- The Companies House digital incorporation fee is £100 from 1 February 2026, up from £50.
- Registering directly is cheapest, but formation agents bundle the fee with compliance support for one transparent price.
- Identity verification has been mandatory for new directors and PSCs since 18 November 2025, and it adds a step rather than a fee.
From 1 February 2026 it costs £100 to register a company online with Companies House, double the old £50 fee.
That single statutory fee is the only payment the government requires to incorporate a limited company. Everything else, from a registered office to accounting at incorporation, is optional and depends on how much help you want.
If you use a formation package, the £100 fee is usually bundled into one price so there are no surprises at checkout.
How much does it cost to register a company in the UK?
It costs £100 to register a company online with Companies House from 1 February 2026, and that fee covers the incorporation itself with nothing else attached.
This is the statutory fee set by the government. It is the same whether you file it yourself or have an agent submit it on your behalf, because the agent simply passes it on at cost.
The price you actually pay at the till depends on the route you choose. Filing directly with Companies House costs you the £100 and your own time. Using an agent adds a service fee but bundles the compliance steps into one transparent figure.
The Companies House registration fee in full
The £100 figure applies to online filing, but Companies House charges different amounts depending on how you submit and how fast you need it.
Here are the current incorporation fees as of February 2026.
Filing method | Fee | Turnaround |
Online / software | £100 | Usually within 24 hours |
Paper (form IN01) | £124 | 8 to 10 days |
Same-day software | £156 | Same working day if filed before 11am |
Almost every new company files online, so £100 is the figure that matters for most founders. Paper filing is now the premium option and is rarely worth the extra cost or wait.
Same-day registration is only useful if you need the company live for a contract or bank deadline that day.
DIY vs using a formation agent: what you are paying for
Registering directly with Companies House is the cheapest route, but a formation agent adds compliance support and bundles the fee into one price.
If you file yourself, you complete the IN01 form, supply director and shareholder details, draft your articles, and pay the £100 fee directly. It is cheapest in pure cash terms, but you carry the admin and the risk of errors.
A formation agent charges a service fee on top of the £100 and handles the submission for you. Most agents also fold in extras like a registered office address, identity verification handling, and a first-year compliance check.
The honest position is simple. Registering directly is cheaper, but agents save you time and reduce the chance of a rejected application. You can read more on whether company formation agents are worth it for startups before deciding.
The realistic total cost of registering a company
The realistic cost of registering a company ranges from £100 if you do everything yourself to a few hundred pounds once optional extras are added.
The table below separates the statutory fee from the optional services, so you can see exactly where each pound goes.
Cost item | DIY | With an agent |
Companies House fee | £100 (you pay direct) | £100 (bundled into the price) |
Agent service fee | £0 | Included in package price |
Registered office address | Your own address, free | Often included |
Identity verification handling | You do it yourself | Usually handled for you |
Accounting at incorporation | Arranged separately | Often included |
If an agent quote does not split out the £100 Companies House fee from their own service fee, ask them to. A transparent provider will always show you the breakdown.
The key point for price-shoppers is that the £100 is fixed and unavoidable. The variation in total cost comes entirely from the optional extras, not the registration itself.
What changed in February 2026: the fee doubled
The Companies House digital incorporation fee doubled from £50 to £100 on 1 February 2026, so any older guide still quoting £50 is now out of date.
The increase applies to the incorporation date, not the date you submit the application. A company incorporated on or after 1 February 2026 pays the new fee even if the application went in earlier.
Companies House has said the increased income from fees will fund its enhanced powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, alongside its basic services. In practice, that means stronger fraud checks and the new identity verification regime.
Identity verification: a new step, not a new fee
Identity verification has been mandatory for new directors and people with significant control since 18 November 2025, and it adds a step to registration rather than a cost.
You verify your identity either directly through Companies House using GOV.UK One Login, or through an authorised agent. There is no separate Companies House charge for verifying directly.
If a formation agent handles verification for you as part of a package, that work may sit inside their service fee. Always check what is included so the step does not catch you out mid-application.
Registration cost vs ongoing running costs
The £100 registration fee is a one-off cost, but running a limited company brings ongoing charges you should budget for separately.
The most common recurring cost is the annual confirmation statement, which is £50 to file online from February 2026. On top of that, most companies pay for accounting, and many pay for a registered office or director service address each year.
Registering for corporation tax with HMRC carries no fee, so that part of getting started costs nothing.
For the full picture beyond setup, see the checklist of what to do after forming a company.
What’s included in our packages
Our formation packages bundle the £100 Companies House fee, identity verification handling, and the core compliance steps into one clear price.
Rather than charging the statutory fee, the registered office, and the admin separately, everything sits in a single figure so you know your total before you commit. That removes the hidden-fee anxiety that puts off most first-time founders.
You can compare what each tier covers and pick the level of support that suits how hands-on you want to be. The company setup checklist and a list of the documents you need to register will help you arrive ready.
How LTD Companies helps with company registration
Registering a company is straightforward once the cost is clear, and the only fixed fee is the £100 Companies House charge.
The hard part for most founders is not the fee itself but the uncertainty around what else they will be asked to pay. A transparent package solves that by putting every cost on the table up front.
LTD Companies bundles the statutory fee, identity verification, and your compliance essentials into one price, so you can register with confidence and no surprises.
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FAQs on registering a company in the UK
Is it cheaper to register directly with Companies House?
Yes. Filing directly costs only the £100 statutory fee, which is cheaper than using an agent. The trade-off is that you handle the IN01 form, articles, and identity verification yourself. An agent charges a service fee on top but bundles those steps and reduces the risk of a rejected application, which many founders find worth the extra cost.
Does the £100 fee include anything else?
No. The £100 covers the incorporation itself and nothing more. It does not include a registered office address, accounting, or any ongoing filings. Those are separate, optional services. If you see a higher headline price from a provider, the difference is their service fee plus any extras they have bundled in, not the Companies House charge.
Is there a fee to register for corporation tax?
No. Registering your new company for corporation tax with HMRC is free. You normally do this within three months of starting to trade, and it carries no charge. The only statutory cost tied to getting started is the £100 Companies House incorporation fee, so corporation tax registration adds nothing to your setup budget.
How much do formation agents charge?
Formation agents typically charge a service fee on top of the £100 Companies House fee, and packages range from budget to fully managed. A basic package may cost little more than the statutory fee, while a fuller package adds a registered office, identity verification handling, and accounting support. Always ask for the fee split so you can see the agent charge separately from the statutory cost.
Do I have to pay for identity verification?
No. Verifying your identity directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login is free. It became mandatory for new directors and people with significant control on 18 November 2025. If an agent handles verification for you, that work may sit inside their service fee, but the verification itself carries no separate Companies House charge.
How long does it take to register a company?
Online registration is usually completed within 24 hours, which is why most founders file digitally. Paper applications take roughly 8 to 10 days. If you need the company incorporated the same day, the same-day software service costs £156 and must be filed before 11am on a working day. Identity verification should be completed beforehand to avoid delays.
Why did the company registration fee go up in 2026?
The digital incorporation fee doubled from £50 to £100 on 1 February 2026 to fund Companies House’s expanded powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. That includes the new identity verification regime and stronger fraud checks. The fee applies to companies incorporated on or after that date, regardless of when the application was originally submitted.
