3 ms·

You're perhaps better asking an accountant in the UK, rather than a lawyer. It costs ~£15 to start a limited company in England and Wales (a separate jurisdict

You're perhaps better asking an accountant in the UK, rather than a lawyer. It costs ~£15 to start a limited company in England and Wales (a separate jurisdiction to Scotland and Northern Ireland). So long as you keep accurate records and file your annual accounts correctly, that's all there is. An accountant would normally do the filing for you. For a small business this can often be done for £500-£1000. If you do your own bookkeeping and keep accurate records, that will keep costs down. As your business will be domiciled in the UK, it will be subject to the UK's tax regime. But if you're outside the UK, your salary from the business shouldn't be subject to UK taxation (do check that, though - double-taxation isn't something I know much about). TL;DR - Find an accountant in the UK who'll be willing to give you a free consultation (most of them). You'll probably find one on ukbusinessforums.co.uk (it's where I found mine).

dogma1138 11y ago
The law is different for non residents. So a lawyer which specialized in this is defiantly recomended.
- MistahKoala 11y ago
  Obviously IANAL etc, but I'm really not convinced about that. I'm genuinely interested to know why you say the law is different for non-residents. Even if that was the case, I'd be very surprised if an accountant could not advise on that aspect, given that dealing with company records and accounts is what they do. It's OP's time and money, though - if he wants to see a legal advisor of some kind, that's entirely his prerogative.
  - dogma1138 11y ago
    You can go to firms that specialize in incorporating shelf companies which are commonly known as formation agents. To register a company in the UK you need a local director address and a local company address (which are usually setup with an international mail forwarding service) as well as some other requirements most importantly a business bank account which under UK/EU money laundering regulations isn't trivial to open (And with a thin credit file almost impossible to open in the UK without a large deposit and a good formation agent). Depending on the type of company you are registering for the prices can range from a few 100's pounds (plus fees/deposits) for a regular limited company to considerably larger sums if you are buying/forming a shell corporation. Another good reason to get a lawyer (in both jurisdictions) is that some countries also have regulations regarding owning foreign companies. If your business is in a regulated field, health care, finance etc. this usually tends to complicate things even further.

dogma1138 11y ago

The law is different for non residents. So a lawyer which specialized in this is defiantly recomended.

MistahKoala 11y ago
Obviously IANAL etc, but I'm really not convinced about that. I'm genuinely interested to know why you say the law is different for non-residents. Even if that was the case, I'd be very surprised if an accountant could not advise on that aspect, given that dealing with company records and accounts is what they do. It's OP's time and money, though - if he wants to see a legal advisor of some kind, that's entirely his prerogative.
- dogma1138 11y ago
  You can go to firms that specialize in incorporating shelf companies which are commonly known as formation agents. To register a company in the UK you need a local director address and a local company address (which are usually setup with an international mail forwarding service) as well as some other requirements most importantly a business bank account which under UK/EU money laundering regulations isn't trivial to open (And with a thin credit file almost impossible to open in the UK without a large deposit and a good formation agent). Depending on the type of company you are registering for the prices can range from a few 100's pounds (plus fees/deposits) for a regular limited company to considerably larger sums if you are buying/forming a shell corporation. Another good reason to get a lawyer (in both jurisdictions) is that some countries also have regulations regarding owning foreign companies. If your business is in a regulated field, health care, finance etc. this usually tends to complicate things even further.