BUZZ ACCOUNTINGRunning a UK company from abroad
Plenty of our clients run their UK limited company from Dubai, Singapore or Sydney. The company still needs accounts, corporation tax, VAT and payroll — and the director needs to not accidentally drag the company's tax residence abroad with them. Same Buzz service, wherever you are.
A UK limited company doesn't stop needing an accountant because its owner boarded a plane. Statutory accounts, corporation tax at 19–25%, VAT returns, payroll and pensions, confirmation statements, dividend paperwork — all of it continues, all of it is what Buzz does for hundreds of UK companies already, and all of it works remotely because we're a digital practice anyway.
What changes when the owner is abroad
- Company residence. A company is tax-resident where it's centrally managed and controlled. One director running everything from one overseas country for years can put that in question — and some countries will claim the company. We help you keep governance, records and decision-making arranged so the position is clean, and flag when local advice is needed.
- Your dividends. As a non-resident, UK dividends are often effectively taxed at 0% in the UK under the "disregarded income" rules — but they're usually taxable where you live. The right salary/dividend mix changes when you leave; we re-plan it.
- PAYE. A director paid while genuinely working entirely abroad may not need UK PAYE withholding — an NT code done properly, not just switched off.
- VAT doesn't care where you live; place-of-supply rules decide everything. Selling services from Dubai through a UK company has answers — guessed VAT treatment is the most expensive kind.
The service
Everything a UK company needs, on one simple price: bookkeeping review, accounts, CT600, VAT, payroll (£8 a head, £25 minimum, as standard), company secretarial, and a real person on WhatsApp in your timezone-tolerant inbox. Xero or FreeAgent, your choice.
2% of turnover a year — the same simple pricing as every Buzz company client.
Fixed, agreed in writing before we start. Two or more services together? Ask for the bundle quote.
Get startedAsked about this every week
Can HMRC decide my company isn't UK-resident any more?＋
The bigger risk is usually the other way: your new country deciding the company is resident THERE because you run it from your kitchen table in Dubai or Toronto. Governance, board records and where decisions are made all matter — we keep that file clean and tell you when local advice is needed.
Should I still pay myself salary, or switch to dividends?＋
The right mix usually changes when you become non-resident — UK dividends are often effectively UK-tax-free for non-residents under the disregarded-income rules, while salary for work done abroad may come out of PAYE with an NT code. We re-plan it as part of onboarding.
What does 2% of turnover include?＋
Accounts, corporation tax, VAT, payroll (£8 a head, £25 minimum), company secretarial, dividend paperwork and a real person on WhatsApp — the same package our UK-based company clients get.
Most clients pair this with…
Sold a UK property? The 60-day rule
Non-residents must report the sale of UK land or property to HMRC within 60 days of completion — even when there's no tax to pay.