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| | 1. Company subscribers may be residents outside the UK.
2. You must appoint a minimum of 1 Director.
3. Directors can be corporate bodies or private individuals.
4. A Director can be of any nationality.
5. All companies must appoint a company Secretary.
6. A Secretary can be of any nationality.
7. If there is only ONE Director he or she CANNOT also be the Secretary.
8. There is no maximum and no minimum share capital.
9. There is no minimum share capital, no paid-in capital requirement.
10. The company is required to have a registered office in the UK.
 +44 (0) 207.748.3039
+44 (0) 800.081.1510
 info@uk-ltd-formation.co.uk |
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- DEAR VISITORS, If you want to become familiar with the description and the contents of company formation packages, offered by our company and to find above, what kind of service is included in this or that formation package, to get an idea about the price of annual renewal of the service, and about the general legal requirements to the company incorporation within foreign countries, please, select the package you need from the list, situated below the banner. The information in the banner will be renewed according to the package you've chosen.
Please note » The prices payable for the items that you order are clearly set out in the web site. There will be no contract of any kind between you and us unless and until we receive payment from you. We act as your agent in the incorporation of companies and electronic filing of Companies House forms. We are not able to guarantee that any such filing will be acceptable to Companies House, nor are there any contractual obligation upon us to do so. If Companies House rejects incorporation or other electronic filing, we will credit your account with a full refund and the contract between us will be made void. Companies House does not offer a cancellation facility for the incorporation of companies or the electronic filing of documents. We will be unable to cancel any such submission on your behalf and will not refund any payment you have made. All prices shown at Coddan Web Site (www.uk-ltd-formation.co.uk) are in Great British pounds.
Live Help » Live Help is a real time "chat" feature which enables you to interact with a customer service representative without a phone call. Get answers to your questions while using our website. Clicking the "Live Help" button will start an on-line session with one of our representatives. Live Help is currently available during normal business hours. Outside of the above opening hours our business center will be closed. When you click on the button you will see an e-mail form that will allow you to send us a mail with your questions. Live Help is absolutely free! There are no hidden fees. We offer the service as a courtesy to our website visitors.
 UK Ready-Made Companies From £99.00! What is a Ready Made or Off-The-Shelf Company?
Off the Shelf Company - a company that has been incorporated or transferred to a formation agent with the intent to be resold. An off the shelf company will usually have no trading history. This service is intended for people who need to have a company ready in a very short period of time. Coddan understands and caters to the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. We realize that you may need to have a company that has been in existence for a period of time. Coddan forms UK companies just for this reason. By purchasing an already established corporate identity, you can gain the following benefits: immediate availability, instantly establish a history for your company. Show longevity and improve your corporate image. Ability to obtain business credit cards and lines of credit. Many banks require businesses to have been in existence for six months to two years prior to granting credit. Ability to obtain bank loans. Ability to bid on government contracts. Many government agencies require that you be in business for a specific minimum period of time to be eligible to bid on agency contracts.
For Shelf Companies (Ready-Made) list please click on the relevant link on the left hand side of this page
Shelf companies are simply companies that are formed, but have never been used. Each shelf company was filed by Coddan for the specific purpose of being a shelf company. Business and banking relationships are more easily established with an older previously registered company, rather than with a newly formed brand new company. Surely even you yourself would not wish to trade or do any business with a company incorporated / registered just in the last few months (like a brand new born baby). The older a company is the more confident people will feel in dealing with you. Government agencies, distributors and manufacturers often require a company to have been in business for a certain period of time (the longer - the better) and the age of a company is very often a major factor in corporate banking relationships, business contracts and a important criteria in the awarding of large Government projects or tenders for the supplying of goods and services.
Bidding on Government contracts - the requirements are that you should have be been in business for a specific period of time or at least 3-4 years of incorporation period. Provides established longevity and operating history so as to improve and enhance your corporate image - the older the better building corporate credit is easier with age. Most large companies will just refuse to give trading credit to newly formed companies. Other big companies will only do business with an older company rather than with a brand new company. There are certain companies who will only do business with old companies which have existed for at least 12 months or more.
Obtaining Bank loans and the credit facilities is easier when you can show you have history, the age is what matters most. Establishing credit with banks, investors & leasing companies (most lenders require a minimum of 2 and usually 3 years history in order to establish corporate credit history). Obtaining corporate credit cards and leases - most credit card companies require that the business has been in existence for at least 24 months. Taxation advantages - please consult you tax agent for more details as to how you can benefit from purchasing an old shelf company.
