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United Kingdom
Form a UK Limited company, from anywhere.
A private limited company (Ltd) registered with Companies House. A well-known structure for selling to the UK and Europe, open to directors and shareholders who live abroad.
At a glance
What is included.
Name availability check
We check your company name against the Companies House register before filing.
Incorporation filing
We prepare the application with you and file it with Companies House.
Registered office address
A UK address for the company’s official mail, as the law requires.
Standard articles of association
The standard model articles, with your shareholding recorded.
Identity verification guidance
Companies House now asks directors and owners to verify their identity. We walk you through it.
Your company file
Certificate of incorporation and statutory details, stored in your member area.
How it works
What a UK limited company is
A private limited company, usually written as Ltd, is the standard company form in the United Kingdom. It is a separate legal person, registered at Companies House, that can own a store, sign contracts, hold a bank account and employ people in its own name. The shareholders own it and the directors run it. In a small e-commerce business the same person is very often both, and a single founder can hold every share and be the only director.
There is no UK residency requirement. The company needs at least one director who is a natural person, at least one shareholder, a registered office address in the UK and a registered email address. Companies House now also requires identity verification for directors and for persons with significant control, meaning the people who ultimately own or control the company. All of this can be done remotely, which is why founders who live elsewhere regularly use this structure.
Incorporation is an online filing. The application states the company name, the registered office, the directors, the shareholders and their shares, the persons with significant control and the nature of the business, together with the articles of association that set the company’s internal rules. Once Companies House accepts the file, it issues a certificate of incorporation with a company number. Online incorporation is typically completed within 24 hours.
Atiko prepares this file with you, checks it for the errors that most often cause a rejection, submits it and delivers the company documents. Government fees are set by the registry, are the same whoever files, and are shown separately from Atiko’s own fee. The choice of jurisdiction and structure remains yours, and questions about your personal tax position belong with an independent licensed professional.
Why founders choose it
What a UK company makes possible
These are the practical reasons e-commerce founders most often give for choosing a UK Ltd.
A widely recognized legal entity
Suppliers, marketplaces, payment providers and banks around the world know what a UK limited company is and how to read its documents. The company’s details are public on the Companies House register, which makes it simple for a counterparty to confirm that the company exists.
Limited liability for the owners
The company is legally separate from the people who own it. In most cases a shareholder’s exposure is limited to what they have agreed to pay for their shares, although directors keep their own legal duties.
Full ownership from abroad
You do not need to live in the UK, hold a visa or appoint a local director. One person can be the sole director and sole shareholder, and the whole process is handled online.
Access to UK payment and banking options
Stripe and Shopify Payments are available to UK companies, each subject to the provider’s own verification. A UK company can also apply for UK business accounts, some of which can be opened remotely.
A base for selling in pounds
A UK entity lets you present a UK company on your store, invoice in pounds and, where it applies to you, register for VAT. VAT is separate from incorporation and is assessed with a licensed accountant.
Before you start
What we need from you
A complete file is what makes a fast incorporation possible. This is what we ask for at the start.
The process
From first call to working company
Intake and name check
You complete a short intake form and send your documents. We check the proposed name against the register and tell you if anything is missing or likely to be queried.
Identity verification
Each director and person with significant control completes the identity verification Companies House requires. We explain the available routes and guide you through the one that fits your documents.
File preparation
Our filing specialists prepare the incorporation application, the share structure and the articles of association, then send you a summary to review. Nothing is submitted until you have approved it.
Submission to Companies House
We submit the application online. Companies House reviews it and, when it is accepted, issues the certificate of incorporation and the company number.
Delivery of company documents
You receive the certificate of incorporation, the articles of association, the share certificates and the first company registers. We also give you a calendar of the filings that will fall due.
Bank account applications
With the company documents in hand, we help you prepare applications for UK business accounts. You are the applicant and the account holder, and each bank makes its own decision.
Set by the government, not by Atiko
Government fees in the United Kingdom.
| Official fee | Paid to | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private limited company incorporation, online (paper £124) | £100 | Companies House | At formation |
| Confirmation statement, online (paper £110) | £50 | Companies House | Every year |
| Identity verification via GOV.UK One Login | Free | Companies House | Before or at formation |
| Corporation Tax registration (set up with incorporation) | Free | HMRC | At formation |
Official fees were checked in October 2026 on the website of each authority. They are the same whoever files, they change from time to time, and they are shown separately from Atiko’s own fee on your written quote.
