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Authorised by Companies House for ID verification and incorporations
We are available for you by telephone, online chat or email
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Select a company registration package that works for you. Launch your new business today.
Simple company formation, including the essentials to start a business.
Form a company while protecting the privacy of your home address, with our Covent Garden registered office.
Everything you need to launch and grow a business, including VAT & PAYE registration and compliance support.
Our Non-Residents Company Formation Packages are tailored for your needs
Register a company quickly and easily in just four steps. Our streamlined process gets you set up in no time.
Use our company name search tool to check if your preferred name is available to register. Enter a few options, confirm your favourite is free to use, and start your company formation straight away.
Choose the company registration package that suits your needs, from a simple digital formation to a more complete service with a registered office address and compliance support. Everything you need to form a company is included.
Review your chosen package and add any optional extras, such as address services or VAT registration. Pay securely online, then move straight to the final step to register a company with Companies House.
Submit your company details, including your registered office address and director and shareholder information. We then verify your identity - a legal requirement to set up a company - free of charge, with no delays or hassle.
Registering a company in the UK is quick and straightforward. You’ll just need a few key details before you begin.
Choose a unique company name that is not already registered with Companies House. You can check availability instantly using our company name checker before you start.
Every UK company must have a registered office and a registered email address for official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC. If you don’t have a suitable address, our Privacy Package and All Inclusive Package include a London registered office.
You’ll need basic information for your company director(s) and shareholder(s), including full name, residential address, date of birth, nationality, and occupation.
Discover why Rapid Formations is ranked Excellent on Trustpilot - the highest rating for any UK company formation agent
Discover why Chalk + Chilli chose Rapid Formations for company formation and address services, and how they transformed their idea into a thriving business
As a leading UK company formation agent, we provide many useful services that you'll not receive if you register directly with Companies House.
Our company formation process is quick and simple – less than 10 minutes of your time – then you can start trading within 24 hours after Companies House clearance.
Our friendly UK-based team are ready to answer any questions you may have about starting your company via live chat, email, or phone.
We'll check your order before it goes to Companies House. That matters, because around 10% of applications are rejected, usually for avoidable mistakes we know how to spot.
Protect your home address from the public register by using our Covent Garden address as your company's registered office.
Issuing shares need not be complex. Get expert guidance to help you manage your share capital.
Pick from eight business bank accounts during the order process, all with simple online applications.
Use our state-of-the-art system to manage and make changes to your company. All from one secure login.
We're rated Excellent on Trustpilot, scoring 4.8/5, and 4.9/5 on Google, from a combined 13,500+ customer reviews.
We’ll be here to help for the duration of your company’s lifetime. Once a client, always a client.
Every director and PSC must be verified with Companies House before a company can be registered. We do it inside your order, at no charge, so there's nothing to arrange separately.
Verification runs as part of your application. A few minutes, done once.
Companies House issues a code that belongs to you, not the company. It covers every future filing and every company you join.
Your code is stored in your Online Company Manager, so it's there when you need it.
Companies House sets your deadlines from the day you incorporate, not the day you start trading.
Here's the first two years, in order.
DAY 1
Companies House approves, usually within 24 hours. We email your documents and store them in your account. You're verified, with your personal code on file.
Do: nothing. You can trade today.
WEEK 1-2
Your chosen bank gets in touch. If your package includes our registered office, government post starts arriving and we scan it to you the same day.
Do: complete the bank's application.
WEEK 2-4
Your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) arrives at the registered office. You'll need it for every tax filing.
Do: register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of trading, and PAYE before you pay anyone.
MONTH 12
Due 12 months after incorporation, with 14 days to file. Confirms directors, shareholders, PSCs and registered email. Companies House charges £50.
Do: file it, or let us.
MONTH 21
Due 21 months after incorporation, then 9 months after year end. Dormant companies file too. Late penalties start at £150.
Do: get an accountant or use our dormant accounts service.
MONTH 21-22
Payments due 9 months and 1 day after year end; return 12 months after. Register for VAT once turover passes £90,000 in any 12 months.
Do: diarise both dates. HMRC doesn't send reminders.
Our Hassle-Free Compliance Service tracks every one
of these dates and files the Companies House ones for you
Company formation is the process of legally incorporating a business as a limited company. It is also known as company incorporation and company registration. Rapid Formations is a leading company formation agent specialising in registering companies online at Companies House - the UK registrar of companies.
