Checklist: when you incorporate.

Most companies start with the model articles. Investors will usually ask for bespoke articles at the first round.

Register of members (shareholders), directors and persons with significant control. You can keep some registers on the public record at Companies House instead.

And record the shares in the register of members and your cap table.

Turn the tech founders’ agreement into a proper shareholders’ agreement: vesting, leaver provisions, decisions that need everyone’s consent, and what happens on a sale.

Every founder, freelancer or agency that created code, designs or content before incorporation should sign an IP assignment to the company. Investors check this in due diligence.

Set out each director’s role, time commitment and pay, if any.

Before you take customers or collect personal data online.

Keep company and personal money separate from day one.

Record income and expenses monthly. Your accountant and future investors will thank you.

Money you lend to, or take from, the company outside salary and dividends goes through it. Overdrawn balances can have tax consequences.

Register within three months of starting to do business, including buying, selling or advertising.

You must register when taxable turnover passes the VAT threshold (£90,000 a year at the time of writing). Registering voluntarily earlier can help if your customers are VAT-registered businesses and you have costs with VAT on them.

Including if the only person paid a salary is a director.

Most angels expect it.

Most organisations that process personal data must pay it.

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement once you employ staff. Consider professional indemnity, cyber and public liability insurance too.

Protect the brand in the UK and the markets you plan to enter.

Employers must automatically enrol eligible staff into a workplace pension.

EMI options are the usual choice for UK tech startups. Agree the option pool size with your co-founders before you hire.

File at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of the review period.

Your first accounts are usually due 21 months after the date of incorporation. Later accounts are due nine months after the year end.

Tax is usually payable nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period, and the return is due 12 months after it.

It defaults to the end of the month of incorporation. You can change it, for example to align with the tax year or your sales cycle.