Comparison
UK Ltd compared with a US LLC
| UK Ltd | US LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered with | Companies House, one national register | A state of your choice |
| Owners and managers | Shareholders and directors | Members, with an operating agreement |
| Residency requirement | None for directors or shareholders | None for members |
| Local presence | UK registered office address | Registered agent in the state |
| Taxation of profits | Corporation tax paid by the company | Pass-through to the members by default |
| Yearly filings | Confirmation statement, annual accounts, Company Tax Return | State requirements plus federal filings such as Form 5472 |
| Typical formation time | Typically within 24 hours online | Typically within 24 hours, depending on the state |
This table describes the structures in general terms and is not tax or legal advice.
After incorporation
What the company must do each year
A UK company has recurring obligations from the day it exists, whether or not it has made a sale. Each year it files a confirmation statement with Companies House, which confirms that the information on the public register is still correct: the registered office, the directors, the shareholders, the persons with significant control and the nature of the business.
The company also prepares annual accounts and files them with Companies House, and it submits a Company Tax Return to HMRC. Corporation tax is charged on company profits, with a main rate that is currently 25% and a lower small-profits rate of 19% for small profits. Accounts and tax returns are prepared by independent licensed accountants. Atiko coordinates the calendar and the documents so that nothing is missed.
Changes during the year also need to be reported. A new director, a change of address, a share transfer or a new person with significant control each has its own filing. Late filings can lead to penalties and, if they continue, Companies House can strike the company off the register. Keeping the record current also matters to banks and payment providers, which compare what you tell them with the public register.
Avoid these
Common mistakes with a UK company
Assuming a dormant company has nothing to file
A company with no activity still has a confirmation statement and accounts to file. Founders who form a company and leave it untouched often discover this only when a penalty notice arrives.
Declaring the wrong person as controller
The persons with significant control are the individuals who ultimately own or control the company. Naming a nominee or leaving out a real owner creates an inaccurate public record and causes problems at the bank.
Treating incorporation as VAT registration
Forming the company does not register it for VAT, and the two follow different rules. Whether and when you need to register depends on your sales and should be confirmed with a licensed accountant.
Letting company and store details drift apart
A store that shows a different name, address or owner from the Companies House record invites questions during bank and payment reviews. Keep them consistent from the first day.
What Atiko does not decide
Atiko is a formation and administrative assistance service. We are not a law firm or an accounting firm, and we do not give tax or legal advice or tell you which jurisdiction to choose. Companies House decides whether an application is accepted and when, and HMRC, banks and payment providers each make their own decisions.
Questions about forming a UK company
Can I form a UK company if I do not live in the UK?
Yes. There is no UK residency requirement for directors or shareholders. The company needs a registered office address in the UK and a registered email address, and its directors and persons with significant control must complete identity verification.
How long does incorporation take?
Online incorporation is typically completed within 24 hours once the application is submitted. The total time depends mostly on how quickly the file and the identity verification are completed. Companies House controls the timing and can ask for more information.
Do I need a UK director or a company secretary?
No. A private limited company needs at least one director who is a natural person, and that person can live anywhere. A company secretary is not required for a private limited company.
Can one person own and run the whole company?
Yes. A single individual can be the only director and the only shareholder. That person will normally also be declared as the person with significant control.
Will my details be public?
Companies House keeps a public register that shows the company’s directors, its persons with significant control and its registered office. Some personal details, such as a director’s residential address, are held by the registry without being shown publicly. We explain what appears before you file.
How is a UK company taxed?
The company pays corporation tax on its profits, with a main rate currently at 25% and a small-profits rate of 19% for small profits. VAT is separate. Your own position, including tax in your country of residence, should be reviewed with an independent licensed professional.
Does forming the company give me a bank account?
No. Bank accounts are opened through a separate application in which you are the applicant and the account holder. Atiko guides the application, and the bank decides whether to open the account.
Can I use the company with Stripe and Shopify Payments?
Stripe and Shopify Payments are available to UK companies, subject to each provider’s own verification. Requirements for the account representative vary and change, so we confirm the current ones with you before you apply. Atiko is independent of both providers.
Related pages
This page is general information, last reviewed in October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice and may not reflect the latest rules in every state. Atiko is not a law firm or an accounting firm. Please consult a licensed attorney or tax adviser about your own situation.
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