Guide
Making Tax Digital: what UK businesses must do
Who is in scope, which software qualifies and the deadlines HMRC expects you to hit.
Read guideCompany formation services
Register a UK limited company in as little as a few hours — with a registered office, HMRC registrations and a business bank account set up alongside it.
Contact us about company formationNeed help with company formation services?
Tell us what you need. It takes about five minutes and there's no obligation.
How company formation services work
Company formation registers your business at Companies House, creating a legal entity separate from you personally with limited liability for its shareholders.
Formation agents handle the incorporation filing, memorandum and articles, share structure and the initial HMRC registrations for corporation tax and PAYE.
Most packages bundle extras: a registered office address, a service address to keep your home off the public register, and business bank account introductions.
What affects the cost of company formation services
- Whether you need a registered office address
- Number of directors and shareholders
- Bespoke versus standard articles of association
- VAT and PAYE registrations
- Ongoing confirmation statement filing
Why get in touch about company formation services with us
Same-day options
Standard incorporations are often approved within hours.
Address privacy
Registered and service addresses keep your home address off the public record.
Bank introductions
Many packages include a fast-tracked business account application.
Formation packages compared
Indicative first-year pricing from UK formation agents.
| Package | Typical price | Includes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companies House direct | £50 | Incorporation only | Confident founders |
| Digital package | £15 - £60 | Incorporation + documents | Simple single-director firms |
| Privacy package | £80 - £160 | + Registered office | Home-based businesses |
| Full service | £150 - £400 | + VAT, PAYE, banking | Most new companies |
| Accountant-led | £300 - £900 | + Tax structuring | Multi-shareholder ventures |
Ongoing annual obligations
What a limited company must file and pay each year once formed.
| Obligation | Frequency | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation statement | Annual | £34 filing fee |
| Annual accounts | Annual | £500 - £1,800 |
| Corporation tax return | Annual | Often bundled |
| Registered office | Annual | £40 - £120 |
Expert advice
Our finance team reviews UK providers, pricing tiers and service levels every quarter.
“Spend an hour on share structure before you incorporate. It is the cheapest tax planning you will ever do.”
company formation services: pros and cons
Pros
- Limited liability protects personal assets
- Often more tax efficient than sole trading at higher profits
- Improves credibility with larger customers
- Easier to bring in investors or co-founders
Cons
- More filing obligations than a sole trader
- Accounts are published on the public register
- Higher ongoing accountancy costs
How to choose company formation services
The cheapest headline price is rarely the cheapest total cost. Work through these points before you commit.
- 1
Decide on privacy
Without a service address, your home address may appear on the public register.
- 2
Get the share structure right
Fixing share classes later is far more expensive than setting them up correctly now.
- 3
Check renewal pricing
Cheap first-year bundles often renew at several times the introductory price.
- 4
Confirm VAT timing
Registering for VAT before you need to can cost you money on consumer sales.
Get in touch about company formation services
Tell us what your business needs today. It takes just minutes.
Getting help with company formation services
It takes a few minutes to get in touch, and there is no obligation.
1. Tell us about your business
Turnover, structure, headcount and how many transactions you process each month.
2. Get matched with a specialist
We put you in touch with a provider that genuinely supports businesses of your size and sector.
3. Understand the real costs
Monthly fees, per-user charges, onboarding costs and what is bundled versus billed extra.
4. Get set up
Your chosen provider handles onboarding, data migration and HMRC registrations where needed.
Things to watch out for
Free formation offers usually depend on opening a specific bank account.
Dissolving a company you no longer need still requires a formal filing.
Director duties are legal obligations — late filings carry personal consequences.
Our company formation services service
We put you in touch with established UK providers and independent practices for company formation services, so you can weigh price against the level of support you actually get.
There is no fee to get in touch, and we will tell you plainly when your existing arrangement is already competitive.
Getting started
1
Gather your numbers
Latest accounts, current provider costs and your accounting year end.
2
Check the transfer
Confirm how records, payroll history and HMRC authorisations move across.
3
Set the go-live date
Most businesses switch at a quarter or year end to keep reporting clean.
Why choose Grow Your Business?
Specialists, not generalists
We put you in touch with UK specialists who actually fit how your business operates.
No cost to enquire
There's no fee to get in touch, and no obligation to go ahead once you hear back.
Simple and fast
It takes just a few minutes to send your enquiry, and a specialist will be in touch shortly after.
Types of company formation services
Different setups suit different stages of growth.
Digital-only package
Incorporation and digital certificates, nothing else.
Privacy package
Adds registered office and director service address.
Full-service package
Incorporation plus VAT, PAYE, bank account and first-year filings.
Accountant-led setup
Structured share classes and tax planning built in from day one.
Who we work with
Logos are shown for identification. We are not affiliated with every provider listed and do not cover the whole market.
Crunch
Mazuma
TaxAssist
The Accountancy Partnership
1st Formations
Osome
Sage
XeroComparing with us is a no-brainer
“Company registered on Tuesday, bank account live on Thursday, first invoice out on Friday.”
Leah, consultant, Glasgow
company formation services guides
Guide
Cutting the cost of your accounting stack
Where subscription tiers, per-user fees and add-on modules quietly inflate your bill.
Read guide
Guide
In-house vs outsourced finance
When a bookkeeper, an accountant or a fractional finance director makes more sense.
Read guidecompany formation services FAQs
How long does formation take?
Most standard online incorporations are approved by Companies House within 24 hours, often the same day.
Do I need a UK address?
Yes, the registered office must be a physical UK address. Formation agents can provide one.
Should I be a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on profit level, risk and who you sell to. Above roughly £30,000 to £40,000 profit, incorporation often becomes more tax efficient.
Written by the Grow Your Business editorial team · Updated 26 July 2026