Trade with a VAT number this week, not in three months

A shelf company is a UK limited company that was incorporated and then left dormant, so it has never traded. Ours have also been registered for VAT with HMRC, which means the company already has a VAT number. When you buy one, the shares and directorship are transferred to you and you can invoice with VAT straight away.

Incorporating a company takes a day, but a new VAT registration can take weeks or months while HMRC checks the application, and some applications are refused. A shelf company already holds a VAT number, so you skip that wait and can trade, invoice and reclaim VAT from the first day.

Yes. Buying the shares of an existing limited company is an ordinary share transfer under the Companies Act 2006. We record the transfer in the company registers, file the officer and PSC changes at Companies House, and you must then run the company in line with HMRC and Companies House rules like any other director.

The certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association, the VAT registration details, completed company registers showing the previous and new officers, new share certificates, the stock transfer form and board resolutions. Where the company has an EORI number, UTR or PAYE reference, those are included too.

Once your identity checks are complete and payment has cleared, we prepare the transfer pack the same working day for orders placed before 4 pm. The Companies House update for the new director and person with significant control normally shows within 24 to 48 hours.

Yes. A change of name is filed at Companies House and usually approved within a day for electronic filings. SIC codes are updated on the next confirmation statement, which we file as part of the transfer so the company moves from dormant to trading.