Companies House, the registrar of UK companies, has recently increased its filing fees. From 1 May 2024, new and existing companies (including those overseas that are registered in the UK) are subject to new administration costs. Some of these costs have risen by over 300%.
In this blog, we clarify the new Companies House fees and why they’ve been introduced. We also explain how our prices here at Rapid Formations have changed as a result.
Why are Companies House fees changing?
The fee increase is directly linked to a major overhaul of the UK’s legal framework against fraud and corruption. More specifically, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA). While the act was only launched in October 2023, it is being deployed over the course of this year and next.
ECCTA saw its first stage of delivery in March of this year when a new set of policing powers was granted to the UK government’s public register of companies. As such, Companies House now has the ability to query any information submitted to (or already on) its register. This enables them to review and challenge suspicious – and potentially criminal – companies registered in the UK more efficiently.
“At the heart of these changes is a drive for greater corporate transparency and reliability of information”, says Nicholas Campion, a director and chartered governance professional at Rapid Formations, the UK’s largest company formation agent. Campion adds, “Companies House wants to know that the people who ultimately run and control a company actually exist.”
New Companies House fees
Below is a breakdown of the new Companies House filing fees. They apply to all new businesses registered in the UK on or after 1 May 2024, and existing companies filing documents with the registrar after this date.
Prices differ between digital transactions carried out via WebFiling (the Companies House online portal), third-party software channels (like Rapid Formations), and physical paper forms. Digital fees are by far the lowest, indicating the registrar’s push towards online filing. However, some transactions are paper only.
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Incorporation | Digital | £50 |
| Incorporation | Software | £50 |
| Incorporation | Paper | £71 |
| Same-day incorporation | Software | £78 |
| Registration under s1040 (Part 33 Chapter 1) CA06 | Paper | £71 |
| Re-registration of a company under Part 7 CA06 | Paper | £71 |
| Re-registration of a company under section 651 CA06 | Paper | £71 |
| Re-registration of a company under section 665 CA06 | Paper | £71 |
| Confirmation statement | Digital | £34 |
| Confirmation statement | Software | £34 |
| Confirmation statement | Paper | £62 |
| Change of name | Digital | £20 |
| Change of name | Paper | £30 |
| Same-day change of name | Digital | £83 |
| Registration of a charge | Digital | £15 |
| Registration of a charge | Paper | £24 |
| Voluntary strike-off | Digital | £33 |
| Voluntary strike-off | Paper | £44 |
| Reduction of share of capital of a company under s644 CA06 | Digital | £32 |
| Reduction of share of capital of a company under s644 CA06 | Paper | £33 |
| Same-day reduction of share of capital of a company under s644 CA06 | Digital | £136 |
| Administrative restoration | Paper | £468 |
| Application to make an address unavailable for public inspection | Paper | £30 |
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| LLP same-day registration | Digital | £78 |
| LLP registration | Digital | £50 |
| LLP registration | Paper | £71 |
| LLP confirmation Statement | Digital | £34 |
| LLP confirmation Statement | Paper | £62 |
| LLP change of name | Digital | £20 |
| LLP change of name | Paper | £20 |
| LLP same-day change of name | Digital | £83 |
| LLP registration of a charge | Digital | £15 |
| LLP registration of a charge | Paper | £24 |
| LLP voluntary strike-off | Digital | £33 |
| LLP voluntary strike-off | Paper | £44 |
| LLP administrative restoration | Paper | £468 |
| LLP application to make an address unavailable for public inspection | Paper | £30 |
Overseas companies
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Registration of a UK establishment of an overseas company | Paper | £71 |
| Change of corporate name or alternative name of an overseas company | Paper | £30 |
| Registration of annual accounts | Paper | £62 |
Overseas entities
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Registration | Digital | £234 |
| Update fee | Digital | £234 |
| Application for removal | Digital | £706 |
All overseas entities must complete their filings with Companies House digitally. Only those with protected status or a pending protection application are exempt from this rule. They will, however, need to pay a separate paper fee.
