UK Company Formation & Registrations | Companies MadeSimple

Set-Up a UK Limited Company Online For Only £14.99

Cheaper than the £50 fee at Companies House
No limit on the number of directors and shareholders
Get your certificate of incorporation in as little as one business day
Prioritised referral to Barclays Business Banking. No monthly account fee for your first 12 months*

The Smarter Way to Register Your Company

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Transparent Pricing Promise

One simple fee of £14.99 includes everything you need to register, even the £50 Companies House filing fee. No hidden costs. What you see is what you pay.

Trusted, Compliant Setup

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) with over 20 years experience, we handle all ID checks to ensure full compliance with ID verification regulations securely and reliably.

Prioritised Bank Referral

Get a fast-tracked referral to Barclays Business Banking. Get business managers to help you build your business, free digital banking, and no monthly account fee for your first 12 months*

Seamless Management & Support

Access our online admin portal for hassle-free company management, plus enjoy unlimited 24/7 customer support.

Transparent Pricing Promise

One simple fee of £14.99 includes everything you need to register, even the £50 Companies House filing fee. No hidden costs. What you see is what you pay.
Trusted, Compliant Setup

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) with over 20 years experience, we handle all ID checks to ensure full compliance with ID verification regulations securely and reliably.
Prioritised Bank Referral

Get a fast-tracked referral to Barclays Business Banking. Get business managers to help you build your business, free digital banking, and no monthly account fee for your first 12 months*
Seamless Management & Support

Access our online admin portal for hassle-free company management, plus enjoy unlimited 24/7 customer support.

Why Choose Companies MadeSimple?

Trusted Industry Leader for Over 20 Years

For more than 20 years, we’ve helped people incorporate their businesses simply and smoothly. We've worked with Companies House since 2002, so we know how to make your setup simple, fast, and hassle-free.

1 Million+ Companies Formed

We've formed over 1 million companies to date (and counting!). Trusted by startups, freelancers, and founders across the UK and rated Excellent on Trustpilot, we're the UK's go-to company formation experts.

Customer-First, UK Based Support

We support you through every step of the company registration process, taking care of the hard parts so you can focus on your big idea. Need help? We’re just a call, email, or chat away. No scripts, no runarounds, just friendly, reliable support when you need it most.

Barclays Business Banking: More Than Just a Bank

Barclays Business Banking is not like a lot of other banks – they offer a human touch, as well as over 300 years’ experience. This means they can support you in those vital early months of starting your business, and help it flourish beyond that. It’s because of this, over 900,000 businesses choose to bank with them.

The Barclays business current account gives you:

Business managers to help you build your business
Free digital banking, and no monthly account fee for your first 12 months*
Discounts on partner services4 worth over £5,000
Everyday banking from wherever you are with our app

Choose Barclays - because your business deserves a partner not just a bank.

Does a Limited Company Need a Business Bank Account?

Yes. If you run a limited company, you’ll need a business bank account. That’s because your company is a separate legal entity, so its finances have to be kept completely separate from your personal money.

But it’s not just about ticking the legal boxes. A business bank account can make managing your company’s money much easier. Think built-in tools for accounting and payroll, receipt scanning, and real-time updates on how your business is doing financially.

Prefer to choose another bank?

No problem. This formation package includes a referral to Barclays Business Banking, ideal if you're looking to get started quickly with a trusted name in business banking.

But if you’ve got another bank in mind, you’re free to choose a different package that better suits your preferences. We’ve got a range of options available, so you can choose the one that fits your business best.

Need A Registered Office Address?

We’ve got you covered! Use our London address as your company’s official registered office, keeping your home address private and giving your business a professional edge.

You can choose it as an add on during your formation process, or choose another package that includes the Registered Office service from the start. It’s fully compliant with Companies House and helps you meet all regulatory requirements by providing a physical UK address where your company can securely receive official post.

Ready to register your company now?

Take the first step toward launching your business today.

Get Started Now

Our Frequently Asked Questions

Here, you will find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

If you still can't find the answer to your question, why not try our virtual assistant?

Common Mistakes we will look out for

Company Name Availability
Spelling of Company Name
Date of Birth
Service and Residential Address Format
Residential Address Country
Supporting Documents
M&As

Please Note: This service is not a guarantee that the company will not get rejected but does incredibly reduce the risk of it.

Form your limited company quickly and easily in just 4 simple steps:

Search for your company name using our name availabiliy tool.
Select one of our company formation packages.
Buy the package of your choice to release the correct application.
Complete the company formation application online.

You'll be able to review all your company details to ensure they're correct, then submit your company registration to Companies House.

Please Note: We will need to conduct an ID check as part of Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer regulations. Please click here for more information.

You can form a UK Limited company, even if you do not live in the UK or if you're a non-UK national. The director and shareholders can be of any nationality and live anywhere in the world.

A UK limited company must have a UK registered office address. Companies MadeSimple provides numerous packages that can help you get started.

Our International Package is the ideal solution for overseas customers looking to form a UK Limited company. It includes the option to use our address as the company's registered office, plus you can also open a Wise borderless account.

There is no legal obligation for a limited company to open a business bank account but it is highly recommended for some of the following reasons;

Legal and Financial Clarity: A limited company is a separate legal entity, meaning its finances must be kept distinct from your personal finances. A business bank account makes this separation clear.

Ease of Accounting: Keeping company income and expenses separate simplifies bookkeeping and filing annual accounts with HMRC and Companies House.

Professionalism: Using a business account for transactions gives a more professional impression to clients and partners.

