UK company formation costs · 2026 guide

How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Limited Company in the UK?

The standard Companies House fee is £100 for digital incorporation or £124 for a postal application. Your real starting budget may be higher if you need a registered-office service, professional advice, tailored company documents or ongoing accounting support.

Fees checked 10 September 2026 Based on current Companies House guidance Approx. 10-minute read

£100 Current standard digital filing fee

The short answer

UK limited company formation starts at £100

If you form a standard private limited company digitally through Companies House, the government incorporation fee is £100. A paper application costs £124. Those figures cover registration; they do not automatically include an agent, address service, banking, bookkeeping, accounting, insurance or licences.

£100 Standard digital incorporation

£124 Postal incorporation

£156 Same-day incorporation through compatible software

If you want support preparing the application and coordinating the surrounding requirements, see First Elite Global’s UK limited company formation service.

Companies House charges

Official UK company registration fees in 2026

The following statutory fees apply from 1 February 2026. Always check the latest Companies House fee schedule before filing, because government fees can change.

Companies House incorporation and confirmation-statement fees checked on 10 September 2026.
Filing	Route	Official fee	Typical processing information
Incorporation	Online or software	£100	Usually within 24 hours for the standard online service
Incorporation	Paper	£124	Usually 8–10 days
Same-day incorporation	Software only	£156	Same-day service, subject to the applicable filing route and conditions
Confirmation statement	Online or software	£50	Payable with the first confirmation statement in each 12-month payment period
Confirmation statement	Paper	£110	Paper filing takes longer than the online route

The confirmation-statement charge is an ongoing Companies House fee, not part of the initial £100 incorporation fee.

Build a realistic budget

What can increase the total company formation cost?

The cheapest route may be enough for a straightforward company using the standard online service and model articles. More complex companies—and founders who need practical support—can incur additional costs.

Costs connected to the application

Companies House incorporation fee
Formation-agent or professional-service fee
Registered office or director service address
Tailored articles or shareholder arrangements
Document certification, translation or legalisation where relevant

Costs connected to operating

Bookkeeping and accounting support
Payroll or VAT administration where applicable
Business insurance
Sector licences or regulatory permissions
Software, website, premises and banking charges

Do not treat every item above as mandatory. For example, a business may not need premises, VAT registration, payroll or specialised legal documents. The correct total is the cost of the requirements that apply to your structure and operating plan.

International founders

Does UK company formation cost more for a non-resident?

Companies House does not require a director to live in the UK. The company must, however, have an appropriate registered office address in the UK jurisdiction where it is incorporated: England and Wales, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The government incorporation fee does not change simply because a director lives overseas. The overall cost may nevertheless be higher if the company needs a registered-office service, director service address, mail handling, document certification, tax advice or help preparing evidence for banking and compliance checks.

The UK address requirement

The registered office must be a physical and appropriate UK address in the company’s jurisdiction. A Royal Mail PO Box on its own cannot be used.

Banking is separate

Incorporation creates the company, but it does not guarantee a UK business bank account. Banks and payment providers apply their own identity, residency, activity and risk checks.

International founders can review the dedicated guide to UK company formation for non-residents. Formation, tax residence, personal tax and banking are separate questions, so obtain appropriate professional advice where your activity crosses borders.

Prepare before filing

What information is needed to set up a limited company?

For a typical private company limited by shares, you should be ready to provide or decide the following:

Proposed company name
UK registered office address
Registered email address
Business activity and SIC code
At least one eligible director
Shareholder details
People with significant control
Share classes and statement of capital
Articles of association
Identity-verification details where required

A shareholder can also be a director. A private limited company does not normally have to appoint a company secretary. If you register through the standard online service, the memorandum of association is created automatically from the information submitted. Form IN01 is the paper application form rather than an additional document every online applicant must separately complete.

A major 2025–26 change

Allow for Companies House identity verification

Identity verification became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025 and is being introduced through a transition process. Directors and individual people with significant control may need to verify their identity and use the personal code issued by Companies House for the relevant role or filing.

Verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. An Authorised Corporate Service Provider may also verify an individual and may charge for its service. Requirements and due dates depend on the person’s role and whether the company is new or already registered.

Before submitting an application, check the current Companies House identity-verification guidance and make sure every required person can complete the relevant step.

From decision to incorporation

How the UK limited company formation process works

Confirm that a limited company is suitable

Compare the company route with alternatives such as operating as a sole trader. Consider liability, ownership, administration, tax and how profits will be taken.
Choose the company structure

Decide whether the company will be limited by shares or guarantee, identify the directors and owners, and agree the share structure where applicable.
Check the name and addresses

Check company-name rules and existing trade marks. Confirm an appropriate registered office, registered email and service addresses.
Identify directors, shareholders and PSCs

Collect accurate personal and control information and complete identity verification where it is required.
Prepare the formation information

Select the SIC code, define shares or guarantees, and decide whether model articles are suitable or tailored articles are needed.
Submit and pay the filing fee

File through the appropriate digital, software or paper route. Companies House will issue a certificate of incorporation if the application is accepted.
Complete the post-formation tasks

Set up company records, banking and accounting processes, and deal with Corporation Tax, PAYE, VAT, insurance or licences where they apply.

Budget beyond day one

What does it cost to maintain a UK limited company?

There is no universal annual total. A dormant one-person company and an active employer with VAT, payroll and international transactions have very different compliance needs. Separate the fixed Companies House charges from professional fees and taxes.

Confirmation statement

At least one must be filed every 12 months. The current fee is £50 online or £110 by paper for the first statement in the payment period.

First accounts

First accounts are normally due at Companies House 21 months after incorporation.

Later annual accounts

A private company normally files annual accounts within nine months of its financial year end.

Corporation Tax

Payment is generally due nine months and one day after the accounting period ends. The Company Tax Return is generally due 12 months after that period ends.

Your operating budget may also include bookkeeping, annual accounts preparation, Company Tax Return preparation, payroll, VAT submissions and specialist advice. These are not fixed Companies House prices, so obtain a scope based on the company’s actual activity and transaction volume.

Choose the right route

Should you register directly or use a formation agent?

Direct registration can suit a straightforward company when the founders understand the structure, information and ongoing responsibilities. Professional support becomes more valuable when the circumstances are less standard or the founders want the formation coordinated with addresses and post-registration tasks.

Direct registration may suit you when:

The ownership and share structure are simple
Model articles meet the company’s needs
You already have appropriate UK addresses
You understand the public-register implications
You can manage filing and compliance deadlines

Professional support may help when:

Directors or shareholders live overseas
There are multiple owners or share classes
A corporate shareholder is involved
Address or document support is required
You want connected post-formation guidance

An agent’s fee should be assessed against the exact work included—not merely the fact that an application is being filed. Ask who prepares the information, what documents and addresses are included, which renewals apply, and what happens after incorporation.

Practical next step

Ask for an itemised company formation proposal

Before committing, write down the intended business activity, directors, shareholders, ownership percentages, UK address position and where the founders live. Then request a proposal that separates:

Companies House fee
Professional formation fee
Registered-office service
Director address service
Document preparation
Mail handling or forwarding
Post-formation support
Annual renewal charges

This produces a more useful comparison than a package headline because it shows both the initial payment and the costs that may recur after the company is formed.