It could not be easier to set up a limited company or LLP with Rapid Formations. To start the company formation process, simply enter your company name into our name check tool, select a company formation package, add any address services you may require, proceed to checkout and pay, and take 5 minutes to complete your company details.
Yes. A limited company needs at least one director and one shareholder, and the same person can be both. There’s no need for a second director, a secretary, or any other officer.
If you are looking to set up a profit-making company, a private company limited by shares is normally the best type for you. It provides a wide range of benefits, including limited liability protection for its shareholders and the potential for tax savings. It is the most popular type of company, making up over 95% of all companies registered.
It normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete your company application on our website, and up to 24 hours for your company registration to be approved, although this can take longer, depending on Companies House's workload on the day.
If it’s essential your company is formed today, choose our Same-Day Incorporation Service during checkout with any of our packages. This service is available Monday–Friday for orders received prior to 12:00 GMT.
Our packages start at £2.99 +VAT, plus the £100.00 Companies House fee (no VAT on the fee). That’s £103.59 all-in for our Basic Package. Registering directly with Companies House costs £100.00 but doesn’t include ID verification support, a pre-submission check, or a bank account introduction.
To set up a limited company, you simply need a company name, the company's business activity, a registered office address in the UK, and the details of the company directors (aged 16 or over), shareholders, and People with Significant Control (PSC). Company secretary is optional.
All directors and PSCs (normally anyone owning more than 25% of the shares) must verify their identity with Companies House before incorporation. As an ACSP we do this free, alongside our own anti-money-laundering checks.
For more information, please have a look at our Required Information Checklist.
It is not a legal requirement for a UK registered company to have a business bank account; however, in practice you will find it extremely hard to operate a business without its own bank account. Rapid Formations offers up to 8 business bank accounts with all company registration packages, including Barclays, Lloyds, Starling, Monzo, Zempler, and ANNA. We also offer a business banking solution for overseas customers who wish to set up a UK company - see our Non-Residents Packages for details.
Yes. Every director and PSC must be identity-verified with Companies House before a company can be incorporated. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we do this for you during your order, free of charge, usually in a few minutes.
Once verified, Companies House issues you a personal code. This is yours for life, not tied to the company. You’ll use it for every future appointment, confirmation statement and filing, and for any other company you form or join. We store it securely in your Online Company Manager.
We also carry out our own anti-money-laundering checks, as required by HMRC. See our ID Requirements.
Find out how to form a limited company in our 6 minute video.
See how our customers turned their company formation journeys into lasting success
We’ve partnered with leading financial providers to offer your new company a free business bank account.
We have created specialist packages for customers who want to set up a company and are based outside of the UK.
They include everything you need to form a UK limited company, plus a London Registered Office Address for 12 months, a Wise UK business account referral, and our Hassle-Free Compliance Service to help you keep your company compliant.
We can register companies for customers who are residents of most countries.
£39.00 per year
A Covent Garden registered office address for your company, with all government mail scanned and emailed to you, free of charge.
Learn MoreWhether you are setting up a private limited company, a limited liability partnership, or a company limited by guarantee, Rapid Formations has a company formation package built for your business.
This is by far the most popular type of company registered in the UK and is commonly known as a limited company. It is set up for the purpose of making a profit, and has the added benefit of limited liability protection of personal assets.
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are increasing in popularity and are ideal for professionals and consultants who wish to retain the flexibility of a traditional partnership, but require the benefits of a limited liability company.
A limited by guarantee company is very much like a standard limited company; however, instead of shareholders, it has guarantors. This type of company is normally registered by non-profit organisations such as clubs and charities.
John Warbuton
CEO of KonsileoA limited company is a business structure that is legally separate from its owners - usually the shareholders and subscribers. The main benefit of registering this entity is to enjoy the status of 'limited liability' which means the owners are not personally liable for the financial losses of the business. Other benefits are enhanced corporate image, tax efficiency, investment and lending opportunities, and ease of selling the business.
Yes. The law allows people from outside the UK to set up a company in the UK. There is no need for you, or anyone else in the company, to live or work in the UK.
Yes, you will need a UK address to act as your company’s registered office address. A registered office address is the company’s ‘official’ legal address. It has a range of purposes, including receiving government and legal mail. Rapid Formations offers a Registered Office Service that’s perfect for protecting your privacy, bolstering your company’s credibility and ensuring you always have a legally compliant UK-based address.
