Knowledge base
Short answers to common questions
16 answers across four topics. Each one is a couple of paragraphs — open it here rather than clicking through.
4 answers
Formation
Incorporating a company and getting the structure right first time.
Typically three to five working days once we have complete information and identity checks for every director and shareholder. The registry itself is usually fast; the delay is almost always waiting on documents. If you send everything in one go, it moves quickly.
For each director and shareholder: photographic identification, proof of address dated within the last three months, and their date of birth and nationality. For corporate shareholders we also need the company's registration number and registered address. We send a single checklist so nothing is requested twice.
In most jurisdictions we cover, yes. A few require at least one resident director or a local registered address, both of which we can provide. Residency also affects tax position, which is worth understanding before you decide who is appointed — we cover that in your consultation.
There is no universally correct number. A common starting point is a round figure that divides cleanly among founders, leaving room to issue more later without awkward fractions. What matters more is the share class structure, because that is expensive to change once investors are involved.
4 answers
Registered address
What a registered address is for, and how mail is handled.
It is the official address where statutory correspondence is served, and it appears on the public register. You can also use it as your business address on your website, invoices and contracts. It is not a trading address if you never physically operate there, and you should not represent it as one.
You can, but it becomes a matter of public record and is searchable by anyone. Removing it later is harder than never filing it. Most people who use a home address regret it once they start receiving unsolicited post — or worse — at home.
Statutory and tax correspondence is scanned the working day it arrives and flagged to you. General business post is scanned within two working days, or forwarded unopened if you prefer. Physical forwarding runs on whatever schedule you set — daily, weekly, or on request.
A change of registered address must be filed with the registry, and the address must be valid on the day it takes effect. We handle the filing as part of setup at no extra cost. If you leave us, we will file the change to your new address so there is never a gap.
4 answers
Compliance
Recurring obligations, deadlines and what happens when they slip.
An annual filing confirming that the information the registry holds about your company is still correct — directors, registered address, shareholders and share capital. It is a confirmation, not an update: if something has changed, that change should already have been filed separately.
The deadline runs from your accounting reference date, not from your incorporation date, and the first period is often longer than twelve months. Because the two dates differ, first-year deadlines are the ones most often missed. We map yours at formation so it is written down.
Appointments, resignations and changes of a director's details all have to be filed within a set window of the change taking effect. The window is short. Tell us as soon as a change is agreed rather than after it happens, and it never becomes urgent.
Penalties escalate the longer a filing is outstanding, and they generally cannot be appealed on the grounds that you forgot. Persistent lateness also attracts closer scrutiny of everything else you file. The cost of monitoring is almost always less than one penalty.
4 answers
Accounting & tax
Reference dates, registrations, payment deadlines and expenses.
Your accounting reference date sets your year end, and therefore your accounts and tax deadlines. Aligning it with a natural quiet period in your business makes year-end far less painful. It can be changed, but not repeatedly, so it is worth a moment's thought at formation.
Registration becomes mandatory once taxable turnover crosses the threshold in your jurisdiction, measured on a rolling basis rather than by financial year. Voluntary registration before that point is sometimes advantageous, particularly if your customers are themselves registered. We monitor your turnover and flag it as you approach.
The payment deadline and the filing deadline are different dates, and the payment usually falls first. This catches people out: the return is not yet due, so they assume nothing is owed. Larger companies may also pay in instalments.
An expense is generally allowable if it is incurred wholly and exclusively for the business. The practical constraint is evidence — a claim you cannot substantiate with a record is a claim you may have to give back. Keep receipts as you go rather than reconstructing later.
Still not sure?
Ask an advisor directly. Most questions take a few minutes to answer properly.