Old ready made shelf companies, sometimes called old shelf or old shell companies, are dormant inactive companies that were incorporated / registered in the previous years but were never ever active. These companies have never ever traded or done any business transaction - but were registered earlier and are still dormant, inactive companies. These shelf companies are totally clean - meaning free from defects, liens, judgements, or any other liabilities etc. Our shelf companies are guaranteed to be clear of any business debts or liabilities. Also these companies were registered by us and were not bought over from other people, but registered by our company.
We have many United Kingdom ready made (off-the-shelf) companies, which are ready to trade, and can be transferred to you within hours. All shelf companies are immediately available & come with full professional company documentation. All fully guaranteed clean and never traded. Have your company up and running online now in 10 minutes or less. Annual return dates, duties and company account return dates are dependent on the original date of incorporation not the purchase date. Please note that all our ready made companies are formed with General Commercial objects and are therefore able to conduct any nature of business.
- Procedure to Purchase Old Shelf - Previously Registered Companies
All clients wishing to start or expand their business activities in United Kingdom immediately will certainly be interested in the possibility of acquiring of an already existing (UK ready made) limited company or limited liability partnership. UK ready-made company is a limited company that has already been incorporated as a general commercial company and is ready to trade immediately. The objects of the company and the share capital (£1,000.00) can be changed at the time of purchase. Each company is set up using nominee shareholder, nominee director and nominee secretary as the subscribers to the Memorandum and Articles of Association and as the first officers.
These companies are can be made immediately available because the company Incorporation Certificate has already been issued. The company directors will be changed from our nominee directors to the directors of your choice and all the formation documents such as the Certificate Of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company are also immediately available. The directors can then either: trade with the existing name. Change the name of the business to one of their own choice. Trade under a business name with the limited company as the proprietor of the business name. Please note that all our UK ready-made companies are formed with general commercial objects and are therefore able to conduct any nature of business. They have an authorised capital of £1,000.00 ordinary shares of £1.00 each.
All our ready made companies are available immediately and can be reserved for 48 hours prior to receipt of payment. Certificates can be posted or faxed immediately on receipt of payment and original documents despatched accordingly. You will never find anything like that (you probably know that already). So ... Don't waste your time, start trading today! We are here to help and serve you. We have repeatedly emphasized the value of doing business in the corporate form. Equally important has been our underscoring of the fact that all type of business entities must meet legal requirements at the time of incorporation and during their existence in order to protect their privileged status. This means that when you decided to incorporate, you must have it done right, and later, when the business is up and running, all legal formalities must continuously taken care of on a timely basis. Experience shows that the best way to accomplish these objectives is to have incorporation done by an incorporation service, professionals who know their business and the law and who charge a lot less than attorneys would demand for the same services.
For Shelf Companies (Ready-Made) list please click on the relevant link on the left hand side of this page
When does a company require a director and/or secretary to be appointed? A director is appointed by shareholders of the company or is a self-appointed person to manage the affairs of the company. The company director may be an individual person to lead the company or be a member of the Board of Directors, who are appointed by the shareholders. A secretary is appointed as an administrator of the company, subordinate to and appointed by the director or board of directors. The appointed secretary may also hold the seat of a director of the company, but cannot be a sole director and secretary at the same time.
Who is eligible to take over the role of the director and the secretary? The candidate for the directorship of a company must fulfil three conditions to qualify for the position. The candidate must be an adult, sound of mind and experienced to perform the required tasks. The candidate must not be disqualified by a court for holding any position in the future, except where a leave has been granted in specific circumstances; and the candidate must not be an undischarged bankrupt and restricted by a court order from holding the position, except where leave has been granted. The prospective candidate for the position of a company secretary should be at least one of the following to qualify.Be a member of a professional accountancy body of the United Kingdom; or held the office of secretary or deputy secretary previously, either within the organisation or in another company; or be a barrister, advocate or solicitor practicing in the United Kingdom; or the director(s) believe that the candidate has sound knowledge and experience for the proposed functions, and/or is a member of another professional body that the directors find acceptable for the position.
Who is responsible to ensure compliance with the company regulations? Companies House requires directors to ensure that statutory documents are dispatched to the Registrar according to the dates announced periodically. These documents include: Annual accounts and returns; Notices of any change in the company directors and secretaries or any modifications in the records of existing directors and secretaries; and Notice of a change to the address of the registered office.
If a director fails to supply the above documentation within the time limit, s/he may be prosecuted, as it is a criminal offence to delay or avoid the filing of records. If the Registrar believes that the company is no longer carrying on its business, the name could be struck off the register and dissolved. A company secretary has no specific duties as far as the legislation is concerned but is required to administer the company and maintain appropriate documentation of all its proceedings. These may include: Ensuring prompt filing of all statutory forms and documents. Issuing notices for meetings to auditors and shareholders. Delivering copies of the company meetings and resolutions passed and agreements made. Supplying a copy of the annual financial statements to all shareholders, debenture holders and all eligible persons. Maintaining a record of all minutes during meetings of the board of directors and general meetings. Allowing accessibility to company records for inspection by eligible persons. The secretary is also responsible for the custody and use of the company seal, although companies are no longer required to use an official seal.
