Companies House is experiencing delays currently caused by a combination
of a 24-hour maintenance window and issues processing company formation changes towards the end of last week.
Online company formation from £53
Register a company and apply for a bank account today.
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Excellent Service
More than 2200 clients have reviewed our services
Fully Authorised
We are approved Companies House Agents
No Hidden Charges
Transparent pricing
Pick & Mix Service
No bundles, with inflated prices.
Pick the services you need
To start your company formation, select one of the following:
- Limited Company
- LLP Company
- LBG + Charity
- CIC Company
- Non-UK Residents
- Other Services
- Address Service
- Company Restoration
Limited Companies (LTD)
Limited companies are the most common form of registration at Companies House. They are suitable for Medium, Small and Micro Businesses. Simple to set up. Only one individual is required for a company to be registered. However, there are no limits to the number of directors and shareholders you can have. Your limited company will be registered and ready to trade within one working day, subject to the workload of Companies House. Clients, suppliers and banks will be able to see your company’s official details on the Companies House website within one working day of its registration.
Maintain your privacy with this package. We provide a Central London registered office address for your company and free service addresses for all your officers and shareholders. Official post will be securely processed for you. There are no charges for using our service to make officer resignations and appointments.
This package provides a ready to trade limited liability company with an application to register it for VAT. If your company will be supplying goods and services in the UK and your expected sales will exceed £90,000, you will be required to register for VAT. You can still register for VAT if you expect sales to be below the £85000 threshold when it is beneficial to do so. Please note that we do not offer VAT advice, merely a registration service.
Limited Liability Partnerships
Limited Liability Partnerships tend to be used by large professional partnerships such as accountants, solicitors, engineering companies and surveyors. They do not require articles of association. They can be set up online and without the need for paperwork or signatures. There must be at least two “designated” partners (also known as members) to form an LLP. Designated partners perform statutory functions such as filing documents with Companies House. In some Partnership Agreements where there are a small number of members it is not uncommon for all members to be designated members. There can be more (the Companies Acts do not provide for a maximum number) but they need not be designated. Your limited liability partnership (LLP) will be formed and ready to trade within 1 working day (24hrs), subject to the work load of Companies House.
Maintain your and your partners' privacy with this package. We provide a Central London registered office address for your company and free service addresses for all your partners. Official post will be securely processed for you. There are no charges for using our service to make changes to update information about partners when Companies House need to be notified.
LBG Company with "ltd"/"limited"
This type of company is ideal for sports clubs, trade associations and social clubs. Donors, your fellow guarantors and grant providers will be able to look up your company's details at Companies House within one working day of registration. To show that the guarantors are not personally liable for their debts, this type of guarantee company is obliged to add the suffix "LTD" or "limited by guarantee" at the end of its name. A guarantor's liability is limited to their contribution, usually £1.
Use this service to form a guarantee company exempt from the requirement to display the "LTD" suffix after its name. To qualify for the suffix exemption, a company's objects should be promoting or regulating commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity, or any profession. We will supply the appropriate Articles of association to the Registrar of Companies. When you make your order, you will be prompted to provide the key objects of your company.
We can now offer the services of our affiliated accountants to register your charity with the Charity Commission. Our affiliates have worked with many charities, and one of their team has served as a trustee of several registered charities.
CIC-Limited by Guarantee Structure
Form a Community Interest Company (CIC) that is limited by guarantee. The inability to distribute profits via dividends makes CICs limited by guarantee more attractive to grant providers. A company can only be registered if the CIC Regulator at Companies House approves the documentation and objects of the company. Our service includes the company's formation with the correct paperwork and the application to the CIC Registrar for approval. Companies House have two systems for approving a CIC. If the company has five or fewer officers (guarantors and directors) and those officers are individuals and not corporate bodies, the process can be completed in 3 or 4 days. If there are more than five officers, the entire process may take three or four weeks.
Form a Community Interest Company (CIC) that is limited by shares. The conventional share structure and ability to issue dividends makes this type of company attractive to social entrepreneurs. This type of company can attract investors more easily than a company that is limited by guarantee, and directors can be paid market rate salaries. Our service includes the company's formation with the correct paperwork and the application to the CIC Registrar for approval. Completion time is as set out above.
Limited Companies for non UK residents
This pack is for clients who are not resident in the UK but wish to have a UK company. A UK company does not require any UK nationals or residents. It can be registered by one person only, who will be the sole shareholder and director. The only requirement is a UK address. This pack includes our central London address.
This pack is for clients who are not resident in the UK but wish to have a UK registered partnership with limited liability (LLP). A UK LLP does not require any UK nationals or residents. Two or more overseas residents or companies can register a UK LLP. The only requirement is a UK address. This pack includes our central London address.
Companies with more than 1 class of share
This pack enables you to register a company with multiple share classes. Often known as "alphabet shares", each share class can have different voting rights and dividend rights. You will have to enter the various rights attached to each share class during the ordering process.
This service allows you to incorporate a company using your own or bespoke Articles of Association. There can be significant consequences to the running of a company when varying the standard Articles of Association as with any legal agreement. This pack is intended for the use of our professional clients or clients that have consulted professional advisers. We are not able to advise you on the drafting of Articles of association.
