How much does it cost to set up a limited company?

There are several ways to set up your own limited company. Use an accountant, a company formations agent, or go direct via Companies House. Here are the typical costs associated with each option:

As you can imagine, the more “middlemen” that are involved, the more you can expect to pay.

Having said that, contrary to popular belief, it is surprisingly inexpensive and easy to set up a company in the UK.

Here we look at your three main options:

a) Incorporate directly via Companies House (Cost = £12 or £40)

The standard registration fee to set up a company limited by shares is £12 for the ‘standard’ Companies House web incorporation service. This takes up to 24 hours to turnaround, but typically the process only takes a few hours.

You can pay via credit card, debit card or PayPal.

It costs £40 if you submit a paper application using Form IN01, although this is likely to be a slow process, as this Companies House statement suggests:

It’s taking much longer than usual to process paper documents sent to us by post. Use our online services where possible.

Using the web incorporation service, you need to provide various pieces of information that together constitute Form IN01.

The information includes company officers’ details, the company’s registered address, the company’s proposed share capital, and shareholder details).

All applicants are automatically provided with the Companies House model Articles and Association (essentially a company ‘rule book’).

The Memorandum of Association is automatically created (stating that each subscriber wishes to form a company).

b) Use a formations agent (Cost = typically from £12 – £100)

Another route is to use an intermediary to incorporate on your behalf.

There are hundreds of formation services available online. From no-frills to more extravagant packages which even include a brass plate with your company name on it.

Most formations agents make their money by offering additional add-ons. ‘Extras’ include setting up business bank accounts, as it is hard to make a margin on the incorporation itself.

You can also get discounts on accounting fees, a third=party registered address, and other administrative services.

You simply need to search if your desired name is available, pay the fee, and everything should be taken care of on your behalf.

Our partner formations company is Clever Formations – you can set up a company from just £10.95 here.

c) Ask an accountant to form your company (Cost = varies)

Small business owners may prefer to set up a company via their accountants as this is a hassle-free process. For those unfamiliar with running a business, this makes a lot of sense.

For many, the idea of becoming a company director is fairly daunting. A specialist accountant can answer any questions relating to directors’ responsibilities, and to the formation itself.

If you’re considering issuing several classes of shares, have multiple shareholders, or need advice on how best to split your new company’s shares, then using an accountant is a prudent move – for obvious reasons.

In many cases, your accountant may even include the incorporation costs if you sign up for their monthly service.

Other accountants will apply a one-off set up charge rather than absorbing the costs into the standard fee.

Either way, your accountant should let you know upfront how much your company incorporation will cost.

Visit our directory of contractor accountants for an initial list of service providers.

What about the ongoing costs of running a company?

Despite the preconceptions some prospective company directors may have, the ongoing costs of running a company are very low from an ‘official’ point of view.

The only ongoing statutory cost is the £13 fee for submitting your Confirmation Statement.

The only additional expenses associated with administering the company itself are usually accountancy fees, and possibly some additional professional costs. These will clearly vary according to the service provider you choose.

There are a number of steps you need to take when setting up a company – read 10 things you should know before forming a company.

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