Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · United Kingdom
Company registration in the United Kingdom arecognisable company in one to three days
A British company is registered within days and is accepted by counterparties, marketplaces and payment systems worldwide. The trade-off is genuine reporting and a public register.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Name check and preparation of the incorporation documents
- 02Filing with Companies House
- 03Registered office for the first year
- 04Full set of corporate documents
- 05Registration for corporation tax
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who the United Kingdom suits
- Services and consulting with British and international clients
- E-commerce and marketplace sellers
- IT companies working with UK and US customers
- Agency businesses that need a recognisable brand
- Structures preparing to raise investment
- You are counting on privacy: directors and owners are public
- You cannot support real accounting and filings
- You need access to the EU single market and EU VAT
- The plan relies on a company with no substance behind it
Company types
What company you can open in the United Kingdom
The private limited company covers most cases; partnerships solve narrower tasks.
A company with limited liability and a nominal share capital.
- For whom
- Services, trading, IT, agencies.
- Advantage
- Fast incorporation, recognisable status, low state fees.
- Limit
- Directors and persons with significant control are public.
A partnership where the members are taxed personally.
- For whom
- Professional practices and consulting.
- Advantage
- Transparent for tax at member level.
- Limit
- Members must report the income in their own jurisdictions.
A company that may offer shares to the public.
- For whom
- Large groups and pre-listing structures.
- Advantage
- Access to public capital.
- Limit
- Minimum capital and stricter disclosure.
Every company needs a registered office in the UK and files a confirmation statement and accounts each year.
Comparison
United Kingdom or Ireland
Two English-speaking jurisdictions with very different market access.
| United Kingdom | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporation tax | 19% up to the small profits limit, 25% above it | 12.5% on trading income |
| EU membership | no | yes |
| VAT | UK VAT, registration threshold £90,000 | EU VAT |
| Incorporation time | 1-3 days | 3-7 days |
| Register transparency | public, including persons with significant control | public |
| Upkeep cost | low | medium |
| Who it suits better | the UK market and marketplaces | the EU market and technology groups |
If your clients are in the EU, Ireland gives access to the single market. If they are British or global, the UK is faster and cheaper.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in the United Kingdom
The answers below decide the form, the VAT position and the cost of upkeep.
What we check
- Where your clients are: UK, EU or worldwide
- Whether the turnover will cross the VAT registration threshold
- Whether goods will be imported into the country
- Who will act as director and where they are resident
- Whether staff will be employed and payroll operated
- Which bank or payment institution will hold the account
- Whether the company will trade on marketplaces
- How the source of capital is evidenced
- Whether investment will be raised
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
A British company is not a shell: accounts, a confirmation statement and a corporation tax return are filed every year, and Companies House enforces the deadlines.
Licensing
Activities and licences
Most business needs no licence; regulated finance is the exception.
No licence required.
Possible; VAT registration and customs numbers are usually needed.
Authorised by the financial regulator.
Requires authorisation as a payment or e-money institution.
Certain activities are regulated by sector rules.
Licensed by the gambling regulator.
What sets the licence
- Whether authorisation is required
- Whether the VAT threshold will be crossed
- Whether goods cross the border
- Whether staff will be employed
- Planned turnover
- Where the account will be held
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on VAT and on how much accounting support you need.
from $900
A quick start for contracts and invoicing
2-5 days
Included
- Name check and preparation of the incorporation documents
- Filing with Companies House
- Registered office for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Registration for corporation tax
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Companies House fees
Not included
- VAT registration
- The bank account — handled as a separate stage
from $2 400
An operating business with real settlements
3-8 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- VAT registration and set-up of returns
- Bank or payment institution profile and submission
- Accounting set-up and a reporting schedule
- Support with correspondence with the tax authority
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the institution decides
by project
A company with staff and full reporting
from 4 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company, VAT and account package
- Payroll registration and administration
- Monthly bookkeeping and filings
- Preparation and filing of annual accounts
- Corporation tax return
- Annual support of the structure
Government fees, paid separately
- Employer contributions
- Filing fees
Companies House fees and payroll contributions appear as separate lines in the quote.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, VAT, staff and banking. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: projects with payroll are priced individually.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
Application, the number and quarterly returns.
