March 2026 · 6 min readA company setup involves several connected decisions. Use this checklist to separate incorporation, Business Registration and the operating services that follow.
Define the company before preparing forms
Start with the intended activity, owners, directors, company name and target start date. These decisions affect the document list and whether specialist legal, tax or licensing advice may be required.
- Proposed company name and activity
- Owners, directors and control structure
- Target incorporation date
- Any regulated activity or special licence
Treat incorporation and Business Registration separately
Company incorporation creates the legal entity. Business Registration is a related registration step for carrying on business. A package should state clearly which applications, government charges and documents are included.
- Company incorporation application
- Business Registration application or certificate
- Government and provider fees
- Documents included in the final handover
Prepare the onboarding information
The exact checklist depends on the structure, but customers should expect to provide accurate identity, address, ownership, management and business-activity information. Timelines normally begin after complete and acceptable documents are received.
- Identity and residential-address evidence
- Ownership and management details
- Business activity and source-of-funds information where required
- Signed forms and due-diligence responses
Plan what happens after incorporation
A registered company still needs an operating setup. Confirm the company-secretarial calendar, permitted business address, accounting records, tax pathway and any workspace or staffing requirements.
- Company Secretary and statutory records
- Business Address or Virtual Office
- Bookkeeping and accounting cycle
- Banking, licences, payroll and workspace where relevant
