Paying yourself from abroad
It depends on your country of residence and whether a certificate of coverage or A1 confirms you stay in your home social security system instead of UK.
Short answer
It depends on where you live and work. Without a certificate of coverage or A1, a UK company employing you can still owe UK National Insurance on salary. With a valid certificate from your home country's social security authority, UK NI is usually disapplied and you stay in your home scheme instead.
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar Member of ICAEW, Fellow of ACCA, Fellow of AAT, a double graduate and entrepreneur at heart, helping startups grow and serving thousands of businesses nationwide with an excellent team. Published by LimitedCompany.Accountants, 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Reviewed 12 September 2026 against 2026/27 UK rates and current Companies House and HMRC guidance.
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QuickBooks PartnerCertified ProAdvisor100+ yearsCombined team experienceFully insuredUp to £2m indemnityIt depends on where you live and work. Without a certificate of coverage or A1, a UK company employing you can still owe UK National Insurance on salary. With a valid certificate from your home country's social security authority, UK NI is usually disapplied and you stay in your home scheme instead.
Why a certificate matters
No agreement in place
The UK has social security agreements with the EU, EEA, Switzerland and a number of other countries covering which single system applies when someone works across borders, avoiding double social security contributions on the same earnings.
A certificate of coverage or A1 issued by your home authority is the evidence the UK payroll relies on to stop deducting employee and employer National Insurance, so it should be obtained before, not after, payments start.
Where no reciprocal agreement exists with your country of residence, UK National Insurance can still apply to a UK employment, which raises the effective cost of paying salary compared with dividends.
This is one of the practical reasons many non-resident directors lean toward dividends for day-to-day extraction, reserving salary for cases where UK NI credits or pension planning make it worthwhile.
Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.
Primary references
Local help
We work with company directors across London and Surrey from our office at 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Pick your area, or send the form below and we will call you back.
Frequently asked
Typically up to two or three years depending on the agreement, then it needs renewing.
You generally apply through your home country's social security authority before UK payments begin.
No, it only concerns National Insurance; income tax withholding is assessed separately.
Keep bank statements, sales and platform reports, purchase invoices, payroll records, VAT workings, finance agreements and Companies House correspondence. We confirm the exact list at onboarding and identify gaps before a filing deadline becomes urgent.
The fee depends on transaction volume, record quality, VAT and payroll requirements, historic catch-up and the level of reporting needed. We agree a fixed scope and price before technical work starts, with published packages available on our fees page.
Yes. We request professional clearance, collect the prior records and authorities, check the next Companies House and HMRC deadlines, and give you one clear handover list. The process is normally completed remotely.
Yes. We work through secure cloud records, scheduled reviews and digital approvals, while keeping a named team available by phone, video call and email. Clients can also visit our Morden office by appointment.
We regularly work with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage and connected sales or expense apps. The right setup depends on transaction volume, integrations and the reports you need, not simply the software brand.
The relevant calendar may include annual accounts, Corporation Tax payment and return dates, confirmation statements, VAT returns, payroll submissions and Self Assessment. We map the dates from your company year end and registrations.
Yes. You can ask a straightforward initial question without charge. Calculations, filings, written advice, planning and HMRC correspondence are scoped and quoted before work begins.
Included approach
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Share your next deadline, accounting problem or growth question. We will reply with a clear next step and quote any technical work before it begins.
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Appointments run Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm. Your confirmation is emailed straight away.
Four London offices
Work with us entirely online, or sit down with your accountant at whichever office suits you. Open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm. Office visits are by appointment only, so please book before coming in.
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Pick a time that suits you and a qualified accountant will call you about your company, deadlines and fees.
Appointments run monday to friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm. Your confirmation is emailed straight away.
