Fileminder articles, page 3
Showing 24 of 106 articles.
- UK Company and Egyptian Tax: Two Jurisdictions, One Director
Running a UK company from Cairo means navigating two tax systems at once. UK Corporation Tax hits the company at 19–25%. Egypt taxes you personally on what you draw out, at rates up to 25% on salary and 10% withholding on dividends. The UK-Egypt double tax treaty helps, but only if you structure things correctly.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- UK Company Name Rules: What Companies House Accepts
Choosing a UK company name involves more rules than most Arab directors expect. Sensitive words need approval, similar names are rejected, and Arabic script cannot be used in the registered name. Here is what you need to know before you apply.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- UK corporation tax: when to pay, how to pay from overseas, and the mistake Gulf directors make
Corporation tax has two separate deadlines, one for filing the return and a different, earlier deadline for paying the tax. Confusing them is a common and costly mistake for Arab directors who handle their own accounts.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- Sole trader vs UK limited company: the comparison Arab directors actually need
Arab directors almost always choose a UK limited company over the sole trader route, and for good reason. But understanding why helps you make a confident decision and avoid the misconceptions that come from comparing UK structures to GCC equivalents.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- UK VAT and your UK company: the £90,000 threshold and what it means for Arab directors
Most Arab directors with small UK limited companies will never hit the VAT threshold. But if your UK company sells to UK customers, knowing when registration becomes mandatory, and what it requires from overseas, matters.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- Closing a UK company: strike-off vs liquidation, what Arab directors need to know
Many Gulf directors abandon their UK companies when they stop trading, leaving the company on the register, accumulating penalties, and sometimes triggering compulsory strike-off. Here is how to close a UK company properly.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- Company secretary for a UK limited company: what the role actually means
Private limited companies have not been legally required to appoint a company secretary since 2008. Many Arab directors still think they need one, or confuse it with an office role. Here is what the role is, what it is not, and when it matters.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- IR35 and the non-resident director: does off-payroll working apply to you?
IR35 is one of the most misunderstood pieces of UK tax legislation. Arab directors often worry it applies to them when operating their own UK company from the Gulf. In the vast majority of cases, it does not, here is why.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- P11D and director benefits in kind: the guide for UK company directors
If your company pays for your phone, your car, your private health insurance, or anything else that benefits you personally, HMRC wants a record of it. Here is what a P11D is, when you need to file one, and what happens if you don't.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- Capital gains tax on UK company shares: what non-resident directors need to know
Most non-resident Arab directors who sell shares in a UK trading company pay zero UK capital gains tax. Here is why, and the one exception involving UK property that catches Gulf directors by surprise.
July 2026 · 7 min read
- How to change your UK company's registered office address
Changed accountants, moved your UK base, or just need a London address that actually works? Changing a registered office address is a straightforward Companies House filing, but there are rules most directors miss.
July 2026 · 4 min read
- Can one person be a director of multiple UK companies?
Yes. UK law places no limit on how many companies you can direct. But each company is its own legal entity with its own compliance calendar, its own filing obligations, and its own penalties if things go wrong.
July 2026 · 4 min read
- The PSC register: what every UK company director needs to know
Every UK company must tell Companies House who its Persons with Significant Control are, and keep that information up to date. Many Arab directors running UK companies from the Gulf have never heard of it.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- What Is an Enrolled Agent (EA)? The IRS Tax Qualification Explained
An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a tax practitioner licensed by the US Internal Revenue Service. It is the only US federal tax qualification with no citizenship, degree, or experience requirement, making it the most direct route into US tax work for accountants anywhere, including the Arab world.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- UK Company Share Capital Explained: Minimum Rules, Allotment & Forms
Every UK limited company has share capital. Most Arab directors set it at incorporation and never revisit it, which is fine for a simple single-director company. But if you plan to bring in a partner, take investment, or exit, understanding your share structure becomes essential.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- UK National Insurance for company directors: the annual earnings period explained
Directors pay National Insurance differently from regular employees. The annual earnings period method means NIC is calculated cumulatively across the year, not month by month. For Arab directors paying modest director salaries, understanding this prevents unexpected tax calculations.
July 2026 · 4 min read
- UK PAYE for Directors: Do You Need to Register?
PAYE is how UK companies deduct income tax and National Insurance from salaries before paying them. Directors have a different position from regular employees. Knowing whether PAYE applies to your situation prevents both an unnecessary compliance burden and an unnoticed HMRC obligation.
July 2026 · 4 min read
- UK self-assessment for non-resident directors: when you need one and what to file
Many Arab directors assume that living outside the UK means no personal UK tax obligations. That is not always true. Several common situations trigger a self-assessment filing requirement for non-resident directors of UK companies.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Add or Remove a UK Company Director (Forms AP01 & TM01 Guide)
Every director change must be filed at Companies House within 14 days. Miss that window and you have an administrative error on your company's public record, and potentially a compliance obligation no one has noticed.
July 2026 · 4 min read
- Salary vs dividends 2026/27: the exact figures Arab directors of UK companies should know
For 2026/27, the optimal structure for most Arab directors is still a salary of £12,570, at the Personal Allowance and Employee NI Primary Threshold, plus dividends from remaining profit. Dividend tax rates rose 2 points in April 2026. Here is the full breakdown of the numbers, the tax saved, and how Gulf residency affects the calculation.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- The director's loan account: what it is, how the 35.75% tax charge is triggered, and how to avoid it
A director's loan account records money moving between you and your company that isn't salary or dividend. Used correctly it's a useful tool. Used carelessly, it triggers a 35.75% tax charge on the company (up from 33.75% in April 2026) and creates HMRC enquiries.
July 2026 · 6 min read
- Update: the Companies House accounts reform is back, software-only filing and P&L filing confirmed for April 2028
When we first covered this, the reform had been paused, that was accurate at the time. On 9 June 2026 Companies House confirmed the changes are going ahead from April 2028, with one important privacy concession. Here's the updated picture.
July 2026 · 5 min read
- Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage: which accounting software suits a small UK company with Arab directors?
Three platforms dominate UK small business accounting. Each has genuine strengths. Here's an honest comparison for Arab directors of small UK companies, without a commercial recommendation for any of them.
June 2026 · 5 min read
- The ICO data protection fee: the annual compliance bill most Arab directors don't know they owe
If your UK company holds any personal data, including client email addresses, staff contact details, or director records, you are likely required to register with the ICO and pay an annual fee starting at £52. The fine for not registering starts at £400.
June 2026 · 4 min read