{"id":4788,"date":"2022-09-29T11:37:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T08:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-new.workhy.com\/?p=4788"},"modified":"2022-09-29T11:37:07","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T08:37:07","slug":"what-is-a-limited-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/what-is-a-limited-company\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a limited company?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are quite a few reasons to establish your business as a limited company. Commonly abbreviated as LC, these are businesses typically owned by one or more individuals called members. Interested in setting up your own limited company and taking advantage of everything that these kinds of businesses have to offer, but don\u2019t know where to start? Don\u2019t worry \u2013 we\u2019re here to give you a helping hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of limited companies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For practically anyone who\u2019s looking to establish a limited company, it can be crucial to learn about some of the different options that are available. With an array of advantages and disadvantages, as well as options that simply aren\u2019t suited to certain kinds of businesses, it\u2019s always best to do your research. In general, you\u2019ll find that there are three main types of limited companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Private limited company<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the United Kingdom, private limited companies are one of the most common kinds of LC, especially for small businesses. There are several reasons why this structure is so popular; from its tax efficiency to flexible management. Overall, this is considered to be a great option for small business owners in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Public limited company<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally abbreviated as PLC, public limited companies are typically a better option for larger businesses. This structure offers their shares to the public, which can be traded on the stock exchange \u2013 and this is how most PLCs raise capital. While this setup isn\u2019t ideal for everyone, it can certainly be worth considering if you\u2019re looking for effective ways to boost your company\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Limited liability partnership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The general structure of an LLP allows each partner involved to spread the risks, skills, and leveraging across the owners \u2013 ensuring that everyone is equally responsible and liable for the business. Limited liability partnerships ensure that each member is liable for their own contribution to the business, and only that contribution, protecting the rest of the partners if things don\u2019t go as planned. As a result, LLPs are more common among professional businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to set up a limited company<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are often several advantages that can come with <a href=\"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/how-to-start-a-business-in-the-uk-as-a-non-resident\/\">registering a business<\/a> as a limited company, which is why it might be worth taking a quick look into what they have to offer and how you could set up your own LC. Here are some of the most notable steps that people will have to go through when setting up a limited company:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Make sure that the name you\u2019ve chosen is available and that there aren\u2019t any trademarks for it<\/li><li>Decide who the company director, shareholders, and guarantors will be (you need at least one, who can also be the director)<\/li><li>Prepare all the necessary documentation for how the company should be run, like the Memorandum of Association<\/li><li>Ensure that you know all the types of documentation that you\u2019ll need to keep (such as your accounting records)<\/li><li>Register your company at an official address in the UK and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/standard-industrial-classification-of-economic-activities-sic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">choose a SIC code<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1664439319137\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><strong>How long does it take to set up a limited company?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Luckily for those who are hoping to register their own limited company, the process doesn\u2019t tend to be long and drawn out. Depending on how you choose to apply and your unique situation, you could have the whole thing done in the space of 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Usually, those who choose to register online will find that it\u2019ll only take a few minutes to make their application \u2013 and this rarely takes longer than a day to be verified. While there are some people who prefer the more traditional methods, like postal applications, these can often take longer (around 8 to 10 working days to be exact).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advantages and disadvantages of a limited company<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of those who choose to set up a limited company do so because of the <a href=\"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-setting-up-a-business-in-the-uk\/\">benefits<\/a> that can come with it when compared to the alternatives \u2013 and there are quite a few that are worth keeping in mind. Here are some of the most notable advantages of setting up an LC:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>An LC will legally separate you from your&nbsp;business, making your company its own entity<\/li><li>Limited companies can often help to reduce the owner\u2019s liability<\/li><li>An LC can bring a host of investment opportunities<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While there\u2019s a lot that these kinds of business structures have to offer, there can also be a few downsides to consider too. Let\u2019s take a look into some of the most notable disadvantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You\u2019ll need to pay an incorporation fee<\/li><li>There are some restrictions on company names<\/li><li>LCs need to be incorporated at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/companies-house\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Companies House<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1664439348589\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><strong>What tax does a limited company pay?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth noting that the <a href=\"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/types-of-tax-in-the-uk\/\">type of taxes<\/a> for LCs and sole proprietors aren\u2019t the same. While limited companies don\u2019t have to deal with income tax or national insurance, they do have to pay corporation tax. If you don\u2019t apply for corporation tax when you register your business, you\u2019ll need to do it separately with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/hm-revenue-customs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the HMRC<\/a> within 3 months.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much is corporation tax for a limited company?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>LCs are charged corporation tax, which is taken from any profits made by the business. This includes the profits on investments, sales, and trading. While this can change over time, the corporation tax rate for limited companies is currently set at 19%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to close down a limited company<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as you have an agreement with your shareholders and company director, you\u2019ll be able to close your limited company without much hassle. There are actually quite a few ways to do so, depending on your situation and the state of the business, so in most cases, a little research will be worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Establish your own UK-based limited company with Workhy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately for anyone who\u2019s interested in setting up their own LC, it doesn\u2019t have to be too complicated. In fact, when working with <a href=\"https:\/\/workhy.com\/uk\/\">Workhy<\/a>, you\u2019ll discover that establishing your limited company won\u2019t be too much of a challenge at all. Whether you want help with setting up, managing, or growing your LC, we\u2019ll be here to give you a helping hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n\t\t<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe\">\n\t\t<span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe\" id=\"8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe\">\n\t\t<!--[if lte IE 8]>\n\t\t<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\t\t<![endif]-->\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5318651\/8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5318651\/8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe.png\"  alt=\"New call-to-action\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/js.hubspot.com\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\n\t\t<script>\n\t\thbspt.cta.load(5318651, '8922a8ac-ac5a-4997-ae19-ecce358da5fe', {});\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are quite a few reasons to establish your business as a limited company. Commonly abbreviated as LC,&hellip;","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1593],"tags":[1453,1499,2025,1452,1457],"class_list":{"0":"post-4788","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk-company-formation","8":"tag-england","9":"tag-establishing-a-company-in-the-uk","10":"tag-limited-company","11":"tag-uk-company","12":"tag-uk-company-formation","13":"cs-entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4788"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4792,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788\/revisions\/4792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workhy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}