The most common UK corporate form. £50 setup, accountant ~£1K/year, 25% headline corp tax with a 19% small profits rate up to £50K.
Not legal, tax, or accounting advice
This page is for orientation only. Choosing a corporate structure has tax, legal, and banking consequences specific to your situation. Consult a licensed attorney and tax adviser in both your country of residence and the proposed jurisdiction before incorporating.
$400
$1,500
2 days
25%
A UK Private Limited Company (Ltd) is the default corporate vehicle for SMEs, contractors, and tech startups operating in the United Kingdom. Setup is via Companies House for £50 (or £71 same-day), with company numbers issued within 24 hours. Required appointments: at least one director and one shareholder (can be the same person, no UK residency required). Annual obligations: a Confirmation Statement (£34 online), full statutory accounts filed with Companies House, and Corporation Tax return to HMRC. Corporation tax is tiered as of April 2023: 19% on profits up to £50,000 (small profits rate), tapered marginal relief between £50K-250K (effective 26.5%), and 25% on profits above £250,000. The 'Patent Box' regime offers an effective 10% rate on profits from qualifying IP. UK Ltds are full beneficial-owner-public via the People with Significant Control (PSC) register.
Government fee
$65
Registered agent (yr 1)
$50
Legal (optional)
$0–$1,000
All-in setup (low / typical)
$100 / $400
Annual maintenance (low / typical)
$200 / $1,500
Corporate tax rate
25%
VAT / GST
20%
Withholding on dividends (non-treaty)
0%
Public beneficial ownership registry
Yes (searchable)
Tiered corporation tax: 19% on first £50,000 of profit (small profits rate), tapered marginal relief 50K-250K (effective ~26.5%), 25% above £250,000. Companies operating in 'associated' groups split the bands across the group. Patent Box regime: effective 10% on qualifying IP profits. R&D Tax Credits (Research and Development Expenditure Credit, RDEC) provide a 20% above-the-line credit.
Banking difficulty
●●○○○ Easy
Stripe / payment processors
Stripe supported
UK has the world's friendliest fintech banking for non-residents. Wise, Revolut Business, Tide, and Starling open accounts within hours via app. Traditional banks (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds) require directors to visit a UK branch. Mercury and Brex do NOT cover UK Ltds — must use UK fintechs.
Stripe UK is fully supported and instantly available with a Companies House number. PayPal Business, GoCardless (for direct-debit), and Adyen also supported. Open Banking (PSD2) enables faster account linking than US.
Sleek handles the filing, registered agent, EIN/tax ID, and bank account setup as a single bundle. infoz earns a referral fee if you incorporate through this link; we still recommend cross-checking pricing against the official United Kingdom registry yourself.
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