Updated August 11, 2020: 

What Does LTD Mean

What does LTD mean? “LTD” is the abbreviation for “limited company.” A limited company is a type of corporation that limits the personal liability of the corporation’s shareholders. It’s attached to companies operating in the United Kingdom, India, and Australia. It can have one or more members/shareholders who buy a part of the business. These members can easily transfer their ownership of the business.

State law requires corporations to adopt certain endings or abbreviations depending on what they incorporate as. An LTD is similar to an LLC in the United States. In fact, certain states allow LTD to be used in place of LLC or limited partnership. Both limit the personal liability of a corporation's members and shareholders, and both enjoy certain tax benefits. In the United Kingdom, an LTD is assumed to be privately held.

One of the benefits of forming an LTD is that if a business incorporates as an LTD, other businesses or establishments assume that is a more reliable company.

What is the Difference Between a Public Limited Company and a Private Limited Company?

A limited company may be classified as either "private" (Pvt Ltd.) or "public" (PLC or Ltd.), and there are significant differences between the two forms.

With a private limited company:

  • Shares may not be offered to the general public and therefore cannot be traded on a public stock exchange.
  • The company's shareholders usually consist of a close group of friends and relatives and shareholders cannot transfer their shares without the consent of other investors.
  • Company must have at least two shareholders, and the maximum number of shareholders is also limited (usually to around 50 individuals).
  • Disclosure requirements are less stringent than those for a public company.

A public limited company:

  • Company can raise money by publicly selling shares on the stock market.
  • Shareholders can transfer their shares freely.
  • Company must have a minimum number of shareholders, but in this case, the number is much higher (usually around 50 individuals), and there is no maximum limit.

A private limited company is a corporate version of a partnership firm whereas a public limited company is a full-fledged corporate entity.

Liabilities in a Limited Company

Similar to an LLC, a limited company is its own distinct legal body that is distinguishable from its members. The members’ finances are separate from the business’s finances, and both are taxed separately. All of the profits are owned by the business, and it must pay taxes on them. It also must divvy out a portion to the members as dividends and can keep the rest for business expenses.

The benefit of forming a limited company is that the members are protected from being held personally liable for any actions of the business. For example, if a business goes bankrupt or is involved in litigation, the members cannot be personally liable for the debt or any litigation damages. Their personal assets will remain protected.

If a company does go bankrupt, the members will not be held liable unless they have any unpaid shares.

Limited Company Taxes

Just like an LLC in the United States, a limited company in the United Kingdom enjoys certain tax benefits. For example, they receive capital gains tax-free allowances. However, the profits, whether earned or retained, are subject to the corporation tax and the LTD’s director must also pay income tax, similar to a partnership.

In addition, limited companies must create a pay as you earn system in order to pay income taxes and insurance contributions to any employees.

If you need help with your LTD, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel’s marketplace.UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.