Anyone aged 16 or over who is not disqualified, an undischarged bankrupt, or subject to a debt relief order. There is no requirement to be a UK resident or citizen. Every director must verify their identity with Companies House, which we do free of charge during your order. A company can have as many directors as it likes, but at least one must be an individual rather than another company.
No. Private limited companies have not needed a company secretary since 2008. You can appoint one if you want, and we include the option in the application, but most small companies don’t. If you do appoint a secretary, they must be identified to Companies House but do not need to verify their identity.
SIC codes (short for ‘Standard Industrial Classification’ codes) are a set of pre-defined codes representing activities a company can undertake. Each company must select between 1 and 4 of these codes to best describe what its activities will be. These codes are then reported to Companies House and made publicly available.
A company director is legally responsible for running the company and making sure it meets its obligations under the Companies Act 2006. The duties fall into three groups.
1. Statutory duties to the company (Companies Act 2006, sections 171–177)
2. Filing and reporting duties
3. Ongoing legal duties
Failure to meet these duties can result in late filing penalties (from £150 for accounts), prosecution, personal liability for company debts and disqualification from acting as a director for up to 15 years.
Our Hassle-Free Compliance Service covers the Companies House filings so you can focus on the business.
Once your company is formed, it will be automatically registered for Corporation Tax. HMRC will usually send your Corporation Tax Number (referred to as the ‘Unique Taxpayer Reference’) within 2 weeks of your company’s incorporation. VAT registration, on the other hand, is not automatic. You must register for VAT if you expect your taxable turnover to go over £90,000 within the next 30 days. You can also register earlier, if you want to.
Hundreds of thousands of UK companies are dissolved every year, so if you decide you no longer need yours, it’s a routine process. Rapid Formations can dissolve your company for £89.99 +VAT. Find out more about our Company Dissolution Service.
For peace of mind in the first year, you can add 12-month cancellation protection for £14.99 at checkout.
We are one of the UK’s leading company formation agents, authorised by Companies House and a member of ACRA, the Association of Company Registration Agents. We provide our clients with online incorporation and the following address services: registered office, service address and business mail forwarding address. We are able to deliver documents to Companies House electronically, allowing you to register a limited company online, without the need for paper forms to sign and post.
Yes, Rapid Formations is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), authorised to perform ID checks and submit company documentation for clients in line with Companies House rules.
Our accreditation means we follow rigorous anti-money-laundering and due diligence standards, providing a reliable and secure formation service. It also ensures that when you set up a company through us, your identification is verified with Companies House as part of the process.
Over 400 free blogs, providing the essential information you need to set up a company and grow a business. From startup guides to actionable insights covering compliance, legal, tax, and financial planning.
An active company is one that has been incorporated and is engaged in trading activities, such as buying and selling goods or services, managing investments, or generating income. For Corporation Tax purposes, it must register with HMRC and fulfill tax obligations once it commences these activities.
Choosing a reputable company formation service, like Rapid Formations, ensures your business is set up correctly and remains compliant. Their qualified team, holding certifications like the CCSP, provides comprehensive support in company registration, statutory filings, and ongoing compliance, protecting your business from potential pitfalls.
You can run multiple businesses under one limited company by using different trading names. Each business shares the same legal entity, but all finances, taxes, and filings are managed collectively under one company.
Companies formed every year
Friendly, UK-based team
4.9/5Google rating
4.8/5Trustpilot rating
Supporting founders since 2013
Since starting in company formation in 2013, we've grown alongside the businesses we support. Today, we help thousands of founders form and run their UK companies, and we're still guided by the same approach: listen to our customers and adapt to what they need. Over 13,000 excellent customer reviews across Trustpilot and Google and rated Excellent on both.
Many reviews highlight how much they value our UK-based client support team, company formation experts who care about getting it right for you.
When company law changes, from new identity verification rules to updated Companies House requirements, we ensure your company stays compliant so you can focus on growing your business.
As a certified B Corporation, we're held to high standards of accountability and transparency, innovating with purpose and doing right by our customers and the planet.
We're an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), approved by Companies House to register companies and verify identities for UK company filings. We carry out your identity verification free of charge and obtain your Personal Verification Code on your behalf.
We're supervised by HMRC for Anti-Money Laundering purposes and are members of the Association of Company Registration Agents (ACRA). Our processes and documentation always meet the latest legal requirements, going beyond many other company formation agents to ensure the authenticity of the companies we work with.
Your data is protected at every step. We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and comply fully with UK GDPR to keep your personal and company information safe.
