What are the legal requirements for a limited company and are there any special considerations for freelancers or contractors?
Limited companies need at least one director and a registered office. You must use Ltd or Limited. You no longer need to have a company secretary, although many companies find it useful to have someone in this role. Duport can provide a cost effective service for you if you do not have a suitable person to act as your company secretary. You also need a registered office – an official address. This could be your home (but check with mortgage and lease restrictions), or again you can use Duport to provide one for you. Scottish companies must have their registered office in Scotland. Other legal requirements include filing annual accounts and an annual return with Companies House and a tax return to HMRC. You must also register for VAT if your turnover exceeds a certain amount. See www.businesslink.gov.uk for more information. Because directors are not strictly an employee unless they have a contract, many freelancers draw up a contract specifying duties, salaries etc, and because of the