Tax Compliance: Mixing personal and business finances can complicate your tax reporting and increase the risk of errors or scrutiny from HMRC.

Choosing a company name

When choosing your company name, you want to make sure the company name is not too similar to another whilst also remaining professional and avoiding any offensive terms. Check that your company name does not infringe upon any existing trademarks and if it includes any sensitive words, ensure that you obtain any required supporting documents and upload them to your application.

Tools to help with the above criteria:

Companies House name availability checker

Intellectual Property Office (IPO) trademark search tool

Sensitive Word List (Annex A, B and C)

Limited or LTD

Your name must end with "Limited" or "Ltd" (or their Welsh equivalents) unless you're registering as a charity or certain other organisations.

Registering a company name

You’ll officially register your company name as part of the incorporation process with Companies House. We can help you with that, Register today!

Other helpful articles for choosing the right company name.
Tips for Choosing the Right Name
Choosing a Company Name
Reserve A Company Name Service

When forming a private limited company in the UK, you will need to have the following:

A unique company name that is available to register at Companies House
A UK registered office address. Most of Companies MadeSimple formation packages includes this service to help protect your home address from appearing online.
Details of all the officers of your company (e.g. Directors and Shareholders). Full names, Addresses, date of births, nationalities are all example of the type of information you will be required to know.

Having this information prepared in advance will streamline the company formation process. For more information as to what is required please see:

What Details do I Need to Form a Limited Company? (Limited by Shares)

It can generally take up to 24 hours to form a limited company at Companies House whether done through our portal or directly through the registrar. This can sometimes be longer as it is subject to their workload and whether there are any sensitive words in your company name or other areas to investigate further.

Companies Made Simple offer a "registration review" product to help minimise the risk of rejection and to help speed the process up for formation of your company.

You can start trading with your new UK limited company as soon as it is officially incorporated, meaning Companies House has approved your application and issued a Certificate of Incorporation. This confirms that your company is legally registered and ready to operate.

You may need to consider opening a business bank account, registering for corporation tax, VAT and PAYE registration amongst others before trading and suggest speaking to a business advisor if unsure how to proceed.

Companies MadeSimple is committed to ensuring payments are secure and can be made with ease, we currently accept all major credit and debit cards (including American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Maestro) and can also take renewable service payments via Direct Debit for extra security.

There are no additional costs required on top of the cost of the formation packages that is required in order to form your limited company.

Some packages may have annual (or monthly) renewal costs but these costs will be presented prior to money being charged and sufficient time will be provided to cancel or change the services if required.

Any queries about associated costs with any of our services, please contact Customers Services on 0207 608 5500 or email at [email protected].

Yes, every UK limited company is legally required to appoint at least one director. The director must be a real person (not a company) and at least 16 years old. They are responsible for managing the company and ensuring it complies with its legal obligations, such as filing accounts and annual confirmation statements with Companies House.

If desired, you can also appoint additional directors or corporate directors (other companies), but the minimum requirement of one human director must still be met.

A limited company must issue a minimum of one share. If there is more than one shareholder, at least one share must be issued to each shareholder. However, many companies choose to issue more than the minimum number of shares, such as 100 or 1,000, as this provides greater flexibility for dividing ownership or allocating additional shares in the future without needing to issue new ones.

Yes, you can register a UK limited company on your own. A UK limited company can be set up with just one person who acts as both the sole director (runs the business) and the sole shareholder (owns the business).

This answer represents the majority of limited company formations in the UK with a Limited by Shares structure.

UK company officers will be required to provide 2 addresses to Companies House upon forming a limited company. They must provide a residential address and a correspondence/ service address. The residential address will not appear on the public register at Companies House, the correspondence/ service address however will so unless the home address is used as the service address of the officer, this will not appear online.

Companies MadeSimple offers a service address service within its Registered Office product to allow officers to use our prestigious address to appear online and protect their privacy. We offer this service within the majority of our formation packages.

Terms & Conditions

This offer is only available to individuals who are aged 18 or over and are physically resident in the United Kingdom.

*Businesses with existing Barclays Business Accounts aren’t eligible for 12 months no monthly account fee. After 12 months, you’ll pay £8.50 per month. Fees
and charges will apply in line with the business account tariff which may be subject to change.

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Set-Up a UK Limited Company Online For Only £14.99

The Smarter Way to Register Your Company

Transparent Pricing Promise

Trusted, Compliant Setup

Prioritised Bank Referral

Seamless Management & Support

Why Choose Companies MadeSimple?

Trusted Industry Leader for Over 20 Years

1 Million+ Companies Formed

Customer-First, UK Based Support

Barclays Business Banking: More Than Just a Bank

Does a Limited Company Need a Business Bank Account?

Prefer to choose another bank?

Need A Registered Office Address?

Ready to register your company now?

Our Frequently Asked Questions

We're here to help

How Long does a Company Formation Take?

When will I receive my Incorporation Documents?

Can there by just one person listed as an officer of the company?

Can anyone look over my application before submission?

Common Mistakes we will look out for

What is the formation process with Companies MadeSimple?

Do I have to be in the UK to form a company?

Do I need a business bank account?

How do I choose and register a company name?

Choosing a company name

Limited or LTD

Registering a company name

What information do I need to set up a company?

How long does it take to register a company?

When can I start trading with my new company?

What payment methods do Companies MadeSimple accept?

Are there any hidden costs?

Do I need to appoint a director for my company?

How many shares do I need to issue?

Can I register a company on my own?

Will my address be publicly available?

Terms & Conditions