What a company formation agent does
A formation agent turns the information you give about your new company into an incorporation application, checks it and files it with Companies House. Most agents file through software connected to Companies House rather than the GOV.UK web form or the paper form IN01.
Using an agent does not change what the law asks for. What changes is who prepares the application, who checks it, and who follows up if Companies House queries or rejects something. This page is for founders who live in the UK; if a founder lives abroad, see UK company formation for non-residents.
Filing direct with Companies House or using an agent
You can register a private limited company yourself on GOV.UK. It costs £100 online, and GOV.UK says the company is usually registered within 24 hours. Our guide to registering a company in the UK walks through the do-it-yourself process step by step.
| Point | Filing direct | Using Borderless Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Companies House fee | £100 online | £100, included in our package price |
| Who prepares the application | You | Our filing team, from your intake answers |
| Checks before filing | Your own | Name, SIC code, shares, PSC details, addresses and articles reviewed |
| Registered office | Your own address | Your own address, or our registered office service |
| After incorporation | You set up tax accounts and track deadlines | We help with corporation tax registration and add your first deadlines to your portal |
What is included
- A company name check against the register and the rules on sensitive words
- Preparation of the incorporation application with model articles of association
- Help choosing SIC codes that match your planned activities
- Share structure set up: share class, number of shares, nominal value and subscribers
- People with significant control (PSC) details prepared from your ownership and control answers
- Submission to Companies House and tracking until the company is registered
- Your certificate of incorporation and filed documents stored in your client portal
- A UK registered office address, as part of the Basic package
- Guidance on corporation tax registration and your first filing dates
Not included
- Identity verification for Companies House. Each director does this free through GOV.UK One Login. Borderless Filings is not an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, so we cannot verify anyone's identity on their behalf.
- Bespoke articles, shareholder agreements or legal advice on share rights. A solicitor can help if you need these.
- Tax advice on salary, dividends or VAT. We can suggest you speak to a licensed tax adviser.
- A director service address, unless you add it to your order.
Government fees
Companies House fees changed on 1 February 2026. These are the current figures from the Companies House fee schedule. Our service fee is shown separately on the order card.
| Filing | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation, online or software | £100 | Usually registered within 24 hours |
| Incorporation, same day | £156 | Software filing only |
| Incorporation, paper (IN01) | £124 | Takes 8 to 10 days |
| Change of company name, online | £20 | If you rename later |
| Confirmation statement, online | £50 | At least once every 12 months after incorporation |
Our Companies House fees guide lists the other charges and what changed in 2026.
What goes into the incorporation application
Companies House's incorporation and names guidance sets out what the application must contain. The paper form is IN01; online and software filings ask for the same details.
- Company name. A private company name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd" and cannot be the same as a name already on the register. You cannot reserve a name in advance.
- Registered office. An appropriate address in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The rules are below.
- Registered email address. Used by Companies House to contact the company. It is not shown on the public register.
- Officers. At least one director, who must be 16 or over. A company secretary is optional for a private company.
- Statement of capital and initial shareholdings. The number and class of shares, their nominal value and who holds them. For example, 100 ordinary shares of £1 each held by one founder.
- People with significant control. Anyone who holds more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of the directors, or otherwise has significant influence or control, as set out in the PSC guidance.
- SIC code. A standard industrial classification code describing the company's intended business activities.
- Articles of association. The company's rulebook. Most new companies adopt the model articles set out in regulations. If you do not register any articles, the model articles apply automatically.
- Lawful purpose statement and statement of compliance. Confirmation that the company is being formed for a lawful purpose and that the legal requirements have been met.
Identity verification comes first
Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for new directors and people with significant control. For a new company, each director's Companies House personal code goes into the incorporation application, so the application cannot be filed until every director has verified. A PSC who is not a director verifies when first added or within 14 days of being added.
Verifying through GOV.UK One Login is free. You can use a biometric passport or a UK photo driving licence in the app, or verify in person at a Post Office. When you finish, you get a personal code that you share with us through your portal. Only an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) can verify someone's identity on their behalf. Borderless Filings is not one, so each director completes this step personally. Our identity verification guide explains the process and deadlines.
Companies House plans to require anyone who files on behalf of others to be a registered ACSP from no earlier than November 2027. That requirement is not in force yet. We will update this page when the rule changes.
