What to do after registering a UK company: the first 90 days checklist for Arab directors

Formation agents make registering a UK company look easy, and it is. In minutes online, you have a company number, a certificate of incorporation, and standard articles of association. What they do not tell you is what happens next. The Companies House clock starts immediately. HMRC sets statutory timelines. Deadlines begin accumulating. For Arab directors based outside the UK, missing the early steps creates administrative and tax problems that are expensive and slow to fix. Here is what to do, in sequence.

Step 1: Director identity verification and registered office setup. Identity verification is now mandatory: from 18 November 2025, new directors must verify their identity before incorporation or formal appointment (existing directors provide their verification details during the transitional confirmation statement process). Non-resident directors can verify directly using GOV.UK One Login with a current biometric passport, or through an authorised ACSP. Alongside verification, ensure your company's registered office address is managed professionally with same-day digital mail forwarding. Official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC goes to this address by post.

Step 2: Check for your company UTR and establish your HMRC tax status. Following incorporation, Companies House notifies HMRC automatically, and HMRC posts your company's Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) to your registered office. If you have not received your UTR letter after 15 working days, you can request it online from HMRC. Receiving the UTR does not mean tax is immediately due: a dormant company waits until it begins business activity. When your company starts trading (such as buying, selling, renting premises, or hiring staff), you must notify HMRC within 3 months of becoming active and link Corporation Tax to your online business tax account.

Step 3: Apply for a business bank account. You need a dedicated business account to manage commercial transactions, receive customer payments, and settle company expenses. Traditional UK high-street banks often require UK residency, domestic credit history, or branch visits, making them slower or unsuitable for non-resident directors. Digital platforms such as Wise Business or Revolut Business offer multi-currency UK business accounts with remote applications. However, availability is subject to each provider's residence, activity, operating-address, and KYC verification rules, with no approval or timing guarantee. Prepare your certificate of incorporation, company number, UTR, and identity proof before applying.

Step 4: Organise accounting records and appoint compliance support. UK company law requires every company to keep adequate accounting records from day one. Once your company is active for Corporation Tax, its first Corporation Tax return (CT600) is due 12 months after the end of the accounting period, with tax payment normally due 9 months and 1 day after the period end (the first accounting period may differ from your Companies House statutory year-end). Choose cloud accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent. Fileminder prepares statutory annual accounts and CT600 tax returns; monthly bookkeeping is available as a dedicated add-on module or included within our Managed Finance plan.

Step 5: Master your annual statutory filing deadlines. Every UK company files the annual confirmation statement (due within 14 days of the review period end, fee £50 since 1 February 2026) and annual statutory accounts (due 9 months after the accounting year-end, though first accounts covering more than 12 months are typically due 21 months from incorporation). A company that is active for Corporation Tax, or that HMRC has sent a notice to file, also files a Corporation Tax return CT600 (due 12 months after the Corporation Tax accounting period end) and pays any Corporation Tax due (normally 9 months and 1 day after the accounting period end). Missing accounts deadlines triggers automatic penalties starting at £150, while a missed confirmation statement risks a financial penalty, prosecution or compulsory strike-off.