Starting a company
Set up a limited company in Liverpool, the right way
We set your company up properly, and tell you honestly whether being a limited company is right for you at all.
In short
Set up the right way, first time.
Setting a company up online takes about fifteen minutes. Undoing a share split that was done carelessly takes far longer and can cost real money in tax. The forms are the easy part. The value is in deciding who owns what, whether you should incorporate at all, and what changes about your tax the day you do.
What is included
- Setting the company up
- Formed with the shares and ownership you actually want, the right rules in place, and the official registers started off correctly.
- Should you even do it?
- A written comparison of staying self-employed against setting up a company, using your real numbers, including what each one costs in tax and admin.
- Keeping it correct
- We can be your registered address, keep the official records up to date, and file changes of owner, share or director when they happen.
- Paperwork other people ask for
- Business plans, forecasts and accountant’s letters in the format lenders, landlords and mortgage brokers expect.
Who this is for
- Self-employed people thinking about going limited
- New businesses that want it set up right from day one
- Business partners putting their ownership in writing
- Companies needing paperwork for a loan or a lease
When it is due
A new company is usually set up within one working day. Advice on changing from self-employed is best taken before 5 April, or before you sign anything.
We confirm your dates in writing and keep track of them for you from then on.
Should you set up a limited company?
A limited company is a separate legal person. It owns the business, pays corporation tax on its profits, and you take money out as salary or dividends. A sole trader, by contrast, pays income tax and National Insurance on all profits as they are made.
Before you set up a limited company, it is worth checking that it actually leaves you better off. Companies have more admin, public accounts and stricter rules about taking money out. Our guide to sole trader vs limited company explains the trade-off in full.
| Sole trader | Limited company | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax on profit | Income tax at 20%, 40% or 45% | Corporation tax at 19% to 25% |
| National Insurance | Class 4: 6% from £12,570 to £50,270, 2% above | On salary only, not dividends |
| Taking money out | All profit is yours | Salary and dividends; first £500 of dividends tax-free |
| Yearly filing | Self Assessment return | Accounts, company tax return, confirmation statement, plus your own return |
Who is this service for?
Most people who come to us at this stage fit one of a few groups. Self-employed people whose profits have grown and who keep hearing that a company would save tax. Contractors whose clients will only work with a limited company. Two or more people starting a business together who want ownership in writing. And people setting up a property or trading business from scratch who want it done properly from the first day.
Whichever group you are in, the questions are the same. How much profit will the business make? How much of it do you need to live on? Who else is involved? And what will the extra filing cost you each year? Our answer is always based on those facts, not on a rule of thumb.
What our company set-up service includes
- A written comparison, using your figures, of staying self-employed against forming a company
- Forming the company at Companies House with the right share structure
- Registering for corporation tax, and for PAYE and VAT if needed
- Starting the company registers correctly
- A plan for how you will pay yourself in the first year
- Paperwork such as forecasts and accountant’s letters for lenders and landlords
Who owns which shares matters more than people expect. It decides who can receive dividends and how much tax the family pays overall. Changing it later can cost real money, so we get it right at the start.
How to set up a limited company with us
- 1
Free 20-minute chat
We talk about your work, expected profit and plans. If a company is not right for you yet, we say so.
- 2
The numbers, in writing
If it looks worthwhile, we compare both routes on your real figures so you can decide with confidence.
- 3
Agree names and shares
We confirm the company name, directors, shareholders, share classes and registered office with you.
- 4
Formation and registrations
We form the company and register it for the taxes it needs.
- 5
Up and running
We set up your bookkeeping software and give you a list of every company deadline, then look after it from there.
What changes once your company exists
The company’s money is not your money. You can take it out as salary, as dividends from profits, or by repaying money you lent the company. Each one is taxed differently. Dividends above the £500 allowance are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35% in 2026/27, depending on your income band.
Corporation tax is 19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% over £250,000, with marginal relief in between. Accounts are due at Companies House 9 months after the year end, and the tax 9 months and 1 day after it. Our limited company accounts service handles all of this each year.
What it costs
Once formed, your company moves onto a fixed monthly fee, from £150 for a limited company. We quote the set-up work and the ongoing fee together after a free chat, in writing, within one working day. See our fees page.
Common questions
Is a limited company always cheaper than being a sole trader?
No. At lower profits the savings are small and can be wiped out by extra costs and admin. We compare both on your figures before you decide.
Can I use your office as my registered address?
Ask us in your free chat. We can talk through registered office options, including keeping your home address off the public record.
What do I need to set up a company?
A company name, at least one director, at least one shareholder, a registered office address in the UK, and details of who controls the company.
Should my partner or spouse own shares?
Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it does not. It depends on what they do in the business and the rules on income shifting. We look at your situation before anything is issued.
How we run it
A routine, not a panic
We agree at the start what we need from you and when, and what you get back and when. After that it just happens, without anyone chasing anyone.
You get a written list of every date that applies to you, a reminder before each one, and the filing done early. If something changes in your business we change the plan, instead of finding out about it at the year end.
- We set your company up at Companies House
- We work out whether a limited company saves you money
- Shares and ownership written down properly
- Plans and letters that lenders and landlords ask for
How it works
Four steps, and three of them are ours
Changing accountant sounds like hard work. It is not, and almost none of it falls to you.
01A free 20-minute chat
Tell us what you do and what you need. No charge, no pressure and no sales pitch.
02A price in writing
Within one working day you get one monthly price and a list of exactly what it covers.
03We do the moving
We write to your old accountant, collect your paperwork and register with HMRC. You sign one form.
04You stop worrying about it
We remind you before every deadline and file early. You hear from us before you hear from HMRC.
Prices
Find out what it would cost you
A quick look at what you actually need, then one monthly price in writing that does not change unless your business does.
Or call us directly07491 440849