Registered office and registered email rules
Since 4 March 2024 the registered office must be an appropriate address. That means a physical address in the same UK jurisdiction as the company, where post will come to the attention of someone acting for the company and where the sender can get confirmation of delivery. Royal Mail PO Boxes and similar services are not accepted, and a company without an appropriate address could be struck off.
The registered office is public. You can use your home, or an accountant's or agent's address with permission; see our registered office address and director service address pages. The registered email address must be one the company monitors.
How it works
- Order and intake. Answer the intake questions about your name, activities, directors, shareholders and addresses.
- Identity verification. Each director verifies through GOV.UK One Login and adds their personal code in the portal.
- Secure document upload. Upload any supporting documents through your portal. Our security page explains how we protect them.
- Preparation and review. Our filing team prepares the application and sends you a summary to approve.
- Submission. We file with Companies House and pay the £100 fee from your order.
- Tracking and delivery. You follow progress in your portal. Once the company is registered, your certificate of incorporation and filed documents appear there.
- Reminders. Your first confirmation statement, accounts and tax dates are added to your account so you get reminders.
What we need from you
- Your preferred company name and one backup
- A short description of what the company will do
- For each director: full name, date of birth, nationality, occupation, country of residence, home address, service address and Companies House personal code
- For each shareholder: name, address and number of shares
- For each PSC: how they own or control the company, and their personal code once verified
- The registered office you will use and a registered email address
Timelines
GOV.UK says an online application is usually registered within 24 hours; paper takes 8 to 10 days. Our filing team starts once your intake is complete and every director's personal code is in. Companies House queries add time, so we do not promise dates beyond what Companies House publishes.
After incorporation
Corporation tax and your UTR
The Companies House service usually sets the company up for Corporation Tax at the same time, unless it is dormant. HMRC then posts the company's 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) to the registered office. If it has not arrived within 15 working days you can request it online, then add Corporation Tax to your business tax account. Our UTR guide covers where to find it later.
You must tell HMRC within 3 months of the start of your first accounting period once the company becomes active. GOV.UK says starting to do business includes buying, selling, advertising, renting a property and employing someone.
Business bank account
Keep company money separate from your own. Banks usually ask for the company number, certificate of incorporation and directors' ID. Each provider sets its own criteria, and no agent can promise an account will be opened.
Your first deadlines
| Filing | When | Fee or penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation statement | At least every 12 months, with 14 days to file after the review period | £50 online |
| First accounts to Companies House | 21 months after incorporation | No fee; late filing penalties from £150 |
| Company Tax Return (CT600) | 12 months after the end of the accounting period | £200 if late, another £200 at 3 months |
| Corporation Tax payment | 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period | Interest on late payment |
Our compliance deadline calendar works out these dates from your incorporation date. We also handle the confirmation statement and accounts and CT600 if you want them done for you.
Doing it yourself vs using us
Filing direct costs only the £100 fee, and for a one-person company with ordinary shares it is realistic to do yourself. Common mistakes include a SIC code that does not match the business, PSC details that do not match the shareholdings, a home address used as the registered office without thinking about privacy, and names containing sensitive words that need supporting evidence.
Our service is for founders who want those checks done, the paperwork kept in one secure place and the next deadlines tracked. You can compare costs on our pricing page, read how it works, or start your order. Not sure a limited company is the right structure? Compare sole trader vs limited company, or try the US LLC or UK Ltd quiz.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Set up a private limited company, register your company
- Companies House: Companies House fees
- Companies House: Incorporation and names
- GOV.UK: Appoint directors and a company secretary
- Companies House: People with significant control (PSCs)
- legislation.gov.uk: The Companies (Model Articles) Regulations 2008
- Companies House: Verifying your identity for Companies House
- Companies House: When you need to verify your identity
- Companies House: Verify your identity for Companies House
- Companies House: ECCTA outline transition plan
- GOV.UK: Set up a private limited company, company address
- GOV.UK: Find your UTR number
- HMRC: Corporation Tax, trading and non-trading
- Companies House: Filing your company's confirmation statement
- Companies House: Life of a company, part 1 accounts
- Companies House: Late filing penalties
- GOV.UK: Company Tax Returns
- GOV.UK: Company Tax Returns, penalties for late filing
- GOV.UK: Pay Corporation Tax
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.