Frequently Asked Questions

Company Formation Basics

Most companies are registered within 24 working hours after your application is submitted to Companies House. With our Same-Day Service (orders before 3pm GMT, Mon-Fri), your company can be registered within a few hours. Once approved, you'll receive your Certificate of Incorporation via email and can start trading immediately.

Our packages start from just £12.99 + the £100 Companies House fee. The £100 government fee was increased from £50 in February 2026 and applies to all electronic company formations. There are no hidden charges — we show all costs upfront before you pay.

Yes! There's no requirement to be a UK resident to form a UK limited company. You can be a director and shareholder from anywhere in the world. The only requirement is a UK registered office address, which we provide with our packages. We serve entrepreneurs from over 150 countries.

You'll receive: Certificate of Incorporation (proof your company exists), Memorandum of Association (founding document), Articles of Association (company rules), Share Certificates for all shareholders, Register of Members, Register of Directors, and Register of PSCs. All documents are provided digitally, with printed copies available on request.

There is no legal difference — "Ltd" and "Limited" are interchangeable. Both indicate a private company limited by shares. You can use either suffix in your company name, and both provide the same legal protections. "Ltd" is simply the abbreviated form of "Limited".

Yes! A UK limited company only requires one person who acts as both the sole director and sole shareholder. There's no legal requirement for multiple directors or shareholders, making it perfect for solo entrepreneurs and freelancers.

Directors & Shareholders

To be a director of a UK company, you must: be at least 16 years old, not be disqualified from acting as a director, and not be an undischarged bankrupt (without court permission). You don't need to be a UK resident, have any qualifications, or own shares in the company.

A company can be appointed as a "corporate director", but since April 2015, every UK company must have at least one director who is a natural person (an individual human being). So you can have a corporate director, but not exclusively.

A PSC is someone who owns more than 25% of shares, holds more than 25% of voting rights, has the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors, or otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company. All UK companies must maintain a PSC register and report this to Companies House.

Yes, you can add or remove directors at any time after your company is formed. Changes must be reported to Companies House within 14 days. We offer director appointment and resignation services to help you make these changes correctly.

Companies House publishes each director's: full name, month and year of birth, nationality, occupation, and service address. Your home address is reported to Companies House but is NOT published publicly. Using our Service Address protects your home address from public view.

Registered Office & Addresses

A registered office is your company's official legal address where all statutory mail from Companies House, HMRC, and other government bodies is sent. It appears on the public Companies House register. Every UK company must have a registered office address within the UK, in the same country where the company is registered.

Yes, you can use your home address, but it will appear on the public Companies House register and be visible to anyone searching for your company. Many directors prefer to use our London registered office service to maintain privacy and present a professional image.

A service address is the official contact address for company officers (directors, secretaries, PSCs). Unlike the registered office which is for the company, the service address is for individuals. Using our Service Address instead of your home address keeps your personal address off the public register.

Your registered office will receive: Companies House correspondence, HMRC tax notices and reminders, court documents and legal notices, annual filing reminders, and official government correspondence. If you use our registered office service, we scan and email all mail to you within 24 hours.

No problem! Our formation packages include a London registered office address. This provides you with a prestigious Central London address for your company, and we forward all mail to you digitally. It's perfect for non-UK residents forming UK companies.

Business Banking

While not legally required, having a UK business bank account is strongly recommended. It keeps your personal and business finances separate (which is important for limited liability protection), makes tax accounting easier, and looks more professional to clients and suppliers.

We partner with leading UK banks and fintech providers including: Tide, Wise, Monzo Business, Revolut Business, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, and ANNA. Depending on your package, you'll receive referrals to open accounts with these banks after your company is formed.

Yes, but options may be more limited. Digital banks like Wise, Revolut, and Tide are generally more accessible for non-UK residents. Traditional high-street banks may require UK presence or additional documentation. We recommend Wise for international entrepreneurs as it supports multiple currencies.

Digital banks (Tide, Monzo, Revolut) can often approve accounts within 24-48 hours. Traditional banks (Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds) typically take 1-3 weeks and may require an in-branch appointment. The timeline depends on the bank's verification process and how quickly you provide requested documents.

Compliance & Filing

A Confirmation Statement is an annual filing that confirms your company's information at Companies House is correct and up-to-date. It must be filed at least once every 12 months. The Companies House fee is £34 (online) or £62 (paper). Failure to file can result in your company being struck off the register.

Your first annual accounts must be filed within 21 months of incorporation. After that, they're due 9 months after your accounting reference date (financial year end). Even dormant companies must file accounts. Late filing results in automatic penalties starting at £150.

Corporation Tax is the tax your company pays on its profits. The current rate is 25% for profits over £250,000, and 19% for profits under £50,000 (with marginal relief in between). You must register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade, and pay tax within 9 months of your accounting period end.

You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any 12-month period (as of 2024). You can voluntarily register even if below this threshold, which may be beneficial if your customers are VAT-registered businesses. We offer VAT registration assistance as an add-on service.

Missing deadlines results in automatic penalties: Confirmation Statement late = potential strike-off proceedings. Annual accounts late = penalties from £150 to £1,500 depending on how late. Corporation Tax late = interest charges plus penalties. We offer compliance reminder services to help you avoid these penalties.

ID Verification & Security

UK law requires identity verification for directors, shareholders, and PSCs as part of the company formation process. This is a standard Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement to ensure compliance with UK regulations.

You'll typically need: a valid passport or government-issued photo ID, and a proof of address document (utility bill, bank statement, or government letter dated within the last 3 months). Non-UK documents are accepted. Our verification process is quick and can usually be completed online in minutes.

Yes. We use 256-bit SSL encryption to protect all data transmission. Your documents are stored securely and only used for verification purposes. We are GDPR compliant and never share your personal information with third parties except as required by law or to provide our services.

From 2024, Companies House introduced mandatory identity verification for directors and PSCs. We can verify your identity during the formation process, making it faster and more convenient for you.

Payments & Refunds

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, and bank transfers for larger orders. All payments are processed securely using industry-standard encryption. Prices are in GBP (British Pounds).

Once a company formation has been submitted to Companies House, the £100 government fee is non-refundable as it has already been paid to the government. Our service fee may be refunded if we are unable to form your company due to a name rejection or other issue. For other services, please contact us to discuss refund options.

No hidden fees, ever. The price you see includes our service fee. The £100 Companies House fee is clearly shown separately. Any optional add-ons are priced transparently. What you see at checkout is exactly what you pay — no surprises.

Yes, our registered office and service address subscriptions renew annually to ensure your company remains compliant. We'll email you before each renewal with the option to update your payment method or cancel. You can manage renewals through your online dashboard.

After Formation

After formation: 1) Open a business bank account, 2) Register for Corporation Tax with HMRC (within 3 months of trading), 3) Set up accounting records, 4) Register for VAT if applicable, 5) Register for PAYE if you'll have employees, 6) Get business insurance if needed. We provide a post-formation checklist with your documents.

All your formation documents are available in your Regilyze dashboard immediately after formation. You can download, view, and print your Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Association, Share Certificates, and other documents at any time. We also email copies directly to you.

Yes, you can change your company name at any time by passing a special resolution and filing the change with Companies House. The fee is £8 for an online change. We offer a company name change service to handle this for you.

We provide lifetime support for all companies formed through us. This includes: email and phone support for your questions, online dashboard to manage your company, compliance filing services, and access to our knowledge base and guides. We're here to help you succeed.