Although the sole trader route, which is commonly referred to as being self employed, is the most popular way of running a business in the UK, there are significant advantages of operating as a limited company.
Here, we highlight 10 of the biggest benefits a limited company gives you over working as self-employed. (more…)
Aside from the sole trader route, the limited liability company is the most popular business structure in the UK.
With a limited company, the liability of company directors is ‘limited’ in that the company’s finances are separate from the personal finances of the business owner. This is not the case for those who run their business as a sole trader (self employed).
Limited company shareholders are not responsible for any debts run up by the business, although banks may ask company directors to provide loan guarantees for commercial loans or credit taken out in the company’s name. (more…)
When you start a business with someone else, it’s always a good idea to lay down some rules on important issues, such as; how you will run the company, your respective responsibilities and what happens if someone wants to leave the business. Agreeing on how you will handle these, and other important matters, will save a lot of anguish down the line.
If you are going into business with other individuals working under a partnership structure, you should do this with a Partnership Agreement. If you are setting up a limited company, you will a need to record these in a Shareholder’s Agreement.
This guide explains what a Shareholder’s Agreement does, who should get one and what should be included in the document.
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There are a variety of reasons why businesses or consultants may choose to operate via a limited company.
For some, the protection limited liability offers if things go wrong is an attraction, for others, the potential tax benefits are the main reason why they choose to be a limited company over a sole trader.
To explain more about the tax advantages of a limited company, we asked Manchester based accountants Alexander & Co to outline the tax-effective ways you can pay yourself if you own a limited company. (more…)
If you are setting up a limited company, you should think carefully when choosing your company name. Alongside the business reasons for choosing an appropriate name, there are also a number of company naming rules you should be aware of.
If you breach certain naming rules, Companies House will simply reject your company formation application.
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When a company goes into liquidation, it’s generally understood that employees are entitled to redundancy pay. But what about the company directors themselves? Ultimately it is their business that has failed, and their livelihood that has collapsed.
Unbeknown to many directors, the government does provide limited company directors with statutory entitlements, such as redundancy pay, in a number of situations where a limited company has become insolvent and entered liquidation.
With some 80,000 personal insolvencies a year and around 14,000 companies becoming insolvent annually, it’s an issue that many business owners can find themselves facing, but a lack of understanding about statutory entitlements means many limited company directors end up missing out.
We’ve therefore asked Gary Addison, an experienced insolvency and redundancy expert, to explain more about what statutory entitlements actually are, and how they apply to company directors. (more…)
If you have set up in business via a limited company, there are a number of duties you will have – as well as legal and financial responsibilities – if you are a director of the company.
This article provides an overview of what to expect as a limited company director.
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Since 6th April 2016, nearly all UK companies have been required to maintain a register of Persons with Significant Control (also known as a “PSC register”).
The PSC register obligations were introduced as part of the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. The government’s intention was to enhance corporate transparency where complicated ownership structures can sometimes make it difficult to tell who owns and controls companies.
However, even small limited companies with very simple structures are required to maintain a PSC register. And, from 30th June 2016, companies need to file this information with Companies House as part of the new Confirmation Statement (which replaces the Annual Return from this date).
This guide explains to small business owners what a Person with Significant Control is, how to produce a PSC register and what companies need to do to stay on the right side of the law.
All UK limited companies, large and small, have been required to file an Annual Return (AR01) with Companies House at a set point each year.
From 30th June 2016, as part of the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, the Annual Return is replaced with a new document called a ‘Confirmation Statement’.
Like its predecessor the Annual Return, the Confirmation Statement is a snapshot of information about a company which must be provided once per year. Most of the information provided is placed on the public record by Companies House.
Here’s everything that limited company directors need to know about the new Confirmation Statement; (more…)
If you are considering setting up your own limited company, the prospect of ‘dealing with the authorities’ may seem daunting. In reality, the company formation process is very simple – whether you apply yourself, or use a registration agent to set up the company on your behalf.
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If you are setting up a limited company for your business you will want it done quickly, professionally and without any hassle. That’s why we’ve teamed up with one of the UK’s leading company formation agencies to provide you with an instant online service.
