Company Registration FAQ

How can I start a new application?

To start a new company registration application, log into your account and click on the Help menu followed by Additional Services. On the services overview screen you will find a link to start a new company application.

What information do I need to form a Limited company?

Registering a Limited company in the UK is simple. There are no paper documents to sign, no witnesses required, the process can be completed online and approved within 3-4 working hours.

Here is the information that you will need:

A unique company name
A UK address for your registered office (A London based office is available for non-UK residents or those wishing to protect their residential address - £69.99)
At least one individual to act as director and shareholder

For each individual appointed to the company you will also need to supply the following:

Full name
Date of birth
Nationality
A service address (Where Companies House will send any letters).
A residential address (Hidden from the public record)
Number and value of issued shares (for a single member company that can be just one share valued at £1.00)
The first 3 letters of the individuals town of birth, mother’s maiden name and eye colour - Shareholders only

How long does it take?

It will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete the online application and around 3-4 working hours before you will receive a company number and company registration certificate.

What type of company can I register?

Using QuickFile you can register a company limited by shares (for profit making companies) or a company limited by guarantee (for non-profit companies). This covers the vast majority of companies registered in the UK. Here’s a brief overview of both company types:

Limited by shares:

Has shareholders who determine ownership and voting rights
Suitable for any company seeking to engage in profit making activities
Simple structure and low cost maintenance

Limited by guarantee:

Has members not shareholders (no share capital)
Restricted from paying profits or gains from assets to members
Can be used only for non-profit activities (e.g. charity works, social enterprise or clubs and non-profit organisations).

What are the costs?

Our basic electronic service starts at £13.99 + vat, this includes the statutory filing fee payable to Companies House. Other add-on products/services can be purchased such as a hard copy certificate and Articles of Association, a company register, company seal and our own London based registered office service address to protect your residential address from appearing on the public record.

Please refer to the Company Registration overview screen for more details on current pricing. To find out what’s included in each package please see below:

How do I choose a company name?

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a company name:

Is my name unique? You will not be able to register a name that is the same as or similar to an existing company name registered at Companies House.

Does my name contain sensitive words? Sensitive words prevent individuals from registering companies that may confuse or mislead the public. Words such as University, British, Council and Bank will all require supporting documentation in order to be accepted. If your company name includes a sensitive word, we will advise you on the best course of action. You can see a list of the most common sensitive words here.

Does my name convey what the company will do? In some cases it’s better to choose a name that is fairly wide in scope so as not to restrict yourself too much. You can also be registered as “ABC Limited” but trade as “XYZ”, as long as you clearly state the full company name and number on any stationery, advertising and correspondence.

What are Directors and Shareholders?

A Limited company is a separate legal entity to that of its owners and officers. There are two prominent roles within a company that allow it to operate as a distinct entity, directors and shareholders. For small companies these roles are often assumed by the same person/people.

Directors are appointed to manage the day to day affairs of the company and to ensure it remains in good standing with the relevant government bodies as well as its creditors and stakeholders. Directors must ensure that the company acts ethically and stays on top of its filing responsibilities. A director is legally responsible for a company and its conduct.

Shareholders are the owners of the company and may not be hands on with the day to day operations of the company. Shareholders exercise control over the company in accordance with the percentage of shares held, they also retain an entitlement to any distributed profits and or gains made by the company.

In the vast majority of small companies the directors and shareholders are one and the same.

Do I need to send any documents?

You will not be asked to send any printed or scanned documents when forming a Limited company. The application can be completed entirely online, with a couple of exceptions:

If you are forming many companies over a longer period, we would need to perform additional Money Laundering verification checks.
If your company name has a sensitive word then some supporting documents would be needed to progress your application.

What information appears on the public record?

Limited companies and some details about their directors and owners will appear on the public record and can be searched online at Companies House. The details will include the company’s registered office address along with the full names of the directors and shareholders. Companies House will also show the service address for the directors and People with Significant of Control (PSCs), the residential address will not be shown on the public record.

If you do not have a business address you can take advantage of our London Registered Office service to protect your personal address details. The cost for this service is £69.99 + vat per annum.

What happens if my application is rejected?

If you application is rejected by Companies House we will provide as much information as we can to allow you to correct your application and resubmit. There are no additional charges for resubmitting a rejected company application.

When do I pay?

You will be prompted to pay only after you have completed the online application.

What additional fees are there?

There are no additional fees needed to complete your company registration, the statutory filing fee payable to Companies House is included in the price.

There will be a fee (currently £13) payable once per year to Companies House to file your Confirmation Statement, this is a simple checklist to confirm that all details remain the same or to revise any information held at Companies House.

How should I distribute the shares?

Company ownership and control is divided up using shares. Each issued share grants the shareholder a vote on company affairs and a proportional right to any distributed profits.

Single member companies can have just one shareholder owning one single share. As the individual owns 100% of the issued shares they will enjoy full control over the company and will be entitled to 100% of its distributed profits/gains.

A 50/50 ownership can be achieved by having two shareholders each with one single share, now each shareholder will have 50% of the issued shares. Similar denominations can be created with more shareholders and holding variable percentages of the issued share capital.

Each share in a company has a nominal value, usually £1.00, this is not a reflection of the company’s true value and is simply used as a limitation of the founder’s liability to the company.

Where can I get additional help?

If you need additional help with your company registration then you can call our team on 0207 937 6678. The QuickFile company registration service is provided through our sister company “The Company Wizard”, this department will not be able to assist with any accounting related queries and can only provide guidance on the company registration process.