Fast UK company formation

Company formation is the process of legally incorporating a business as a limited company. It is also known as company incorporation and company registration. Rapid Formations is a leading company formation agent specialising in registering companies online at Companies House - the UK registrar of companies.

It could not be easier to set up a limited company or LLP with Rapid Formations. To start the company formation process, simply enter your company name into our name check tool, select a company formation package, add any address services you may require, proceed to checkout and pay, and take 5 minutes to complete your company details.

Yes. A limited company needs at least one director and one shareholder, and the same person can be both. There’s no need for a second director, a secretary, or any other officer.

If you are looking to set up a profit-making company, a private company limited by shares is normally the best type for you. It provides a wide range of benefits, including limited liability protection for its shareholders and the potential for tax savings. It is the most popular type of company, making up over 95% of all companies registered.

It normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete your company application on our website, and up to 24 hours for your company registration to be approved, although this can take longer, depending on Companies House's workload on the day.

If it’s essential your company is formed today, choose our Same-Day Incorporation Service during checkout with any of our packages. This service is available Monday–Friday for orders received prior to 12:00 GMT.

Our packages start at £2.99 +VAT, plus the £100.00 Companies House fee (no VAT on the fee). That’s £103.59 all-in for our Basic Package. Registering directly with Companies House costs £100.00 but doesn’t include ID verification support, a pre-submission check, or a bank account introduction.

To set up a limited company, you simply need a company name, the company's business activity, a registered office address in the UK, and the details of the company directors (aged 16 or over), shareholders, and People with Significant Control (PSC). Company secretary is optional.

All directors and PSCs (normally anyone owning more than 25% of the shares) must verify their identity with Companies House before incorporation. As an ACSP we do this free, alongside our own anti-money-laundering checks.

For more information, please have a look at our Required Information Checklist.

It is not a legal requirement for a UK registered company to have a business bank account; however, in practice you will find it extremely hard to operate a business without its own bank account. Rapid Formations offers up to 8 business bank accounts with all company registration packages, including Barclays, Lloyds, Starling, Monzo, Zempler, and ANNA. We also offer a business banking solution for overseas customers who wish to set up a UK company - see our Non-Residents Packages for details.

Yes. Every director and PSC must be identity-verified with Companies House before a company can be incorporated. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we do this for you during your order, free of charge, usually in a few minutes.

Once verified, Companies House issues you a personal code. This is yours for life, not tied to the company. You’ll use it for every future appointment, confirmation statement and filing, and for any other company you form or join. We store it securely in your Online Company Manager.

We also carry out our own anti-money-laundering checks, as required by HMRC. See our ID Requirements.

A limited company is a business structure that is legally separate from its owners - usually the shareholders and subscribers. The main benefit of registering this entity is to enjoy the status of 'limited liability' which means the owners are not personally liable for the financial losses of the business. Other benefits are enhanced corporate image, tax efficiency, investment and lending opportunities, and ease of selling the business.

Yes. The law allows people from outside the UK to set up a company in the UK. There is no need for you, or anyone else in the company, to live or work in the UK.

Yes, you will need a UK address to act as your company’s registered office address. A registered office address is the company’s ‘official’ legal address. It has a range of purposes, including receiving government and legal mail. Rapid Formations offers a Registered Office Service that’s perfect for protecting your privacy, bolstering your company’s credibility and ensuring you always have a legally compliant UK-based address.

Anyone aged 16 or over who is not disqualified, an undischarged bankrupt, or subject to a debt relief order. There is no requirement to be a UK resident or citizen. Every director must verify their identity with Companies House, which we do free of charge during your order. A company can have as many directors as it likes, but at least one must be an individual rather than another company.

No. Private limited companies have not needed a company secretary since 2008. You can appoint one if you want, and we include the option in the application, but most small companies don’t. If you do appoint a secretary, they must be identified to Companies House but do not need to verify their identity.

SIC codes (short for ‘Standard Industrial Classification’ codes) are a set of pre-defined codes representing activities a company can undertake. Each company must select between 1 and 4 of these codes to best describe what its activities will be. These codes are then reported to Companies House and made publicly available.

A company director is legally responsible for running the company and making sure it meets its obligations under the Companies Act 2006. The duties fall into three groups.

1. Statutory duties to the company (Companies Act 2006, sections 171–177)

• Act within the company’s powers, as set out in its articles of association
• Promote the success of the company for the benefit of its shareholders
• Exercise independent judgement
• Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Not accept benefits from third parties
• Declare any interest in a proposed transaction or arrangement

2. Filing and reporting duties

• Verify your identity with Companies House and keep your personal code
• File a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months (£50 fee)
• File annual accounts with Companies House within 9 months of the financial year end
• File a Company Tax Return and pay Corporation Tax to HMRC within 9 months and 1 day of the year end
• Register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade
• Register for VAT if taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any 12-month period
• Register for PAYE before paying any employee, including yourself
• Keep Companies House informed of changes to directors, PSCs, the registered office and the registered email address, normally within 14 days
• Keep the company’s statutory registers and accounting records up to date

3. Ongoing legal duties

• Keep the company solvent and, if it can’t pay its debts, act in the interests of creditors
• Comply with health and safety, employment, data protection and consumer law as they apply to the business
• Display the company name at its registered office and on its website, stationery and emails

Failure to meet these duties can result in late filing penalties (from £150 for accounts), prosecution, personal liability for company debts and disqualification from acting as a director for up to 15 years.

Our Hassle-Free Compliance Service covers the Companies House filings so you can focus on the business.

Once your company is formed, it will be automatically registered for Corporation Tax. HMRC will usually send your Corporation Tax Number (referred to as the ‘Unique Taxpayer Reference’) within 2 weeks of your company’s incorporation. VAT registration, on the other hand, is not automatic. You must register for VAT if you expect your taxable turnover to go over £90,000 within the next 30 days. You can also register earlier, if you want to.

Hundreds of thousands of UK companies are dissolved every year, so if you decide you no longer need yours, it’s a routine process. Rapid Formations can dissolve your company for £89.99 +VAT. Find out more about our Company Dissolution Service.

For peace of mind in the first year, you can add 12-month cancellation protection for £14.99 at checkout.

We are one of the UK’s leading company formation agents, authorised by Companies House and a member of ACRA, the Association of Company Registration Agents. We provide our clients with online incorporation and the following address services: registered office, service address and business mail forwarding address. We are able to deliver documents to Companies House electronically, allowing you to register a limited company online, without the need for paper forms to sign and post.

Yes, Rapid Formations is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), authorised to perform ID checks and submit company documentation for clients in line with Companies House rules.

Our accreditation means we follow rigorous anti-money-laundering and due diligence standards, providing a reliable and secure formation service. It also ensures that when you set up a company through us, your identification is verified with Companies House as part of the process.