Running a UK limited company from abroad

Can you run a UK company from outside the UK?

Yes. A UK limited company must have at least one director, and directors do not have to live in the UK. At least one director must be a person rather than another company, and every director must be 16 or over.

What the company cannot do without is a registered office in the UK — and that is where most of the new rules for founders abroad apply.

The registered office and email address

The registered office must be a physical address in the UK, in the same part of the UK the company is registered in — England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

Since 4 March 2024 it must also be an "appropriate address": post sent there must come to the attention of someone acting for the company, and delivery must be able to be confirmed. A PO Box can no longer be used. Many founders abroad use a registered office service for this.

Every company must also give Companies House a registered email address. It is not shown on the public register.

Identity verification for directors

Since 18 November 2025, new directors must verify their identity with Companies House before a company can be formed or they can be appointed.

Directors of existing companies confirm that they have verified their identity when they file their company's next confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period. Companies House will not accept a confirmation statement until every director has done so.

You can verify through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. Either way you receive a Companies House personal code.

Where the company pays tax

A company incorporated in the UK is generally resident in the UK for tax, wherever its directors live, and pays UK Corporation Tax on its profits.

If the company is also treated as resident in another country — for example because it is managed from there — a tax treaty between the two countries may decide where it is resident. If every director lives abroad, this is a question to take to an accountant before it becomes a problem.

A bank account in the company's name

Opening a UK business bank account from abroad can take time. GOV.UK's guidance for overseas founders says a bank may need to meet someone from the company in person in the UK, and that opening an account can take from four weeks to three months.

Some founders start with an account at an electronic money institution. Whatever you choose, the account must be in the company's name, not yours — the company's money and yours are kept apart.

The yearly calendar

• Register for Corporation Tax within three months of starting to do business.
• File a confirmation statement at least once a year, within 14 days of the end of its review period.
• File annual accounts with Companies House within nine months of the end of the financial year — or 21 months after incorporation for a first set covering more than a year.
• Pay Corporation Tax nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period, and file the Company Tax Return within twelve months.
• Register for VAT if taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes above £90,000.
• Run payroll if the company pays anyone a salary, including you.

Companies House has also announced that, from 1 April 2028, annual accounts must be filed through software in a digital format.