UK expansion for Australian companies

Taking your business to the UK? Get the structure right first.

The UK feels familiar to Australian businesses. Same language, similar legal roots, and a free trade agreement that cut tariffs on almost all goods. The detail is different. HMRC is not the ATO, Companies House is not ASIC, and UK banks run their own checks on overseas owners.

Paul Beare sets up and runs the UK side for Australian companies. We form your UK entity, open your bank account, register you for tax and payroll, and keep you compliant as you grow. One team covers the lot.

99%+Of Australian goods exports to the UK became tariff-free when the Australia-UK free trade agreement took effect in May 2023.

25%UK Corporation Tax main rate on profits over £250,000. Profits up to £50,000 pay 19%.

Auckland + LondonAn Auckland team working hours close to yours, and a London team on the ground in the UK.

Book a free advisory call → See how we set you up ↓

Step one: your UK structure

Subsidiary or branch? Decide this first.

Your structure shapes your tax bill, your liability and how easily you open a UK bank account. Most Australian companies choose one of three routes.

Most common

UK subsidiary

A new UK limited company owned by your Australian parent. It is a separate legal entity, so UK liabilities stay in the UK. Banks, customers and suppliers see a local business.

Best forTrading in the UK, hiring staff and building for the long term.

Set up a UK subsidiary →

UK branch

Your Australian company registers a UK establishment and trades under its own name. There is no new company, but the parent is directly liable for everything the branch does.

Best forTesting the market with a small team before committing to a subsidiary.

Set up a UK branch →

Representative office

A light UK presence for market research and building relationships. Activity must stay preparatory, or you risk creating a taxable presence in the UK.

Best forExploring the market before you start selling.

Explore a representative office →

Questions we work through with you

The right answer depends on your plans. On your advisory call, we cover:

✓Whether UK profits flow back to Australia or stay in the UK

✓Whether you will hire UK staff, and when

✓What a UK bank will need on your Australian owners, including trusts

✓How UK Corporation Tax and VAT sit alongside your Australian tax position

Still weighing it up? Compare a branch, subsidiary and representative office →

How it works

Your UK setup, step by step

We run each step for you and tell you exactly what we need from Australia.

Agree your structure

A free advisory call to understand your plans. We recommend the right UK structure and map out the steps.

Form your UK company

We register your company at Companies House, the UK's official register of companies and its equivalent of ASIC. We provide your registered office address and can act as your company secretary.

Open your UK bank account

UK banks run detailed checks on overseas owners, especially where trusts are involved. We prepare the documents and introduce you to banks that work with overseas-owned companies.

Register for tax

Corporation Tax with HMRC, the UK's equivalent of the ATO. VAT, the UK's version of GST, once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12 months, or earlier if it suits you. PAYE before you pay your first employee.

Hire and pay your team

UK employment contracts, right to work checks, payroll and workplace pensions. UK pensions work differently from super, so we set them up correctly from the first payslip.

Stay compliant as you grow

Bookkeeping, VAT returns, annual accounts, Corporation Tax returns and Companies House filings. All on time, and all reported back to head office.

Selling into the UK before you set up? An overseas business with no UK establishment has no VAT threshold. You may need to register from your first taxable UK sale.

Rates and thresholds as at October 2026 and may change. This is a summary, not tax advice.

What we cover

Everything your UK entity needs, from one team

No juggling five suppliers across two hemispheres. One team handles the lot and reports back in plain English.

Company formation

Your UK company registered, with a registered office address and ongoing company secretarial support.

UK company formation →

UK business bank account

Documents prepared and bank introductions made, including the ownership checks UK banks run on overseas parents.

UK business bank account →

Accounting and tax

Bookkeeping, VAT, annual accounts and Corporation Tax returns, with reporting that fits your Australian group.

Accounting for overseas companies →

Payroll

PAYE, National Insurance and workplace pensions, the UK's take on super, run every month with staff paid on time.

Payroll services UK →

HR and employment

UK contracts, staff handbook and qualified HR advice as the Employment Rights Act 2025 rolls out.

HR and employment services →

Sponsor licence

Sending staff from Australia? We help you apply for the licence you need to sponsor them in the UK.

UK sponsorship licence →

Two-minute UK readiness check

Are you ready to launch in the UK?

Tick each statement that is true for your business today.

You have decided between a UK subsidiary and a UK branch. You know who will be the directors of your UK entity. You have a UK registered office address. You have the documents a UK bank will ask for on your Australian parent and its owners, including any trusts. You know when you must register for VAT and PAYE. You have a plan for moving profits between the UK and Australia. You know how UK workplace pensions differ from super for your UK staff.

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Start ticking

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Book a free advisory call →

Why overseas companies choose Paul Beare

Built for overseas companies

We work with businesses run from head office abroad. We know what your board needs to see.

One team, not five suppliers

Formation, banking, tax, payroll and HR under one roof. Nothing falls between the gaps.

London and Auckland

A London team on the ground in the UK, and an Auckland team for clients in the southern hemisphere.

Grows with you

From your first UK contract to a full team. Your support scales as the business does.

Client stories

Companies we have helped set up in the UK

Real overseas businesses and real UK set-ups. See how we handled structure, banking, tax and hiring for each one.

Free advisory call

Talk to us about your UK plans

Answer a few quick questions and pick a time that suits you. We will recommend the right structure and set out your next steps.

Prefer to talk now? Auckland +64 9 875 3755 · London +44 20 7183 8786 · info@paulbeare.com

Expanding to the UK from Australia