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here I covered similar topics for Switzerland, if someone is interested. http://www.swinog.ch/meetings/swinog20/p/Swinog20_Starting_a... In general, the Swiss company registration is a bit more expensive, and there are certain obligations.
You recommend GoDaddy? :)
I actually still use it for some DNS hosting
I would advise that before people rush to register a Limited company they should consider operating as a sole trader. A sole trader can open a bank account, employ people, rent an office, register trademarks etc. Also search thoroughly for your proposed company name to check for existing businesses with similiar names or trademarks. And you will probably want a domain name to match.
This is the case if you are a director with 25% or more shareholding in the company. You are not required to hold a visa or visit the country.
This is my experience recently registering a company with two other people - I am British and the other two are Indians. I was present at the bank and registered for the account whilst the other two were overseas. Some couriered documents were required with the notarised documents as mentioned above, additionally they were required to complete a form which they signed.
They have full access to the account - online and offline - in the same way I have.
What is the simplest way for citizen of EU member state to create and manage UK Ltd company without ever being to UK or owning anything else there (or renting physical office)?
So, take the time to see how it affects your situation in your home country.
Note: It will cost you money in all the cases, it is not something you do "just for fun" or you are going to have problems. Setting up a business is work and must be prepared thoroughly.
I registered directly with Companies House a few months ago, after consulting an accountant. It was completely straightforward. I don't see any need to use a third party.
How did you choose an accountant? That's the problem I'm currently facing. Actually, that would make a good swombat article...
I would advise that before people rush to register a Limited company they should consider operating as a sole trader. A sole trader can open a bank account, employ people, rent an office, register trademarks etc. Also search thoroughly for your proposed company name to check for existing businesses with similiar names or trademarks. And you will probably want a domain name to match.
I registered directly with Companies House a few months ago, after consulting an accountant. It was completely straightforward. I don't see any need to use a third party.
How did you choose an accountant? That's the problem I'm currently facing. Actually, that would make a good swombat article...
This sort of information about the basics is surprisingly hard to find, so this article is particularly refreshing.
Makes me think, I'm sure many people (including me) would be happy to pay to talk (IM) to someone who knows something about this sort of thing. Does this exist as a web service anywhere?
My accountant did the company registration free for me. I'd caution against doing it yourself unless you know exactly what you are doing. This is because, although the company creation itself is pretty simple, there are lots of legal requirements that you need to get right, and plenty of details you want to get right first time. Just as one quick example- if you've been operating as a sole-trader, you'll probably fin…
It costs £18 to register a company online directly. You will be sent all the appropriate forms and documentation in the post/mail. If you are at all concerned, simply fill in the form that declares the company as dormant until you are ready to trade.
That's all you need to do.
Once you trade, then there are a few things to take into account. However, at that point you are a director, and the folk you deal with at HMRC are a whole different bunch to the folk you deal with as a "mere" employee. They will be informed, and bend over backwards to assist you.
Contrary to your belief, trading as a limited company without an accountant is easily accomplished. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it, since an accountant can usually pay for himself in the saving he brings. But that doesn't negate the fact that it can be done without too much pain.
Thanks swombat, I've held registering for a fair while now. As you say, simply because I wasn't 100% sure how to do it.
How is the UK better compared to other competitive EU jurisdictions like Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus?
http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings
I highly recommend downloading the excel sheet, makes filtering by country easier.
One of the biggest advantages of choosing Ireland is the low corporate tax rate of 12.5%, compared to 21-26% in the UK (this is according to Wikipedia, not sure what the current rate is there to be honest). This is the reason many US tech giants, big pharma etc. locate in Ireland.