Educational overview. Not legal advice.
Direct answer
Yes, trustees can own shares in a UK limited company on trust for beneficiaries. A UK express trust is not itself a Companies House “person” for PSC purposes: you file individuals who control the company (typically trustees/controllers) on the PSC register, and record trustee holdings on the members register. Whether a founder *should* put shares into a trust depends on goals (succession, institutional ownership, risk separation), tax position, and professional advice.
Blackbook educational sequence
Vault (trust) → Shield (HMRC TRS) → ownership pattern (often 95/5) → PSC accuracy.
Trust vs HoldCo (short)
- HoldCo: a company that owns another company
- Trust: trustees hold property for beneficiaries
They are not interchangeable. Some structures use both.