Register a Limited Company in the UK

Forming a limited liability company (LLC) creates a private business entity that's separate from its founders, directors and shareholders.

The business is given a unique company registration number by Companies House that differentiates it from the people running the company, giving it legal independence.

All the debts, risks, and responsibilities are made in the company’s name, and not in yours.

Yes, you can. But it can take longer since the documents, requirements, and admin can be confusing. If you are willing to put in the hours, you can set up your company yourself. This is perfectly legal.

It depends on you. If you take the DIY approach to opening a company it might take longer. But if you use an incorporation service, it can take as little as 3 to 6 working hours.

Once your business is active (i.e. trading), you then have 3 months to register with HMRC (the UK's tax authority).

If you choose to start trading straight away, your company is 'active' and you must register with HMRC for corporation tax within 3 months.

Please note Companies House’s opening hours when processing your applications — they operate between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

It's surprisingly fast and easy to establish a private limited company compared with actually starting the business. The process of setting up a limited company can be completed within 24 hours, depending on which route you choose.

There are three ways to form a limited company. You can either do it through Companies House yourself, or you can hire a third-party agent or accountant.

There is a fee of £ 50 with Companies House to register your company, and it can be paid with debit, credit, or PayPal accounts. Your company is usually registered within 24 hours.

You can usually set up a limited company within 24 hours by registering online with the Companies House here. You will be registered for Corporation Tax when you do form your Ltd company. Payment for registration costs £ 50. You can also use company formation agents like us for a fuss-free way to register your company while you settle other important parts of your business.

When you incorporate your company on Companies House, you register your company name as well. Before you register your company, you will have to prepare a company name. Private limited company names have to be unique. Do this by checking if the company name you want is available by using the name availability tool on Companies House. Also, check with the UK Intellectual Property Office that your chosen company name does not clash with an existing trademarked name. No matter how unique your company name is, it will usually end with either ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’. If your company was registered in Wales, you can include the Welsh equivalents ‘Cyfyngedig’ and ‘Cyf’ instead.

To register, you need to have chosen a name for your limited company. First, check that the name is available. This will speed up the process.

You will then need to provide some details to Companies House and HMRC. First, a registered address. The authorities will send official mail for your Ltd company here. The company address needs to be in the UK. The authorities need to be able to reach the company directors at this address. Secondly, you will need to provide the details of your company directors, including their full name, date of birth, and residential address. Thirdly, each company must have one shareholder. Companies House and HMRC will want their details too.

Next, you'll have to allocate shares to your shareholder(s). A simple approach would be to assign one share to each shareholder and make each share worth £1.

After that, the next step is to prepare your company's Memorandum and Articles of Association.

You can register your limited company online, where you will be registered for Corporation Tax simultaneously, or you can register by post, through an agent like us, or a third-party software. When you register your company, you'll need to create a Government Gateway user ID and password. A personal Government Gateway ID is not valid.

Your company can usually be registered within 24 hours.