UK Company Formation for Overseas Founders

Start with the business, not the incorporation form

We normally establish who will own and control the company, who will act as directors, where the registered office will be maintained, what the company will do and how it will be managed. Current Companies House identity-verification requirements also need to be built into the incorporation process.

Questions we normally resolve first

Who will be the shareholders, directors and people with significant control (PSCs)?
Have the proposed directors completed, or can they complete, the required identity-verification process?
What business activity will the UK company undertake?
Where will the company be managed and where will its customers be located?
What registered-office and correspondence arrangements are required?
Will the company employ staff or need PAYE/VAT consideration?
What accounting, Corporation Tax and annual Companies House filings will follow?

PRACTICAL REVIEW

What the assignment can involve

Formation is one step. A workable structure also needs to consider how the company will operate after registration.

1. Structure & eligibility

We review the activity, ownership, management and intended market before coordinating the appropriate route.

2. Formation & documentation

We coordinate the incorporation package, KYC, constitutional documents and local service-provider requirements.

3. Operational readiness

Where relevant, we coordinate registered-office, tax, accounting, banking and other post-formation requirements with appropriate professionals.

A typical Prof-Bus workflow

Pre-incorporation review: ownership, directors, PSCs, activity and address requirements.
Identity & information readiness: coordinate the information needed for Companies House requirements.
Incorporation: coordinate company registration and constitutional information.
Post-registration: organise the compliance handover, accounting/tax requirements and banking preparation.
Ongoing support: track Companies House and tax/accounting obligations within the agreed scope.

After incorporation

Confirmation statement and Companies House changes
Annual accounts coordination
Corporation Tax/accounting coordination
VAT/PAYE assessment where relevant
Registered-office support through suitable providers
Banking/application-document coordination

Companies House identity verification is now a legal requirement for relevant roles and affects new-company registration. Tax and residence outcomes depend on the facts, including where management and activities take place.

What Prof-Bus does — and where local specialists may be involved

Prof-Bus acts as the client-facing coordination desk. We can organise the requirement, collect and review information, coordinate filings and follow-ups, and keep the client informed. Where a matter requires a locally licensed lawyer, accountant, tax adviser, registered agent, corporate service provider or other regulated professional, that work is coordinated with the appropriate provider rather than represented as being performed by Prof-Bus itself.

Country rules, government fees, tax treatment, licensing and banking practices change. Final implementation is confirmed against the facts and the rules applicable at the time of engagement.

UK Company Formation: Registration Is the Beginning, Not the End