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A dormant company is one that doesn’t trade and has no accounting transactions.
There are two main situations where owning a dormant limited company can be useful for start-ups and small business owners;
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All limited companies in the UK must submit an Annual Return form (AR01) to Companies House every year.
The Annual Return provides a snapshot of general information about your company, including details of directors and company secretary if you have appointed one, the registered office, share capital and shareholdings.
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When you form a new limited company, one of the three documents you need to submit is the Articles of Association.
The other forms you need to submit to Companies House together with the Articles of Association are; Form IN01 and the Company Memorandum of Association. You can read more about what information is provided by these forms in our dedicated article here.
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The Memorandum of Association is one of the three documents you need to complete when registering a new limited company. The other two items you need to submit are Form IN01 and the Articles of Association.
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One of the great advantages of trading through a company is to take advantage of ‘limited liability’. This means that, unless you have personally guaranteed a liability – for example to a bank or landlord – then as a director you are not responsible for the company’s debts if it goes bust.
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If you are thinking of forming a new limited company, you should be aware of the legal requirements you have to meet as a limited company director, on behalf of the company.
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If you want to set up a company, you can form it yourself via Companies House, use a formations agent, or an accountant will typically be more than happy to take care of the incorporation process on your behalf.
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Each year, all UK registered companies are required by law to complete and submit an Annual Return to Companies House. This form provides a snapshot of relevant company information at the time of submission.
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As long as you comply with the relevant rules you can call your company whatever you like, provided that no one else is using the name already. However there are some restrictions that you need to comply with.
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Over 1.3 million businesses currently operate as private limited companies in the UK, compared to nearly 3 million sole traders, and around 450,000 partnerships.
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Incorporation is the process of creating a company structure – a new legal entity which is distinct from the individuals or shareholders who formed it.
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Board minutes are a vital part of a successful business. They ensure directors are upholding their duties and act as a reminder for decisions made during board meetings.
As well as this, they can be important to provide information to directors who were unable to attend the meeting, new directors and, if need be, aid in cases of litigation.
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A limited company can have many classes of shares. These can be ordinary shares, preference shares and redeemable shares. The articles of association usually set out the rights of these shares while allowing the directors to issue shares with such rights and restrictions as determined by ordinary resolution.
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To form a limited company in the UK, you must complete Form IN01. In this article, we look at the information Form IN01 captures, and how this information is used by Companies House.
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When you set up a limited company, you need to provide Companies House with a registered office address. This must be a real physical address, where paperwork can be delivered, and not a PO box.
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Many businesses start out as owner managed operations with one person owning all of the shares as well as being the managing director. However, as businesses grow, they often want to bring in other people as shareholders; maybe in return for an investment or possibly to a manager that they want to incentivise.
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The Companies Act 2006 enacted a wide range of reforms to the way company law is governed. It set out the duties of company directors for the first time, and has simplified some elements of company incorporation process. In this summary, we look at the key elements of the Act from a company director’s point of view.
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Unless the Articles of Association specify otherwise, a private company does not need to have a company secretary. However, the duties of a company secretary still need to be fulfilled regardless of whether someone is formally appointed. A public company, on the other hand, must have a formal company secretary appointed.
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All private companies must have at least one company director – but are there any legal restrictions on who can fill this position?
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By law, every company in the UK must have a registered office – this is a physical address in the UK where the company can receive documents from Companies House and other organisations.
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If you are running a limited company, chances are you may need to change your address, personnel or the company share structure. How do you report these changes to Companies House?
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When setting up and running a company, you will have regular involvement with Companies House. In this article, we look at the main functions of Companies House and what obligations limited companies have.
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The role of limited company secretary is essentially an administrative one, but can involve a number of important responsibilities depending on the wishes of the company’s directors.
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When you set up a limited company, as company director, you will have certain statutory and legal responsibilities which you should be aware of.
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When setting up or running a UK company, the company directors and/or the company secretary (if appointed) are responsible for sending information to Companies House to ensure that the Registry is up-to-date. This may include changes in company details, or the submission of accounts.
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How to Set Up a Limited Company