Practical snapshot
Online incorporation costs £100 and is usually processed within 24 hours; directors and people with significant control must complete Companies House identity verification.
The mandatory digital confirmation-statement fee is £50 per annual payment period; accounts, tax work and any registered-office service add to it.
UK corporation tax applies. The main rate is 25%, with a 19% small-profits rate and marginal relief between thresholds.
A company number does not guarantee an account. Non-resident founders face provider-specific eligibility and KYC.
Generally familiar to UK and European procurement teams, but acceptance is always client-specific.
A good starting point when
- Service businesses selling to UK or European clients
- Founders who value a familiar legal identity
- Operators who can maintain UK records and annual filings
Reasons to reject it early
- You expect “offshore” treatment because you live elsewhere
- Your management and tax residence make a UK company inefficient
- You need a guaranteed UK bank account as a non-resident
What this report assumes
If an assumption is false, the recommendation should be recalculated. These are not minor footnotes; they define the model’s boundary.
- A UK registered office is available
- The founder will obtain tax advice where management occurs
- Banking approval is assessed separately from incorporation
Banking is never included in formation. A licence, registration number or registered agent does not guarantee an account, payment processor, IBAN, card programme or client approval.
Official sources
Sources support the specific facts named below. Practical judgments about banking and client familiarity are labelled as inferences and should be validated for the actual founder and provider.
Next step
Use this evidence as an agenda for a licensed tax or legal adviser, then test banking eligibility with the provider before committing to formation.