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Scottish qualifying partnerships
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Registration | Paper | £71 |
| Annual fee | Digital | £62 |
| Annual fee | Paper | £62 |
Limited partnerships
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Registration | Paper | £71 |
| “Annual fee” for Scottish limited partnership | Paper | £62 |
| “Annual fee” for Scottish limited partnership | Digital | £62 |
UK Economic Interest Groupings and UK Societas
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Registration | Paper | £71 |
| Registration of a change of name | Paper | £30 |
| Registration of a charge | Paper | £24 |
| Conversion from public company to UK Societas | Paper | £71 |
Community Interest Companies (CIC)
| Transaction | Format | New fee |
| Incorporation | Digital | £65 |
| Incorporation | Paper | £86 |
| Conversion from limited company to CIC | Paper | £45 |
Source: Companies House
As you can see, the fee increases are substantial, only intensified by the fact that they haven’t changed since 2016. For instance, the cost of digital incorporation has gone up more than 300% from the old price, which was just £12.
Other popular services like same-day digital incorporation and online confirmation statement submissions have jumped approximately 160%. LLPs, overseas companies, and Scottish companies are also seeing sizable price hikes, with some services now costing over 200% more.
How the new fees impact business owners
The main impact of the new pricing structure is financial, whereby starting and running a compliant business in the UK is now more expensive. However, while the new Companies House fees are substantial, it remains relatively affordable to start a company here, as we can see below.
In fact, the UK is one of the cheapest countries in the world to incorporate a company. The new prices don’t seem so bad when we compare them to Italy, the most expensive EU country to start a business. There, the average cost of incorporation is $2,000 (around £1,700).
There will also be a technological impact. With the shift towards digital filings, business owners who are not overly confident with technology will be urged to become more tech-savvy and implement more efficient administrative processes to cut costs.
Ultimately, the new Companies House fees intend to protect UK companies by eradicating fraudulent activity and strengthening the quality of public information. This, coupled with the benefits of incorporation (such as tax breaks and limited liability), should give potential entrepreneurs greater inspiration to start their new business venture in the UK.
Our new prices
The adjusted Companies House fees have also affected the price of Rapid Formations’ packages and services. Our new package prices (which you can see below) do not include the Companies House filing fee of £50.00:
Rapid Formations
| Packages | New price |
| Basic | £2.99 |
| Privacy | £14.99 |
| Compliance | £39.99 |
| All Inclusive | £49.99 |
| Non-Residents | £99.99 |
| Non-Residents Plus | £189.99 |
| Scottish | £19.99 |
| Guarantee | £14.99 |
| LLP | £19.99 |
| Products/Services | New price |
| Confirmation Statement (Standard) | £59.99 |
| Confirmation Statement (Express) | £59.99 |
| Confirmation Statement add-on (Transfer/Issue of Shares) | £45.99 |
| Company Dissolution | £89.99 |
| Company Name Change | £69.99 |
| 12-month Cancellation Protection | £31.99 |
Thanks for reading
Despite the rising price of incorporation in the UK, the country remains one of the world’s most desirable locations to set up a business, which is why last year saw a record-high number of incorporations. We hope you join this growing number.
Please comment below if you have questions about these new policies or our new prices.
Please note that the information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While our aim is that the content is accurate and up to date, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for tailored advice from qualified professionals. We strongly recommend that you seek independent legal and tax advice specific to your circumstances before acting on any information contained in this article. We accept no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage that may result from your reliance on the information provided in this article. Use of the information contained in this article is entirely at your own risk.
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Comments (2)
Really ridiculous increases as the amount of work done by Companies House in specific instances has not increased. if I file a Confirmation statement online what is the cost to Companies House? Not even the £13 they charged before. Increases are way above the rate of inflation and just come with more hassle and regulation. Surely they could just have left well alone.
Thank you for your comment, Johnathan. The recent price increases have significantly affected all businesses, causing dissatisfaction among many. Companies House has raised their fees to cover the expenses of their expanded powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. This legislation now mandates more extensive checks on individuals establishing companies and utilising their services.
Kind regards,
The Rapid Formations Team