Company formation, accounting and compliance services in the UK

Yes, non-UK residents can register a UK limited company without living in the UK through 1Office’s online portal. It is perfect for foreign entrepreneurs who wish to start their business in the UK. The portal is designed to make registering a company easier.

We accept customers from all over the world except limitations due to anti-money laundering policies. Therefore, unfortunately we can’t support contries on FATF and EU high risk countries lists.

Note that every UK company must have:

• A UK registered office address

• At least one director

• Ongoing compliance with Companies House and HMRC requirements

Non-UK founders can use a registered office and address service to meet UK legal requirements and handle official correspondence.

The package includes company registration, a registered office address, access to the My1Office platform, and support services.

You need UK tax registrations for two key reasons:

1. Legal compliance – Every UK business must register with HMRC to pay appropriate taxes. Not doing so risks hefty fines and even criminal charges
2. Business credibility – Having proper VAT and tax registrations shows customers and partners you’re a legitimate business they can trust

In detail:

• If your annual turnover exceeds £90,000, you must register for VAT
• If you employ anyone, it is a legal requirement for the company to register as an Employer with HMRC and start to run your monthly PAYE payroll, registering pension provider and UK pension register might be necessary too.
• If you employ anyone (even yourself as a director), you need PAYE registration
• Corporation Tax registration is required if you run a limited company

Tax registration ensures that:

• HMRC can issue a UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference)

• Corporation Tax obligations are tracked

• The company can legally operate, invoice, and report profits

Failure to register for Corporation Tax within the required timeframe can lead to penalties and compliance issues.

If the company is VAT registered (mandatory for companies in UK with turnover more than £90,000) you need to file VAT returns to HMRC quarterly. If you employ staff, you will need to submit payroll returns to HMRC and pension filings to pension provider on monthly basis. Therefore, it’s strongly advised to use monthly bookkeeping. This ensures timely and accurate reporting.

If your company doesn’t have any monthly payments, purchases or sales invoices or no VAT number, then it is sufficient to do the whole accounting at least once a year, before submitting the annual report. Accurate bookkeeping helps you track your finances and stay compliant.

In the UK, businesses can voluntarily register for VAT at any time, even if their turnover is below the mandatory registration threshold of £90,000.

Voluntary registration allows companies to reclaim VAT on business expenses and can also enhance their credibility, as potential clients will be able to verify their VAT number on the HMRC website.

Voluntary VAT registration may be beneficial if:

• You sell to VAT-registered UK or EU businesses

• You want to reclaim VAT on expenses

• You need VAT registration for credibility or contracts

However, it also means they must charge VAT on their sales and comply with VAT reporting requirements. 

Yes, every limited company in the UK must file annual accounts and tax return every year. If your company is fully dormant, you will still need to file dormant accounts. You will also need to file tax return to HMRC even if the company is dormant. Good bookkeeping ensures these filings are accurate and timely.

Late or missing filings can result in financial penalties, strike-off action, and director liability.

Late filings can result in:

• Automatic financial penalties from HMRC

• Increased penalties for repeated delays

• Interest on unpaid Corporation Tax

• Risk of company strike-off by Companies House

Directors are legally responsible for compliance. Persistent failure to file can lead to personal consequences, including restrictions on acting as a director.

Yes, every company must file confirmation statement once a year. Failure to do so will result in Companies House starting a strike off process and potentially dissolving your company.   

An official UK business registrered address is vital because:

• It’s legally required – Every UK company must have a registered office address where official documents can be received
• Privacy protection – Keeps your home address off public records if you work from home
• Professional image – A business address in a good location can enhance your company’s credibility
• Mail handling – Ensures you never miss important HMRC or Companies House correspondence

The address:

• Must be located in the UK

• Is publicly visible on the Companies House register

• Receives official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC

Yes, almost any kind. We offer our services to startups, freelancers and contractors (software developers, IT experts, business consultants, marketing & sales specialists, designers, translators etc), companies working in wholesale, transport, IT, healtcare, construction, consulting, e-commerce etc. Unfortunately we can’t serve clients who deal with cryptocurrency.

A UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) is a 10-digit number issued by HMRC that identifies a UK limited company for Corporation Tax purposes.

A company usually receives its UTR:

• Automatically from HMRC

• Within 10–14 days after incorporation (longer for non-UK directors)

• By post to the registered office address

The UTR is required to:

• Register for Corporation Tax

• File Corporation Tax returns (CT600)

• Communicate with HMRC

If a company does not receive a UTR, it must contact HMRC to avoid missed registration deadlines.

A UK limited company must register for PAYE (Pay As You Earn) with HMRC before the first salary payment is made.

PAYE registration is required if the company:

• Pays a director or employee a salary

• Provides taxable benefits

• Pays above the Lower Earnings Limit

Once registered, the company must:

• Run payroll

• Submit Real Time Information (RTI) reports to HMRC

• Pay income tax and National Insurance contributions when applicable

Yes, directors must be registered on payroll if they receive any salary from the company.

Directors are treated as employees for payroll purposes, even if:

• They are the only director

• They are also shareholders

• They are non-UK residents

If no salary is paid, payroll registration is not required solely due to directorship.

Dividends can be paid without payroll, but salaries cannot.

• Salary: must go through PAYE and payroll

• Dividends: paid to shareholders from post-tax profits and reported via self-assessment

Most UK companies use a combination of:

• A modest director salary (via payroll)

• Dividends (outside payroll)

Paying salary without payroll is non-compliant and may result in HMRC penalties.

Directors may be taxed through:

• Salary – subject to income tax and National Insurance

• Dividends – taxed under dividend tax rules, after Corporation Tax

The company pays Corporation Tax on profits before dividends are distributed.
Directors then report personal income through Self Assessment if required.

The optimal mix of salary and dividends depends on residency, profit level, and current UK tax thresholds.

Non-UK resident directors may still be subject to UK tax, depending on:

• Where the work is performed

• Whether income is sourced from the UK

• Applicable double taxation treaties

UK-source income, such as director fees for UK duties, may be taxable in the UK even if the director lives abroad.
Each case must be assessed individually.

A UK company can be declared dormant if it has had no significant accounting transactions.

To declare dormancy:

• Inform HMRC that the company is dormant for Corporation Tax

• File dormant accounts with annually

Dormant companies:

• Do not file Corporation Tax returns

• Still have annual filing obligations with Companies House

Any financial activity may end dormant status.