Go to section: Structure first | Getting you operational | Running the compliance engine | Growing with you | FAQs
The UK remains one of the world’s most attractive places to build a business-a deep capital market, a respected legal system, an extensive treaty network and a genuinely international customer base. It is also a market with its own regulatory rhythm, and the businesses that thrive here are the ones that get the foundations right.
That is where we come in. Established in London in 1979, Mouktaris & Co has guided international companies into the UK for nearly five decades-long enough to have seen many versions of the rulebook. We are ICAEW chartered accountants and registered auditors, with staff who are Chartered Accountants (ACA) and CFA charterholders: qualifications that stand comparison with any firm on the street, applied with the attention of a partner-led practice. We act for groups headquartered across Europe and beyond.
Structure first: don't let the tax tail wag the dog
The first decision-UK subsidiary or branch-is commercial as much as fiscal, and we advise on both dimensions: limited liability, local credibility with customers and lenders, group reporting, and the tax mechanics of each route. We also advise groups considering the UK as a holding company jurisdiction in its own right: its treaty network, participation exemptions and access to finance make it a strong platform for raising capital and structuring international groups, and we help you weigh those advantages against substance and governance requirements.
Getting you operational
Once the structure is settled, we handle the mechanics of arrival so your team can focus on the market:
- Incorporation of the company at Companies House;
- Tax registrations as required;
- Banking support-assisting with UK bank account opening, one of the persistent friction points for overseas-owned companies, smoothed by a London firm making the introductions;
- Cloud accounting setup-onboarding and optimising your business on the right accounting platform, with ERP and marketplace integrations where appropriate, so your finance function is digital from day one.
Running the compliance engine
Thereafter we operate as your UK finance and compliance function, scaled to your needs:
- Bookkeeping, and preparation and filing of VAT returns;
- Management reporting;
- A sophisticated group reporting and analysis tool for consolidated reporting, benchmarking, KPI tracking, profitability by project or sales channel, and forecasting;
- Year-end financial statements prepared in accordance with UK GAAP (FRS 102), and statutory UK audit where required-as registered auditors, we handle this in-house;
- Corporation tax and capital allowances computations, with international tax planning and double taxation relief;
- Transfer pricing implications, intercompany loans and interest, and thin capitalisation-documented and defensible;
- Advice on the UK tax treatment of intellectual property held in or licensed into the UK;
- Payroll plus Workplace Pension compliance;
- Company secretarial: maintaining statutory registers and affairs in the cloud.
Growing with you
As the UK business develops, the relationship deepens. We assist with business strategy and raising finance, international tax planning (including intellectual property structuring), R&D Corporation Tax Relief claims, corporate restructuring, remuneration planning-employee share options, payrolling of benefits-and budgeting and forecasting. For shareholders and senior staff relocating with the business, our private client team advises on the four-year FIG regime for new UK residents-the corporate and personal sides of a UK move, handled by one firm. And for the founding family behind the business, we serve as Your London Office-the same standing UK presence we provide to international family offices.
Planning a UK entry? Talk to us before you incorporate-the structural decisions taken in week one are the hardest to unwind later. We offer a confidential initial consultation, in London or by video call. Contact us to begin the conversation.
Related advice: International Investors & Family Offices, Succession Planning & IHT, and New UK Residents.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from international businesses preparing to establish a UK operation.
A subsidiary offers limited liability and tends to carry more weight with UK customers, lenders and landlords; a branch can be simpler and allows early losses to be used at home in some jurisdictions. The tax difference matters but should rarely drive the decision alone-we assess both the commercial and fiscal dimensions before you commit.
Incorporation itself is fast-typically days. The realistic critical path is tax registrations and bank account opening for overseas-owned companies. We manage the full sequence so trading can begin as early as possible.
Not always-audit exemption depends on the size of the company and of the worldwide group it belongs to, and group membership catches many subsidiaries that would be exempt standing alone. We assess this at the outset; if an audit is required, we are registered auditors and conduct it in-house.
At minimum: annual financial statements at Companies House, a corporation tax return to HMRC, a confirmation statement, and-once registered-VAT returns and monthly payroll reporting. We operate the full compliance calendar so nothing is missed.