- New Ready To Trade Company
- Companies House Filing Fee Paid By Us
- Digital (PDF) Company Documents
- Free Company Administration Portal
- PSC Register
- Free Lifetime Support
- Web Authentication Code
- UK residents can be referred to a High Street Bank
- Merchant Account Referral
- Free Referral To a Payroll Bureau
- Accountant Referral With Free Initial Consultation
Registered Office Service
Maintain your privacy by using our registered office service. All UK companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) registered at Companies House need a registered office in the UK. All registered office addresses are shown on the Companies House website, making them public information accessible to anyone, including customers and creditors. The registered office is the company’s official address, and all official communications will be sent to that address. The registered office address must be a physical address that has a street address and a post code. It cannot be a PO Box address. The address must be capable of having official documents served on the directors, which means that a document can be signed for and bought to the attention of a director. A company’s registered office can be the home address of the company’s owners.
This service is available for businesses that are not registered at Companies House. So it can be utilised by Sole traders,Partnerships,Trusts and Associations
- Free Service Address
- Prestigious Central London Address
- Free Scanned Post Service
- Email Notification of Post
- Safe & Secure Smart Doc Facility
Company Restoration Service
If your company has been dissolved (struck off) then we can help with the restoration of your company. We specialise in the Administrative Restoration of UK companies (excluding Scotland and Northern Ireland). We can help have your company restored to the register if your company was struck off due to non compliance at Companies House (ie late or non filing of required documents).
- Companies Houser status enquiry
- The preparation of the restoration application form
- Obtaining the waiver letter from the Treasury Solicitor
- Liaising with CH RE any Late Filing Penalties
Company formation in the UK has never been easier
Select Your Company Name
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Pick & Mix the business services you need
Enter Your Company Details
Enter your company & director details.
Make Payment
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Are you Non-UK Resident?
Don't worry you can still form a company in the UK
Register your company in the UK, with our central London registered office address at the best possible prices. Use our quick and simple online company formation process and your UK company will be registered and ready to start trading in no time.
Take a look at our Non-Residents company formation service
Non-Residents company formation service
Why use a company formation agent to register your company?
The simple reason for choosing a company formation agent to incorporate a company is the additional level of support you will receive. Company formation agents are rewarded for the support with the sale of services and facilities that new businesses are likely to require and which Companies House cannot provide such as:
- Automated referrals to banks
- Registered office services and mail handling to maintain confidentiality
- Company administration portals.
- Free referrals to accountants
- Vat registration
Why choose 1stchoice Formations for your company formation?
Experienced staff
Our team have been supplying address and company formation services since 2011. We signed up with Trustpilot in 2013 when we received our first 5 star review, so our history is clear to see.
Address service and mail handling
Most of our company formation clients prefer to buy our registered office service when they apply to register a company. The key to providing an address service is how client post is handled. Our basic address service comes with several upgrades that clients find particularly useful. Our service has evolved over time to suit all our clients' needs. Clients who travel a lot or are based outside the UK are particularly well catered for. Our various address services are detailed on other pages of our website.
Prestigious address
Our office is located in the heart of London's medical and professional services district. Choose our address service with your company formation to give your clients confidence in you.
Pricing
We have made a considerable effort over the years to keep our prices amongst the lowest of any company formation agent in London.
Specialised services
In addition to company formation, we have become specialists in the following:
- Community Interest Companies (CICs). We currently form between 120 and 150 CICs each year
- Administrative company restorations. We currently restore over 150 companies each year that the Registrar of Companies has struck off the Companies House Register.
Companies House Authorisation
We are authorised by Companies House to provide company formation services.
Life Time Support
Like most company formation agents, we provide each client with a free portal with which they can administer all their companies for the life of those companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
for our new customers
Why do I need a company?.
You will need a limited company to protect yourself and your personal assets from debts that can arise from being in business. There are many advantages to using limited companies for your trading activities, but debt protection is one of the main ones.
How long does it take to form a company?
It can take as little as 24 hours to form a company, but it depends on many factors. When you place an order with a company formation agent such as us, you can do so at any time; our websites are 24/7, but we submit those orders to Companies House, which does not operate a 24/7 service. Their office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m and they are closed on bank holidays. So if you place an order with us on a Friday night, companies House will not process it until Monday. Furthermore, there are times when Companies House is very busy and the processing time takes longer. Delays can also arise if there are IT glitches at Companies House. In our experience, IT glitches at Companies House are very rare.
When can I start trading?
As soon as you receive an email with your Certificate of Incorporation, your company can start trading. It can immediately enter into contracts, make sales, employ staff and buy goods and services. It has full legal capacity even though it does not yet have a bank account.
What types of company are there
There are three types of company you can form on our website.
- Company limited by shares. These can be formed by one person who can be the only shareholder and director. Or by many shareholders with many directors. They are the most popular company trading structure in the UK.
- Companies Limited by Guarantee. This type of company structure is normally used for non-profit organisations such as clubs, associations, charities and social enterprises. Instead of shareholders, they have guarantors who guarantee a minimal amount, usually £1. A company limited by guarantee can be formed with 1 person being the only guarantor and director.
- Limited Liability Partnerships. This type of company structure is commonly used by professional organisations such as accountants, engineers and solicitors. The LLP structure allows flexible profit-sharing arrangements amongst the partners. LLPs require at least two persons as partners.
What information is needed to form a company.
For this information, go to our guide BEFORE YOU START.
What happens with the company if my business does not start
If you form a company and keep it dormant because you change your mind about trading, you can ask us to dissolve it for you. Our charge for this service is £36+vat plus £35 companies house filing fee.
