United Kingdom Offshore International Business Company Information

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United Kingdom Offshore International Business Company Information

  • Key Features
  • Setup & Maintenance Costs
  • Compliance
  • General Information
  • Company Information

Key Company Features

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Key Company Features

Type of entity

Private Limited

Type of law

Common

Shelf company availability

Yes

Our time to establish a new company

3 days

Minimum government fees (excluding taxation)

Nil

Corporate taxation

19% - 30%

Double taxation treaty access

Yes

Share capital or equivalent

Standard currency

GBP

Permitted currencies

Any

Minimum paid up

GBP1

Usual authorised

GBP1,000

Directors or Managers

Minimum number

One

Local required

Yes

Publicly accessible records

Yes

Location of meetings

Anywhere

Members

One

Publicly accessable records

Yes

Company Secretary

Required

Yes

Accounts

Yes

Local or Qualified

No

Requirement to prepare

Yes

Audit requirements

Yes, but small company exemption

Requirement to file accounts

Yes

Publicly accessible accounts

Yes

Other

Requirement to file annual return

Yes

Change in domicile permitted

Yes, but subject to approval of Inland Revenue

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Setup and Maintenance Costs

Incorporation (Setup) Costs - US$300(+ US900 if nominee director required)

The fee is all inclusive, no hidden costs.

Our company kits are always delivered with the same documents but may vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Our corporate kits are delivered with the following documents:-
- Articles of Incorporation in English (Notarized and legalized by Apostille)
- Appointment of First Directors / Nominee Directors (if applicable)
- Nominee shareholders (if applicable)
- Shareholder certificates
- Minute Books
- Share registry books
- 1 Power of Attorney (Notarized and legalized by Apostille)
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Trust agreement (when applicable)
- Minutes and / or board resolutions when requested.

Annual Maintenance Costs

Annual Maintenance Costs - US$200(+ US900 if nominee director required)

The fee is payable after the first year and covers annual taxes, registered agent and nominees. No hidden costs.

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Compliance

Authorised and Issued Share Capital.

Minimum Authorised Share Capital: GBP1.00 Issued Share Capital: The minimum issued capital is one share, but additional capital is usually issued to reflect the stability and strength of the company.

Classes of Shares Permitted.

The normal category of shares are ordinary shares but, subject to the circumstances of the company, they may be preference shares, deferred shares, redeemable shares and shares with or without voting rights.

Taxation

Corporation tax (which includes Capital Gains Tax) is paid by UK companies based upon accounts, which are submitted to the Inland Revenue and the Registrar of Companies at the end of the company's financial year. A company is free to choose its financial year-end. Companies pay corporation tax at the rate of 19% where the net profit before tax does not exceed GBP300,000. The tax payable increases thereafter in stages until the net profit before tax reaches GBP1.5 million where the top rate of corporation tax is charged at the rate of 30%. These limits for the lower and higher rate of corporation tax apply to the total profits (worldwide) of group companies and associated companies. Obtaining the lower rate of tax can be problematic for UK companies owned outside the UK.

Double Taxation Agreements



The United Kingdom is party to more double tax treaties than any other sovereign state.

Licence Fees



None.

Financial Statement Requirements



All UK companies are required to file accounts prepared in statutory form with the Registrar of Companies and the Inland Revenue. Companies whose annual turnover does not exceed L1,000,000 are not required to file independently audited accounts and in such cases the directors must self-certify the accounts. Note: The audit exemption was increased from GBP1m to GBP5.6m from 30 March 2004

Directors



A private company must have at least one director and a public company must have at least two directors. Directors may be natural persons or bodies corporate who may be of any nationality and need not reside in the UK.

Company Secretary



A company secretary must be appointed. The company secretary may be a natural person or a body corporate who may be of any nationality and need not reside in the UK.

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General Information


A 'custom-made' UK company formation has many advantages over an 'off-the-shelf' company. It is usually more economical to incorporate a company with the client's choice of name, directors, shareholders and authorised share capital than to purchase a shelf company and change these particulars after incorporation. The intended situation of the registered office must be stated from the outset. If they wish, clients may be named as the first director and secretary. A same day incorporation service is available from Companies House for an additional fee.

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Company Information


Type of Company for International Trade and Investment

Private ('Ltd').

Procedure to Incorporate

Submission of Memorandum and Articles of Association, Declaration of Compliance and Statement of the First Directors and Secretary and notification of the situation of the Registered Office with the requisite fee to Companies House.

Restrictions on Trading

Yes, for specified groups, which include banking, insurance, financial services, consumer credit and related services. A PLC cannot commence trading until the minimum share capital of L50,000 has been allotted.

Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents

English or Welsh.

Registered Office Required.

Yes, must be maintained in England or Wales.

Shelf Companies Available

Yes

Language of Name

Whilst the name of company can be in any language, the documentation must be in English. Any name in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation to ensure that the name is not restricted. However, if the company is incorporated in Wales, documentation in Welsh will be accepted.

Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Authorities

No, but disclosure may in certain circumstances be required for accounting purposes. (Accounts must be filed and are available for inspection by the public).

We offer Company formations in all major offshore jurisdictions.