UK Business

Legal and Statutory Requirements

If you wish to set up a UK company operation then look no further!

A UK limited company can be set up in around two weeks without fuss or complication.

We have a self-completing form to ease the process which you can email or fax to us. Your legal obligations and responsibilities are summarized below and we will be pleased to discuss your detailed needs at any time. We fix-fee the Company set up and annual reporting, which will seem surprisingly good value if you have a quote from our larger colleagues.

» Online Set-up Form

The Registered Office

This is the address to which all legal correspondence (but not trading items) of the Company is sent. The registered office can be anywhere in England and Wales but to avoid delays it is important to make sure that all correspondence is dealt with promptly. If we are handling your accounts we strongly recommend you use our address as the registered office.

Company Officers

Every incorporated company must have formally appointed officials at all times. These officers are a Company Director and a Company Secretary.

Please note that from 1st April 2008 it is no longer a legal requirement to have a Company Secretary formally appointed, although all the work that they traditionally handle, for example statutory returns, share transfers & allotments, dividend payment paperwork and company minutes, still has to be done. This is a service we provide to the majority of our corporate clients.

Although corporate directors are still allowed (i.e. another company is a director), from the 1st October 2008 every company must have a “real” person also formally appointed.

Annual Accounts

Every limited company must submit annual accounts to Company's House. Filing deadlines are strictly controlled and fines are levied on delayed or inaccurate accounts. Limited company accounts are structured along strictly defined lines but we can help you meet these statutory requirements. 

The Audit

If your sales (net of VAT) are greater than £6.5m or your assets are worth £3.26m or more (for accounting periods starting on or after 6th April 2008), then you are required by law to have your accounts audited. You may also require one if you are part of a group of companies and the group as a whole goes over certain thresholds. If you have any questions regarding the audit requirement in your specific situation please contact our audit team at audit@clarkhowes.com or via phone at 01869 322261.

We offer a professional, value for money auditing service that we make as painless as is possible! We will also ensure that any time constraints are complied with and that you receive constructive feed back – not just a signed audit report . . .