Trading Options in the UK

There are various trading routes into the UK depending on your particular circumstances and requirements, as follows:

• Trade direct - before looking to set up a permanent base in the UK, you may wish to trade directly with the UK from your existing location.
• Branch - you may wish to set up a branch office of your overseas parent. This does require various registrations and filings to be effected and is generally not used by those overseas businesses that want to have a significant presence in the UK.
• Representative office - an alternative to a branch office for companies who cannot register  as a branch. This is the least common route taken for establishing a trading presence in the UK.
• UK Vehicle - if none of the above is appropriate then it is likely that you will need to set up a UK vehicle. The options are:
  • Sole trader - the simplest way to trade, although liability is unlimited; 
  • Partnership - essentially two or more sole traders with each partner liable for the debts of the partnership; 
  • Limited Partnership - as for a partnership, save that the partners have limited liability  and the partnership is a separate legal entity; 
  • Limited liability company - the traditional limited liability vehicle.

 Please click on the following link to read our Investing in the UK brochure.