of the fastest, cheapest credible companies to start anywhere — and you don’t need to live in the UK to own one. Here’s the whole process.

What Companies House needs

Registration is handled by Companies House, the UK registrar. They ask for a short, specific list.

— Key takeaways
  • A company name that's available and not too similar to an existing one.
  • A registered office address in the UK — your agent can provide this.
  • At least one director (any nationality, any country of residence).
  • Details of the people with significant control (usually the owners).
  • A SIC code describing what the business does.

The cost

Incorporation itself is famously cheap — a £12 Companies House fee. The real decisions are about the address and ongoing filings, not the setup.

You need a UK registered office

Every UK company must show a UK address on the public register. Most non-resident founders use their formation agent’s address so their home address stays private. Taxly provides the registered office and forwards your mail.

After incorporation

A UK Ltd has a yearly rhythm you have to keep up with:

  1. Confirmation statement

    Once a year you confirm the company details are still correct. It’s quick, but it’s mandatory.

  2. Annual accounts

    You file accounts with Companies House each year. Even a dormant company files.

  3. Corporation tax

    You register with HMRC and file a corporation tax return — separate from the Companies House accounts.

Miss these and the company picks up penalties and, eventually, gets struck off. That’s the part Taxly runs for you: the address, the confirmation statement, the accounts, and the tax return — tracked and filed.

Form your UK Ltd

See UK filing →
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Form your company. File your taxes. Skip the nonsense.

Taxly registers your company, sorts your filings, and is your registered agent — with real humans and no legalese.

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