By
August 23, 2026
How Much Does It Cost to Start a UK Company?
Starting a UK limited company can be relatively inexpensive. As of 2026, the official Companies House online incorporation fee is £100. Paper registration costs £124.
However, the registration fee is only one part of the potential cost. Depending on how you set up and operate your business, you may also need to budget for a registered office, accounting, business banking, insurance, a website and other operating expenses.
The standard Companies House fees are currently:
Online incorporation: £100
Paper incorporation: £124
Same-day incorporation through compatible software: £156
Companies House increased the digital incorporation fee from £50 to £100 on 1 February 2026.
For most straightforward private limited companies, registering online is the simplest option.
When your company is successfully incorporated, you receive a certificate of incorporation confirming that the company legally exists. It includes your company number and incorporation date.
When registering, you will also provide information including your company name, registered office, directors, shareholders and people with significant control where applicable.
Companies House says online applications are usually processed within 24 hours, although complex applications can take longer.
No.
You can register a straightforward private limited company directly through Companies House without using a formation agent.
Register a UK limited company with Companies House
Formation agents may charge additional fees for services such as registered office addresses, mail forwarding, company documents or assistance with the incorporation process.
These services can be useful in some circumstances, but they are not automatically required.
Every UK limited company needs an appropriate registered office address.
If you already have a suitable address, there may be no additional cost.
If you don't have an appropriate address or don't want to use your own address where permitted, you may choose to pay for a registered office service.
The price will depend on the provider and services included.
After incorporation, many companies open a dedicated business account to separate company finances from personal finances.
The cost varies considerably. Depending on the account, there could be:
For companies trading internationally, currency conversion costs can sometimes be more important than the monthly account fee.
A business receiving and paying in GBP, EUR and USD may therefore want to consider a multicurrency business account.
Accounting is another potential cost when starting a company.
The amount depends heavily on the complexity of the business.
A company with a small number of transactions may have relatively simple accounting requirements, while an e-commerce company processing thousands of transactions across Amazon, Shopify, eBay and Etsy may require more extensive bookkeeping and reconciliation.
Potential accounting costs can include bookkeeping, annual accounts, Corporation Tax returns, VAT returns and payroll.
You can perform some accounting and filing tasks yourself, but directors remain responsible for ensuring that the company's legal and filing obligations are met.
The real cost of starting a company depends on what the business actually needs.
A new company may need to budget for:
Company registration — Companies House incorporation fee.
Registered office — if you need a third-party address service.
Business account — depending on the account and transaction requirements.
Accounting or bookkeeping — depending on whether you manage this yourself or use professional assistance.
Website and domain — particularly for online businesses.
Business insurance — depending on your activities and risks.
Software — accounting, e-commerce, CRM and other business applications.
Marketing — advertising, SEO, social media and other customer-acquisition costs.
Stock or equipment — where required by the business model.
The company itself may therefore be inexpensive to incorporate, while the cost of actually launching the business can be considerably higher.
UK companies generally need to submit a confirmation statement to Companies House at least once every 12 months.
As of 2026, the digital confirmation statement fee is £50. A paper confirmation statement costs £110.
The confirmation statement is separate from the company's annual accounts and tax obligations.
Technically, £100 can cover the basic online Companies House incorporation fee for a straightforward private limited company.
But £100 should not be considered the total cost of starting and operating a business.
For example, you may still need money for a domain, website, registered office service, business account, accounting software, insurance, stock, advertising and other expenses.
The required startup capital therefore depends far more on the type of business than on the incorporation fee itself.
The official Companies House incorporation fee is not a special higher fee simply because a director lives overseas.
However, non-UK residents may incur additional practical costs.
For example, they may require a UK registered office service and could need additional professional, banking or administrative services.
Opening a suitable business account can also require additional verification where directors or shareholders live overseas.
A private company limited by shares needs shareholders and shares, but this doesn't mean you need to deposit thousands of pounds into a bank account simply to incorporate an ordinary company.
Many small companies are established with a relatively small amount of nominal share capital.
The appropriate share structure depends on the ownership and circumstances of the company.
For a straightforward business, one of the lowest-cost approaches is:
Register directly with Companies House → use an existing suitable registered office address → open a suitable business account → keep unnecessary subscriptions and services to a minimum.
The official online incorporation cost is currently £100.
Additional services should be selected according to what the company genuinely needs rather than automatically purchasing a large formation package.
It currently costs £100 to register a UK limited company online directly with Companies House. Paper incorporation costs £124, while eligible same-day incorporation through software costs £156.
However, the real cost of starting a UK company can be higher once you include:
Company registration + registered office + business account + accounting + website + insurance + software + marketing + operating expenses.
For a simple business, startup costs can remain relatively low. For an e-commerce or international company, costs may increase because of payment processing, marketplace fees, advertising, international transfers and currency conversion.
How much does it cost to register a UK company online?
The Companies House digital incorporation fee is currently £100.
How much does it cost to register a UK company by post?
The current paper incorporation fee is £124.
Can I register a UK company myself?
Yes. You can register directly through the official Companies House service without using a formation agent.
Do I need an accountant to start a UK company?
You don't have to appoint an accountant simply to incorporate a standard limited company, although professional assistance may be useful depending on the company's accounting and tax requirements.
How much is the annual confirmation statement?
The current digital Companies House confirmation statement fee is £50.
Can a non-UK resident start a UK company?
A UK company can have directors who live overseas, subject to the applicable incorporation, identity-verification, address and company-law requirements.
