Fast Company Formation in 4 Easy Steps –
Starting From £11.99

As a Companies House authorised formation agent, forming companies is what we do. We have been doing it for over 30 years and, by our own admission, we are pretty good at it! We are members of the Association of Company Registration Agents (ACRA) and adhere to their codes of practice. We are also registered as a Company Service Provider with HMRC and are supervised by them for our adherence to anti-money laundering legislation. This should give you the confidence that we know what we are doing and that you can trust us to get your company structure right.

Below is a bit more information about the process and our service, but if you have a question that is not covered then please call us on 0800 988 3223.

Private Companies Limited by Shares

If you are looking to incorporate a company to trade through, with the intention of making a profit, then this is probably the company type for you. The vast majority of UK companies are private companies limited by shares as this is usually the most appropriate vehicle for trading with as a limited entity.

The main benefit of trading through a limited company is the limited liability that this affords - the company has separate legal personality to the individuals that own it (the shareholders), and the shareholders are only financially liable to the amount unpaid on their shares. Otherwise, the company's debts are its own, so the shareholders' personal assets are protected.

This type of company is ultimately controlled by its shareholders, and the amount of control that each shareholder has is normally directly proportional to the number of shares that they hold. The same is true for participation in dividends and entitlement to capital.

Most of the Company Formation Packages above are targeted at this type of company.

Social Enterprises

"Social Enterprise" is a generic term that, in essence, means any company formed for the benefit of the community. This includes charities, clubs, associations, non-profit organisations, and any other company formed with the intent of giving something back. The usual vehicle used for these is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee.

The structure of a company limited by guarantee differs from that of a standard company in a few ways, most notably by the lack of shares. The liability of the members of a company limited by guarantee is limited to a fixed amount specified in the Articles of Association - usually £1 or £10. Decisions are made collectively, with each member having one vote, and any profit made is ploughed back into the company for the furtherance of its objects, not distributed to the members as a dividend.

If forming a company limited by guarantee you can choose to use our standard articles, or upgrade to one of our specialist sets. We also form Community Interest Companies (CIC), but these are not available online. Please contact us if you are interested in forming a CIC.

Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

LLPs are entities that have separate legal personality, but are structured in the manner of a traditional partnership. this makes them popular in business sectors that have historically traded as partnerships, for example architects, solicitors and accountants.

The liability of each partner is limited to the capital that they commit to invest. LLPs do not pay Corporation Tax, but instead all profits of the LLP are considered the income of the individual partners (in accordance with their agreed profit split) and each partner will pay income tax on their share.

The Company Formation Process

Once you have decided on your company structure, check that your desired company name is available and choose the incorporation package above that most suits your needs. You will be asked to provide the information necessary to register your company at Companies House, including the Registered Office Address for the Company, your industrial classification, and the identities of the Directors/Members/Persons of Significant Control (PSCs) etc.

Once the application has been submitted to us, we will perform our Customer Due Diligence checks, and request any further information needed for AML compliance purposes. Once our legal responsibilities are complete, we will review your order and contact you if anything looks amiss. Once the order passes through review, we will submit the application to Companies House for them to register.

Companies House will usually register the company within 24 hours and provide us with the certificate of incorporation and company authentication code. We will immediately provide these to you by email and any physical documents purchased will be dispatched within one working day.

Ongoing Support

Our services do not end with the Company Formation. We have a team of ICSA qualified Company Secretaries on hand, ready to assist with any structural changes you may need in the future. Whilst any drafting is chargeable, advice is free, so please give us a call if you have any questions regarding maintaining your company in accordance with UK Company Law.