Public limited company
Public Limited Company PLCUnited Kingdom
What it takes to form, own and run a public limited company in United Kingdom, and how its profit is taxed. Each figure links to the page it was read from.
This company type
At a glance
Owners' liability
Limited to what the owners put in
Officialgov.ukRead 10 Oct 2026
Quote
A shareholder’s liability is limited to the amount they originally invested into the business.
Owners
At least 1
Officiallegislation.gov.ukRead 14 Oct 2026
Quote
A company is formed under this Act by one or more persons
Directors
At least 2
Minimum capital
GBP 50,000 (about €58,716)
Officiallegislation.gov.ukRead 10 Oct 2026
Quote
is— (a) £50,000, or (b) the prescribed euro equivalent
Formation fee
GBP 100 (about €117)
Officialgov.ukRead 10 Oct 2026
Quote
It costs £124 to send a paper application to register a private or public company.
Tax on profit
Varies · 19–25%4 special regimes may apply
Notary needed: NoResident director needed: NoFormed without visiting: YesFormed online: Yes
Form it
Who registers it
- Registry
- Formed without visiting
- Yes
- Formed online
- Yes
What it takes to form
- A notary
- Not required
- A resident director
- Not required
- Paying up the capital
- A public company must not allot a share except as paid up at least as to one-quarter of its nominal value and the whole of any premium on it (s.586); the trading certificate must be issued before it does business (s.761).
Quote
A public company must not allot a share except as paid up at least as to one-quarter of its nominal value and the whole of any premium on it.
Own it
Who may own and run it
- Directors
- At least 2
Quote
A public company must have at least two directors.
- Shareholders
- At least 1
Quote
A company is formed under this Act by one or more persons
- Members
- At least 1 · one person may form it alone
Quote
A company is formed under this Act by one or more persons
- A local company secretary
- Not required
Quote
is a person who appears to them to have the requisite knowledge and experience to discharge the functions of secretary of the company, and (b) has one or more of the following qualifications.
- A local registered agent
- Not required
Quote
A company must ensure that its registered office is at all times at an appropriate address.
Each year, at the registry
- Annual registry fee
- GBP 50 (about €59)
Quote
Confirmation statement fee (with your first statement in the 12 month payment period ) £50 £50 £110
- Accounts on the public record
- Yes
Quote
The directors of a company must deliver to the registrar for each financial year the accounts and reports required by
- Audit for a small company
- Does not apply
- Audit
- Not in our records
Important dates
When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.
- Annual accounts
- 6 months after the end of the accounting period
With Companies House
- Annual general meeting
- 6 months after the end of the accounting period
Companies Act 2006 s.336: the AGM is held in each 6-month period beginning the day after the accounting reference date.
What is public
- Directors
- Public
Quote
of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed
- Shareholders
- Public
Quote
of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed
- Beneficial owners
- Public
Quote
of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed
Tax
Tax on profit
How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.
Varies · 19–25%+4 regimes
The Corporation Tax rate for company profits is 25%. A profit of £50,000 or less pays the small profits rate of 19%; marginal relief applies between £50,000 and £250,000.
Quote
The Corporation Tax rate for company profits is 25%
Special regimes that may apply
- Patent Box ip box · 10%
Qualifying companies electing in, on relevant IP profits of a trade Corporation Tax Act 2010, Part 8A, s. 357A - Tonnage tax tonnage
Shipping companies electing in, on the profits of qualifying ships they operate or manage Finance Act 2000, Sch 22 - Substantial shareholdings exemption holding · 100% exempt
Investing companies disposing of shares, or an interest in shares, in another company where the Schedule's requirements are met Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, Sch 7AC, para 1 - Freeport tax sites free zone
Companies incurring qualifying expenditure on plant, machinery or non-residential buildings in, or acquiring land in, a designated freeport tax site Capital Allowances Act 2001 s. 45O (plant and machinery) and s. 270BNA (structures and buildings); Finance Act 2003 s. 61A and Sch 6C (SDLT relief); sites designated by regulations under FA 2021
Whether a company qualifies depends on its activity and conditions set in each statute.
- CFC rules in United Kingdom
- Not in our records
Close it
Closing it
The other end, which most guides leave out.
- Route
- Voluntary strike-off: a majority of the directors apply to the Registrar of Companies on form DS01 (online or on paper); Companies House publishes a notice in the Gazette and, if there is no reason to delay, strikes the company off not less than 2 months after that notice; a second Gazette notice records the dissolution.
Quote
Any company can apply to the Registrar of Companies to be struck off the Companies House register and dissolved.
- Statutory fee
- GBP 13 (about €15)
Quote
It costs £13 to apply online.
Every business in United Kingdom
VAT
- Standard rate
- 20%
Quote
The standard VAT rate is 20%
- Other rates
- 5% Some goods and services, for example, children's car seats and home energy
- 0% Zero-rated goods and services, for example, most food and children's clothes
Quote
Reduced rate 5% Some goods and services, for example, children’s car seats and home energy Zero rate 0% Zero-rated goods and services, for example, most food and children’s clothes
- Registration threshold
- GBP 90,000 · about €105,690
taxable turnover; also registration if taxable turnover is expected to go over the threshold in the next 30 days; 12 months rolling
Quote
your total taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 (the VAT threshold)
- Voluntary registration
- Yes
A business with turnover below £90,000 may choose to register voluntarily.
Quote
You can choose to register for VAT if your turnover is less than £90,000 (‘voluntary registration’).
- A foreign company
- Registers from its first taxable supply; no local representative required
A business based outside the UK must register regardless of taxable turnover if it supplies any goods or services to the UK, or expects to in the next 30 days. Appointing a tax representative is optional, though HMRC can direct some non-established taxable persons to appoint one.
Quote
You must also register (regardless of taxable turnover) if all of the following are true: you’re based outside the UK
- Returns filed
- Quarterly
Quote
You usually need to send a VAT Return to HMRC every 3 months.
- Tax authority
- Registration page read 2026-10-22
Portals and registers
- Business registerCompanies House
- Tax authorityHM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
- Tax treatiesHM Revenue & Customs – Tax treaties and double taxation
Payment and banking services
4 services name United Kingdom on their own list: Paysera, Airwallex, Stripe, Revolut. Each provider, and what a listing means.
Reference
Its name and code
- Kind
- Public limited companyDerived our grouping, the same words in every country
- Name in law
- Public Limited Company (PLC)
- ISO 20275 code
- B6ESSecondary GLEIF, Entity Legal Forms code list