Companies House gets real on pricing

From 1 May 2024 fees for registering a new company rise significantly for the first time since 2016

Currently, to set up a business or limited liability partnership it costs just £12; this is set to increase to £50 to incorporate a new company or LLP online and up to £78 for same day registrations.

The one-off registration cost is the only increase of this magnitude as Companies House said the charges were not revenue generating and only ‘cover the cost of the services we deliver’.

The cost for overseas businesses incorporating a company in the UK has increased from £20 to £71, which may not prove as much of a deterrent to potential fraudsters. The fee to register annual accounts will also be tripled to £62, from £20.

There are also increases in the fee for overseas property owners to sign up for the mandatory register of overseas entities (ROE). The current £100 will go up by over double to £234, with an additional fee of £234 for any further updates. This is currently £120. The application for removal will also be increased to £706, a substantial rise from the current £300.

As well as fees increasing from May, there are set to be stricter policies for identification verification online when setting up a company.