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Company setup cost in the United Kingdom

Official fees, firms' starting prices and registration time, with the source of every figure.

Company setup cost

United Kingdom

Setup cost GBP 178 to 288 about EUR 212 to 344
First year in total GBP 834 to 1,920 about EUR 996 to 2,290
Registration time About 1 day once the application is complete

Official fees of the base option plus the starting prices published by firms for the services switched on below.

Get your detailed report and quotes from firms in the United Kingdom

Services from a firm

Starting prices published by firms on Accountanty, one price per firm. Most firms do not say whether government fees are included.

  • GBP 78 to GBP 188 one-offStarting prices published by 38 firms
  • GBP 564 to GBP 1,410 per yearStarting prices published by 63 firms
  • GBP 42 to GBP 170 per yearStarting prices published by 15 firms
  • Price on requestFewer than 5 firms publish a price (1)
  • GBP 57 to GBP 89 per yearStarting prices published by 8 firms
  • GBP 57 to GBP 134 one-offStarting prices published by 8 firms
  • Price on requestFewer than 5 firms publish a price (1)

Breakdown of the estimate

Companies House incorporation fee (online or software)GBP 100Official, at setupgov.uk
Confirmation statement fee (online or software)GBP 50Official, every yeargov.uk
Company formation by a firmGBP 78 to GBP 188Firms, one-offStarting prices published by 38 firms
Accounting and annual accounts (small company)GBP 564 to GBP 1,410Firms, per yearStarting prices published by 63 firms
Registered office or legal addressGBP 42 to GBP 170Firms, per yearStarting prices published by 15 firms
Company secretaryPrice on requestFirms, per yearFewer than 5 firms publish a price (1)
Annual return or annual report filingGBP 57 to GBP 89Firms, per yearStarting prices published by 8 firms
VAT registrationGBP 57 to GBP 134Firms, one-offStarting prices published by 8 firms
Bank account opening assistancePrice on requestFirms, one-offFewer than 5 firms publish a price (1)

Base: online incorporation and online confirmation statement.

Get your detailed report and quotes from firms in the United Kingdom

We email you a PDF with the official fees and their sources, the firms' starting prices, the steps, the documents, the yearly obligations and the firms offering company formation in the United Kingdom. We also share your request with firms we select there, who may contact you with quotes.

Taxes in the United Kingdom

Your country of residence may tax the dividends you receive, and it may also tax the company's profits under its rules on foreign companies controlled by its residents. A company managed from your country may be treated as resident there. This is general information, not tax advice.

Corporate tax

  • For the financial year starting 1 April 2026: small profits rate 19% for profits up to GBP 50,000, main rate 25% for profits over GBP 250,000, Marginal Relief in between with a standard fraction of 3/200. gov.uk
  • Marginal Relief reduces the tax by the standard fraction applied to the difference between the upper limit and the company's augmented profits (Corporation Tax Act 2010, section 18B). legislation.gov.uk
  • The GBP 50,000 and GBP 250,000 limits are divided by one plus the number of associated companies, and reduced for accounting periods shorter than 12 months. gov.uk

Tax on dividends paid abroad

  • UK companies do not deduct income tax from the dividends they pay. gov.uk
  • From 2026-27, UK dividend income is not taxable for most non-UK residents, except individuals who also have other taxable UK income. gov.uk

VAT

  • VAT standard rate 20%, reduced rate 5%, zero rate 0%. gov.uk
  • Registration is required when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over GBP 90,000, or is expected to in the next 30 days. gov.uk
  • A business based outside the UK that supplies goods or services to the UK must register for VAT whatever its turnover. gov.uk

Try a yearly profit

Assumption: one shareholder, an individual who is not resident in the United Kingdom, holds 100% of the company; the company has no associated companies and a 12-month accounting period.

Paid out as dividends

Destination taxes only, before tax treaties and before any tax in your country of residence.

Corporate tax in the United KingdomGBP 22,750 (22.8%)
Dividend paidGBP 77,250
Tax withheld in the United Kingdom on the dividendGBP 0
Dividend received, before any tax in your countryGBP 77,250
Profit kept in the companyGBP 0
  • Between GBP 50,000 and GBP 250,000 the figure applies Marginal Relief with the 3/200 fraction to a company without dividend income from other companies.

Tax facts checked on 2026-10-23 from the official sources linked above. Rates change: check them with a firm before you act.

How the estimate is built

What the figures include

  • Firms' figures are starting prices published by firms listed on Accountanty, read from their websites in October 2026: the range runs from the lower to the upper quartile, with at least 8 firms; "from" means 5 to 7 firms; below 5 the price is on request.
  • Official fees are added up only for the base option named in the breakdown. Other options and fees that apply only in some cases are listed separately.
  • Euro amounts are approximate: Euro equivalents at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-22; AED and SAR via their US dollar pegs.

