UK Company Formation: Ltd Registration, Banking, Tax and FCA
The United Kingdom is a holding jurisdiction built on common law: the public Companies House register, a broad network of tax treaties, and a deep banking sector. We reach for it when a structure needs international recognition and access to British capital. We factor in the new identity-verification regime too.
- Region
- Europe
- Class
- Onshore
- CIT
- 25% main rate (profits >£250k) / 19% (≤£50k), marginal relief between
- VAT
- 20%
- Practice
- United Kingdom · one named partner
Available registration forms
Banking & operations
- Banking
- Tier-1 banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest) are available, but identity-verification requirements are tightening. Since 18 November 2025, a new identity-verification regime applies through Companies House.
- Operations
- Mandatory identity verification for all PSCs and directors through Companies House took effect on 18 November 2025 (existing directors verify via their next confirmation statement across a 12-month transition). Plan ahead.
- INNOVA practice
- United Kingdom · one named partner
Packages & pricing in the UK
Services in the UK
Industries in the UK
Tools & comparisons
Frequently asked questions — business in the UK
Three things tip the balance: a common-law legal system, a transparent Companies House public registry, and a network of 130+ double tax treaties. Corporate tax is 25%; Small Profits Relief brings that to 19% on profits up to £50,000. INNOVA CG handles structuring, compliance, and banking onboarding.
A Private Limited Company (Ltd) filed online at Companies House is usually registered within 24 hours. HMRC usually sets the company up for Corporation Tax at the same time; the activation code for the online Corporation Tax service follows by post within 10 days (21 days if you live abroad), and an active company must tell HMRC within 3 months of the start of its accounting period. VAT registration and banking onboarding depend on HMRC and on the institution chosen. Incorporation is the fast part; the bank sets the pace. Onboarding is ours to carry.
Yes. UK company law imposes no nationality or residency restrictions on directors or shareholders of a Private Ltd. A minimum of one director is required. Since 18 November 2025, Companies House has mandated identity verification for all directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. We see the verification through.
The main Corporation Tax rate is 25% for profits above £250,000. Small Profits Relief reduces the effective rate to 19% for profits up to £50,000, with marginal relief between the two thresholds. R&D tax relief (the merged scheme, a 20% above-the-line credit for periods from April 2024, with enhanced support for R&D-intensive SMEs) can further reduce the net liability for qualifying technology and innovation businesses. We model the effective rate up front.
A UK Ltd must file annual accounts and a Confirmation Statement with Companies House, submit a CT600 Corporation Tax return to HMRC within 12 months of the year-end, pay Corporation Tax within 9 months, and maintain a statutory register of members and PSCs. VAT-registered companies must file MTD-compliant returns quarterly. PAYE RTI submissions are required for each payroll run. The deadlines are ours to hold.
Your business in the United Kingdom: formation, banking, tax, immigration — under one desk. One partner.
- Written reply within 24 h
- Fixed price after scoping
- One named partner
- Confidentiality in the contract