Employer registration and monthly payroll filings.
Monthly accounting and preparation of the annual accounts.
Registrations needed for importing goods.
Address, mail handling and scanning.
Selection of a bank or a payment institution.
Director, shareholder and capital changes.
Striking off or liquidation done properly.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
British banks are selective, but the payment institution market is wide and works quickly.
The activity, the clients, expected turnover, whether there is a UK presence and the source of funds.
The corporate set, director identification, contracts and a description of the business.
With British banks where there is a local presence, otherwise with payment institutions.
We prepare the file, choose the institution and run the submission through to the result.
A high street bank usually wants a UK-resident director and a local footprint. Without one, we go to payment institutions — and say so before incorporation.
Tax
Taxes in the United Kingdom
The rate depends on profit; marginal relief applies between the thresholds.
19% on profits up to the small profits limit and 25% above the upper limit.
Applies between the two limits and produces an effective rate between the two figures.
The standard rate is 20%; registration is compulsory once turnover exceeds £90,000.
No withholding tax is charged on dividends paid abroad.
Annual accounts, a confirmation statement and a corporation tax return are mandatory.
Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: the applicable rate depends on profit and on associated companies.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected remotely; documents are in English.
- 01Passport with a certified copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Description of the planned activity
- 04Details of clients and counterparties
- 05Evidence of the source of funds
Where a UK presence exists — an address, staff or a warehouse — documents evidencing it speed up both VAT registration and banking.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Upkeep is inexpensive, but the deadlines are strict.
Filed with Companies House once a year.
Prepared and filed within the statutory deadline.
Filed after the end of the accounting period.
Filed quarterly where the company is registered.
Submitted monthly where staff are employed.
Renewed annually.
Kept up to date when ownership changes.
Periodic requests from the institution.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Confirmation statement
- Annual accounts
- Corporation tax return
- VAT returns
- Payroll filings
- Registered office
- Register of persons with significant control
- Bank compliance
- Confirmation statement
- Annual accounts
- Corporation tax return
- VAT returns
- Payroll filings
- Registered office
- Register of persons with significant control
- Bank compliance
- Confirmation statement
- Annual accounts
- Corporation tax return
- VAT returns
- Payroll filings
- Registered office
- Register of persons with significant control
- Bank compliance
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, form, VAT, banking, reporting.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
1 dayIdentification and collection of the set.
1-3 daysFiling with Companies House and issue of the certificate.
1-3 daysApplication and issue of the number where required.
2-6 weeksBank file, submission and account opening.
The institution sets the timingThe outcome is a recognisable British company with corporate documents, a VAT number where needed, an account and a reporting schedule in place.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessClients and customers outside the country of registration, payment under contracts.
DirectionAn operating company with real management and reporting.
BankingThe bank looks at contracts, clients and turnover.
BusinessDevelopment, subscriptions and software licensing.
DirectionAn operating company that owns the product with a clear revenue chain.
BankingPayment providers and platform agreements are required.
BusinessSupplies between countries, settlements in several currencies.
DirectionA trading company with working banking infrastructure.
BankingCounterparties, routes and the origin of funds are checked.
BusinessHolding shares in subsidiaries and distributing profit.
DirectionA holding company set up with double tax treaties in mind.
BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
A UK company files accounts every year. Anyone who says otherwise is selling you a penalty.
Directors and persons with significant control are visible to anyone. Decide with that in mind.
We evaluate the profile before incorporation and point to realistic institutions.
Accounting, VAT, payroll and filings — three years ahead.
Accounts, returns and changes stay with us.
A company without real activity leads to closure and blocked accounts.
FAQ
Questions and answers
One to three days with Companies House once identification is complete.
19% on profits up to the small profits limit and 25% above the upper limit, with marginal relief in between.
Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover exceeds £90,000; voluntary registration is possible earlier.
Yes. Directors and persons with significant control appear on the public register.
Not for incorporation. Banks, however, often want one.
A high street bank is difficult without a local presence; payment institutions open accounts quickly.
Only above the statutory size thresholds. Most small companies file unaudited accounts.
Yes, there are no residency restrictions on shareholders.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do and where its clients are. We will decide on VAT, choose where the account can open and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.