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Limited company

 

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Limited company



 
 
A limited company in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 is a corporation
Corporation

A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. It is a legal entity owned by individual stockholders. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole or a corporation aggregate ....
 whose liability
Limited liability

Limited liability is a concept whereby a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership with limited liability....
 is limited by shares
Private company limited by shares

A private company limited by shares is a type of company incorporated under the English law, Scots law, that of certain Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland....
 (Ltd), which is the most common form of privately held company
Privately held company

The term privately held company refers to the ownership of a business company in two different ways: first, referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations; and second, referring to ownership of the company's stock by a relatively small number of holders who do not trade the stock publicly on the stock market....
. Its equivalent in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 is Proprietary company
Proprietary company

A proprietary company is a form of corporation in Australia that is limited by shares. However, unlike a public company there are, depending on jurisdiction, restrictions on what they can and cannot do....
 (Pty Ltd). Ltd in Australia would usually mean that a company with Ltd in the end of a company name would be listed on the ASX
ASX

ASX may refer to* the Australian Securities Exchange* Advanced Stream Redirector, computer file format listing Windows Media files * John F....
, meaning it would be a public company as Australia doesn't have p.l.c.

private company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee

In United Kingdom or Ireland company law, a company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require Juristic person....
 : This type of Company does not have share capital but is guaranteed by its "members", who agree to pay a fixed amount in the event of the company's liquidation.






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A limited company in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 is a corporation
Corporation

A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. It is a legal entity owned by individual stockholders. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole or a corporation aggregate ....
 whose liability
Limited liability

Limited liability is a concept whereby a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership with limited liability....
 is limited by shares
Private company limited by shares

A private company limited by shares is a type of company incorporated under the English law, Scots law, that of certain Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland....
 (Ltd), which is the most common form of privately held company
Privately held company

The term privately held company refers to the ownership of a business company in two different ways: first, referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations; and second, referring to ownership of the company's stock by a relatively small number of holders who do not trade the stock publicly on the stock market....
. Its equivalent in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 is Proprietary company
Proprietary company

A proprietary company is a form of corporation in Australia that is limited by shares. However, unlike a public company there are, depending on jurisdiction, restrictions on what they can and cannot do....
 (Pty Ltd). Ltd in Australia would usually mean that a company with Ltd in the end of a company name would be listed on the ASX
ASX

ASX may refer to* the Australian Securities Exchange* Advanced Stream Redirector, computer file format listing Windows Media files * John F....
, meaning it would be a public company as Australia doesn't have p.l.c.

private company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee

In United Kingdom or Ireland company law, a company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require Juristic person....
 : This type of Company does not have share capital but is guaranteed by its "members", who agree to pay a fixed amount in the event of the company's liquidation. Frequently charities incorporate using this form of limited liability. Another example is the Financial Services Authority
Financial Services Authority

The Financial Services Authority is an independent non-governmental body, quasi-judicial body and a company limited by guarantee that regulates the financial services industry in the United Kingdom....
.

public limited company
Public limited company

A public limited company is a type of limited company which is permitted to offer its stock to the public. The designation was introduced in the UK by the Companies Act 1980, and in the Republic of Ireland by the Companies Act 1983....
 (p.l.c.) : Public limited companies can be publicly traded on a stock exchange
Stock exchange

A stock exchange, securities exchange or bourse is a corporation or mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for stock brokers and trader s, to trade stocks and other security ....
 — similar to the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 Corporation
Corporation

A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. It is a legal entity owned by individual stockholders. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole or a corporation aggregate ....
 (Corp) and the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft

Aktiengesellschaft is a German language term that refers to a corporation that is limited by share s, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market....
 (AG).

A shareholder in a limited company, in the event of its becoming insolvent (equivalent to bankruptcy
Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a debtor in an effort to recoup a portion of what they are owed or initiate a restructuring....
 in the US) would be liable to contribute the amount remaining unpaid on the shares (usually zero, as most shares are issued fully paid). 'Paid' here relates to the amount paid to the company for the shares on first issue, and not to be confused with amounts paid by one shareholder to another to transfer ownership of shares between them. A shareholder is thus afforded limited liability.

A limited company can be registered in England and Wales
England and Wales

England and Wales is a legal unit within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 or Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. The registration of companies in Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 (England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 and Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
) is done through Companies House
Companies House

Companies House is an Executive Agency of the Departments of the United Kingdom Government in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform....
. The registration of companies in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 is done through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment....
.

Equivalent constructs to limited companies can be found in most countries, although the detailed rules governing them vary widely. It is also common for a distinction to be made between the publicly tradable companies of "p.l.c." type (like, for example, the German Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft

Aktiengesellschaft is a German language term that refers to a corporation that is limited by share s, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market....
 (AG) and the Mexican, French and Polish S.A.
S.A. (corporation)

S.A. generally designates corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law . Though literally translated as anonymous company, anonymous partnership or share company, it is known more commonly in English as a public limited company and can be differentiated from partnerships and Limited liability company....
), and the "private" types of company (such as the German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
 GmbH
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung

Gesellschaft mit beschr?nkter Haftung is a type of Juristic personvery common in Germany , Austria , Switzerland, and other Central European countries....
 and the Polish
Polish language

Polish , an official language of Poland, has the largest number of speakers of any West Slavic languages. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner through most of Poland, and it has a regular orthography....
 Sp. z o.o.).

See also

  • Company Formation
    Company formation

    In the UK the process of incorporation is called company formation, it is also sometimes referred to as company registration. Under UK and most international law a company or corporation is considered a separate entity to the people who own or operate the business....
     The UK Process for forming a new Company
  • Corporation
    Corporation

    A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. It is a legal entity owned by individual stockholders. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole or a corporation aggregate ....
     Corporations in general
  • Limited liability company
    Limited liability company

    A limited liability company in the law of the vast majority of United States jurisdictions is a legal form of business company that provides limited liability to its owners....
     (LLC) United States
  • Limited liability partnership
    Limited liability partnership

    A limited liability partnership has elements of partnerships and corporations. It is a partnership in which all partners are limited partners. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence....
     (LLP) United States
  • Share capital
    Share capital

    Share capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's Shareholders' equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value....
  • Unlimited company
    Unlimited Company

    In the United Kingdom, an unlimited company is a company formed by registration under the Companies Act 2006 where the liability of the members is unlimited - that is, they are liable to contribute whatever sums are required to pay the debts of the company should it go into bankruptcy....
  • Yugen kaisha
    Yugen kaisha

    A yugen gaisha or yugen kaisha is a form of business organization in Japan.Yugen gaisha are based on the Germany GmbH and were implemented in Japan in the Limited Company Act of 1940....


External links

  • from Business Link
    Business Link

    Business Link is the United Kingdom Government of the United Kingdom multi-channel support service for business of all sizes, for all phases of growth, from start-up to succession....