Advantages and Disadvantages of a Limited Company

A limited company is one of the most popular business structure in the U.K after ‘sole trader’.
Over three million limited companies have got their business registered with the Companies House in 2017/18.

A Limited company is a form of company where the business owners keep their assets and finances separately from the business. This means that the persons who have invested in the business are accountable to the business debts upto the amount they have invested. In this way, company gets a good investment where the shareholders are personally protected without risk to their personal wealth.

Therefore, a limited company is perceived as an entity in its own right based on legal action. As a distinct body, a limited company can also be the director of another company.

A limited company:

Is a legally separate entity from the persons who run it.
Has finances separated from your own.
Can retain profits after Paying Tax.

Advantages of a Limited Company

Limited company has various advantages to offer:

Limited Liability

Every limited company looks for a financial security for the smooth running of a business. Since there is no personal liability for business owners and all their acts are rendered by the agents for the company, in such instances the shareholders will be accountable for any debt which the company incurs. However, the court imposes the liability on those businesses which are engaged in fraudulent trading.

Separate Entity

As the nature states, a limited company appears to be an independent legal entity from its owners. The life of the company won’t interrupt if any of the members retire or die, that means the company will continue to operate and exist longer. This also confirms the security of employees and other members and this advantage can easily be seen in limited companies and no other legal forms of business.

Ownership and Control

The Directors are the main shareholders of the Private Limited Company. Hence, both the ownership and control of the business lies in this own hands. Decisions are made easily with a little fuss, which allows for a more successful platform for managing the business.

Protection for your business

Upon registering successfully as a limited company, your company name is protected by law. The strict rules of the companies House for the naming of companies--- protect your company’s name from getting copied.

Professional image

Trading your business as a ‘limited company’ can give you a more professional image.

Employee shareholders

Employees can buy shares (or get shares via a company’s share scheme) to become shareholders of the company. Don’t you find it good? Yes, that’s a good approach to rewarding the employee’s for their work, giving them extra motivation which goes beyond just earning a salary. Not only this, employees will have a vested interest in seeing the business succeed, but they will also have a say in how the business should run.

Tax benefits

The corporation tax on profits which a limited company pays at a rate of 19% for 2018/19.The directors of a limited company are likely to draw a salary of £8,424 in 2018/19. This will be tax-free and covered by your personal allowance of £11,850.
The directors can draw the remaining post-tax retained profits out as dividends.
Overall, dividends within your basic rate tax band on total income up to £46,350 are taxed at 7.5%. The higher rate dividends are taxed at 32.5% and any dividends where your total income is above £150,000 are taxed at 38.1% in the upper tax band.
There are other potential tax hits which include withdrawing your personal allowance as when your earnings go above £100,000 and high income child benefit tax if your income goes above £50,000.

Income tax rates for 2018/19

20% on earnings above the personal allowance and up to £46,350.
40% on earnings from £46,351 to £150,000.

Get the real benefit of tax benefits by paying yourself in dividends instead of getting fatty paychecks.

Disadvantages of a Limited Company

Besides advantages, a limited company has certain drawbacks too:

Cost

Starting your own limited company can initially prove to be pricey but over a period of time, it appears to be worthwhile when you are an eventually a successfully established limited company.

Paying corporation tax

The profits which your business makes will be accountable to pay corporation tax on it. If your business makes sufficient profits, whatever you save in personal taxes could go to HMRC in the form of higher corporation taxes.
The calculation and annual payment of the corporation tax are subject to your ‘corporation tax accounting period’ which is often the same as your company’s financial year.

Administration responsibilities

You need to be ahead of already existing administrative things to take care of as a limited company. This consists of expense details, tax returns and your business accounts. These are required to be completed every month.
However, there is every solution for your enormous document overload. You can look to hire an accountant that can save your time and money while you concentrate on your other business chores.

Public Accounts

It is the Companies House where all business houses publish their accounts which consists of the Corporation Tax details and also furnish a business address. This means that all the financial reports and annual accounts will be stored in the public domain.
For sole traders who are working under a business name may not be wanting this information to be declared publicly.