Number of buy-to-let limited companies incorporated in the UK 2007-2023

Buy-to-let limited companies have gained increasing popularity in the UK since 2007, with the number of incorporations reaching a record number in 2023. Before 2016, personal landlords could offset their mortgage interest before tax. Changes to Section 24 substituted this measure with a 20 percent tax credit, resulting in a substantial tax burden increase for higher-rate taxpayer landlords and, consecutively, the shift to limited companies as a preferred vehicle. Some of the benefits Ltd's offer include separating the firm's assets from its owners and investors, paying corporate tax instead of income tax, and offsetting mortgage payments and fees before tax. In 2023, approximately 50,000 buy-to-let companies were set up.