All official fees

Companies House incorporation fee (online or software)GBP 100At setupgov.uk
Companies House incorporation fee (paper form IN01, only if filed by post)GBP 124At setupgov.uk
Confirmation statement fee (online or software)GBP 50Every yeargov.uk
Confirmation statement fee (paper, only if filed on paper)GBP 110Every yeargov.uk

Not published by the authorities: Identity verification through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (the agent sets its own charge; GOV.UK One Login is free).

Time to register: Online registration is usually done within 24 hours; postal applications take 8 to 10 days. Minimum share capital: At least one shareholder taking at least one share; a share can have any value, for example GBP 1.

Steps

  1. Choose a company name, a SIC code and the shareholders, directors and people with significant control gov.uk
  2. Each director and person with significant control verifies their identity and gets a Companies House personal code gov.uk
  3. Arrange a UK registered office address and a registered email address gov.uk
  4. Register the company with Companies House online and pay the GBP 100 fee gov.uk
  5. Receive the 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference and add Corporation Tax to the business tax account gov.uk
  6. Tell HMRC the company is active within 3 months of starting its tax accounting period gov.uk

Documents and requirements

  • Memorandum of association gov.uk
  • Articles of association gov.uk
  • Statement of capital gov.uk
  • Details of people with significant control, which cannot be left blank gov.uk
  • At least one director aged 16 or over; directors do not have to live in the UK gov.uk
  • The company must have a UK registered office: a physical address in the UK, not a Royal Mail PO Box gov.uk
  • A company secretary is not needed for a private limited company gov.uk
  • Identity verification of directors and people with significant control is a legal requirement since 18 November 2025 gov.uk
  • Directors must give a service address, which is publicly available gov.uk

Every year

  • At least one confirmation statement every 12 months, filed up to 14 days after the review period ends gov.uk
  • First accounts due 21 months after registration; later accounts 9 months after the financial year ends gov.uk
  • Company Tax Return due 12 months after the accounting period ends; Corporation Tax paid 9 months and 1 day after it ends gov.uk
  • Audit exemption possible with at least 2 of: turnover up to GBP 15 million, assets up to GBP 7.5 million, 50 or fewer employees gov.uk
  • Late accounts penalties for a private company: GBP 150 up to 1 month late, rising to GBP 1,500 after 6 months gov.uk

What the cost of a company in the United Kingdom is made of

The government part of the cost to register a company in the UK is small and fixed. Companies House charges GBP 100 to incorporate a private limited company online, or GBP 124 if form IN01 goes by post. Online registration is usually done within 24 hours, while a postal application takes 8 to 10 days.

The rest comes from services a founder abroad tends to buy. A UK registered office is compulsory and must be a physical address, not a Royal Mail PO Box: 15 firms publish yearly starting prices between GBP 42 and GBP 170 for it. Identity checks for directors and people with significant control are a legal duty since 18 November 2025; GOV.UK One Login is free, while an Authorised Corporate Service Provider sets its own charge.

Starting prices for the formation itself, published by 38 firms, sit between GBP 78 and GBP 188 at the quartiles. Some of these sit below the Companies House fee, and 32 of the 38 firms do not say whether that fee is included, so ask before comparing.

After the first year, the confirmation statement costs GBP 50 online, and the accounts and the Company Tax Return need preparing: 63 firms publish yearly accounting starting prices from GBP 564 to GBP 1,410. Directors do not have to live in the UK, and no company secretary is needed.

Tick the services you need in the calculator below to see both sets of figures together, or read the UK guide and company formation in the UK first.

Setup costs in the United Kingdom: questions and answers

Is the GBP 100 Companies House fee included in a formation package?

Sometimes. Of the 38 firms that publish a formation price, 4 say the fee is included, 2 say it is not and 32 do not say. Since some starting prices are lower than the fee itself, ask for the Companies House fee and the firm's own charge as two lines.

Do I need a UK address to register a company?

You need a UK registered office, which must be a physical address and cannot be a Royal Mail PO Box. You do not need to live in the UK yourself. Each director also gives a service address, which is publicly available, so decide early which address you want on the public record.

What does a UK company cost each year after registration?

The confirmation statement is GBP 50 online or GBP 110 on paper, filed at least once every 12 months. On top of that come annual accounts and the Company Tax Return, which an accountant can prepare for you, and the rent of a registered office address if you use one.

What happens if the accounts are filed late?

A private company pays a penalty of GBP 150 when its accounts are up to 1 month late, rising to GBP 1,500 after 6 months (GOV.UK). First accounts are due 21 months after registration, and later ones 9 months after the financial year ends, so put the dates in a calendar from the start.

Sources and notes

  1. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  2. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  3. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  4. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  5. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  6. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  7. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  8. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  9. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  10. gov.uk read 2026-10-13
  11. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  12. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  13. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  14. legislation.gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  15. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  16. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  17. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  18. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
  19. gov.uk read 2026-10-23
Compare 237 firms offering company formation in the UK Guide: setting up a company in the UK Compare: Ireland vs UK All destinations in the calculator

Official figures checked on 2026-10-23. General information, not legal or tax advice: check the official sources and confirm costs with a firm before you act.