Companies House fees have increased

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, displayed below.

Rapid Formations	New price
Packages
Basic	£52.99
Privacy	£67.99
Compliance	£99.99
All Inclusive	£139.99
Non-Residents	£159.99
Non-Residents Plus	£239.99
Scottish	£67.99
Guarantee	£64.99
LLP	£69.99
Products/Services	New price
Confirmation Statement (Standard)	£49.99
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.