Are all companies required to submit their annual accounts? All limited companies and public limited companies are required to submit their accounts to the registrar of companies. Unlimited companies are not required to file their statements provided they have been part of a group of companies, or are a bank or insurance company.
What are annual returns? An annual return is a precis of the information about the company and its directors, secretaries, registered office address, shareholders and the share capital. A company is required to fill Form 363a with the following information in a comprehensive manner: the company's name, the company's registration number, the status of the company, i.e. public or private, the registered office address of the company. The address or location where company registers are kept, if different from the registered office. The main or principal business activity of the company. The name and address of the company secretaries. The name, residential address, date of birth, nationality and the business occupation of all directors of the company. The date of drawing up the annual return. The nominal value of the total issued share capital of the company. The names and addresses of the shareholders, the number of shares held and the type held by each shareholder.
When is an annual return due at Companies House? Companies Issue sends you the Form 363a (shuttle and regular) two weeks prior to the date you are required to file it, i.e. the made-up date. This will be based on the made-up date, which is usually the anniversary of the incorporation of the company; or the made-up date of the previous annual return sent to Companies House. The annual return must be filed at Companies House within 28 days of the made-up date as mentioned on the form.
What information is required regarding shareholders and share capital? The shuttle return form contains pre-printed information relevant to the company's share capital. If there has been a change in the structure during the financial year, the information must be written on the form where required to update the Companies Register. The information should mention: the name and the class of each type of share issued or authorised, e.g. ordinary shares, preference shares etc. The total number of shares issued to the shareholders as at the made-up date of the annual return. The total nominal or face value (excluding any calculations of premiums or discounts on each share issued) of the issued shares of the class as at the made-up date of the annual return. Where the information in Form 363a is incorrect, one or more other forms may be required to be filled and sent over to Companies House.
What kind of documentation will be required to open a business bank account? To open an account with a reputed banking institution, the company should keep its incorporation certificate handy, also the Memorandum of Association, and the Articles of Association. These may be required at the time of application because the bank will ensure that the agreement covers an overdraft facility for the company at acceptable rates.
Do all banks provide overdraft or lending facilities? Almost all banks provide overdraft and short-term lending facilities to their clients. The matter must be agreed at the time of framing the contract between the company and the bank. Once good business is established between the two parties, further arrangements for short and long-terms financing may take place.
When should a company register for Value Added Tax? A company should register with HM Customs and Excise for Value Added Tax (VAT) once its annual sales revenue of normal standard goods reach the £54,000 benchmark. The HMCE requires a company to register for VAT if it expects the total sales revenue for the year including the proceeding month should equate or go beyond the threshold. Companies may voluntarily register for VAT if they wish to gain relief on input tax on the products and/or services they purchase from VAT registered suppliers.
When is VAT due? Value Added Tax is payable to HMCE in quarterly instalments after calculating the net VAT payable. The net VAT is calculated by deducting the input tax from the output tax of all products and/or services sold. The instalments are due by the 10th of April, July, October and January for the revenue of the preceding 3-month period.
Is VAT registration mandatory for private UK limited companies? No, VAT registration is not mandatory for all private limited companies. A company needs to register for VAT only if it expects its turnover to reach the VAT threshold. However, you may also register voluntarily, even though your taxable turnover has not reached the VAT threshold. There are certain advantages for registering with the Customs and Excise, such as: you can collect VAT from your customers in the form of output tax. You can reclaim input tax on purchase of standard rated tax supplies.
What is the threshold for VAT? The regulations are now in place for disclosure of VAT avoidance schemes. The new rules apply to VAT return periods occurring wholly after 1 August 2004. If a VAT return is 'affected' by a scheme, this triggers a requirement to write to Customs and Excise to inform them within 30 days of the due date for the return. Therefore, for quarterly returns ending October 2004, (with a due date of 30 November) a letter or email must be sent to the VAT Avoidance Disclosures Unit at Customs by 30 December 2004. Some changes to the rules were made during the Finance Bill's passage through Parliament, so, it is worth re-capping on what it is that triggers the notification requirement. The rules specify a different disclosure obligation for three tiers of businesses (in turnover terms) as follows: businesses with a turnover of less than £600,000 have no obligations. Businesses with a turnover exceeding £600,000 must disclose the use of specifically listed schemes. Businesses with turnover exceeding £10,000,000 must disclose arrangements which bear the 'hallmarks' of.
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