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Wie man ein Unternehmen in United Kingdom gründet

The UK offers one of the fastest and cheapest company formation processes globally — most companies are registered with Companies House in under 24 hours.

Gründungsdauer
Same day – 1 business day
Typische Kosten
GBP 12–100
Währung
GBP

Rechtsformen

Private Limited Company
Ltd
By far the most common structure — separate legal entity, limited liability, easy to set up.
Mindestkapital
No minimum (£1 share capital is typical)
Haftung
Limited
Limited Liability Partnership
LLP
Used by professional services firms — limited liability with partnership-style tax treatment.
Mindestkapital
No minimum
Haftung
Limited
Sole Trader
Sole Trader
Simplest form for freelancers. No legal separation, personal liability for debts.
Mindestkapital
No minimum
Haftung
Unlimited
Public Limited Company
PLC
For companies intending to list on a stock exchange — higher compliance burden.
Mindestkapital
£50,000 minimum share capital
Haftung
Limited

Gründungsschritte

  1. 1

    Choose a company name

    Same day

    Check availability on the Companies House register. Certain words are restricted.

  2. 2

    Appoint directors and a company secretary

    Same day

    At least one director required (aged 16+). A secretary is optional for private companies.

  3. 3

    Assign share capital and shareholders

    Same day

    Private companies typically issue 1–100 shares at £1 each to founders.

  4. 4

    Prepare memorandum and articles of association

    Same day

    Standard model articles are available from Companies House — customisation is optional.

  5. 5

    Register with Companies House

    Same day – 24 hours

    File form IN01 online (£12) or by post (£100). Incorporation is usually confirmed within 24 hours.

  6. 6

    Register for Corporation Tax with HMRC

    Same day online

    Must be done within 3 months of starting to trade.

Erforderliche Dokumente

  • Memorandum of Association
  • Articles of Association
  • Form IN01 (application to register)
  • Proof of ID for all directors and shareholders
  • Registered office address in the UK

Steuergrundlagen

Körperschaftsteuersatz
25% (19% small profits rate for profits under £50,000)
Mehrwertsteuer / Umsatzsteuer
20% VAT (standard rate); 5% and 0% reduced rates apply to certain goods
Registrierungsschwelle
VAT registration compulsory when taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 (2024/25)
Meldefrequenz
Corporation Tax: annual; VAT: quarterly (most common) or monthly

Häufige Fallstricke

Missing the Confirmation Statement deadline (annual, £13 filing fee) — late filing can lead to company strike-off.

Not registering for Corporation Tax within 3 months of trading — HMRC penalties apply.

Mixing personal and company funds — director's loan account rules (s.455 tax charge) catch many founders.

Forgetting to file dormant company accounts even when not trading — Companies House still requires filings.

Bereit, Rechnungen zu schreiben?

Sobald Ihr Unternehmen registriert ist, übernimmt Zuupr Rechnungsstellung, Zahlungen und Business Intelligence – alles an einem Ort.

Zuletzt geprüft am 2026-04-05. Dieser Leitfaden dient nur zur Information und stellt keine Rechts- oder Steuerberatung dar. Prüfen Sie die Einzelheiten mit einem lokalen Fachmann, bevor Sie handeln.