Companies House Fees 2026: The Complete List
15 March 2024
Companies House fees increased on 1 February 2026. It now costs £100 to register a company online, £50 to file your annual confirmation statement digitally, and £20 to change your company’s name. The increases fund Companies House’s new powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, including identity verification for directors. This guide lists every current fee, what changed, and how to keep your filing costs down.
In This Article
- What changed on 1 February 2026
- Companies House fees 2026: the full list
- Fees for limited companies and LLPs compared
- Why Companies House fees increased
- Is there a fee for filing annual accounts?
- How to keep your Companies House costs down
- Frequently asked questions
What changed on 1 February 2026?
This is the second significant fee rise in two years. Fees went up in May 2024, and from 1 February 2026 most of them increased again. The headline changes:
| Service | Old fee (May 2024) | New fee (from 1 Feb 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Company incorporation (online) | £50 | £100 |
| Company incorporation (paper) | £71 | £124 |
| Confirmation statement (online) | £34 | £50 |
| Confirmation statement (paper) | £62 | £110 |
| Voluntary strike off (online) | £33 | £13 (reduced) |
Not everything went up. The fee for voluntarily striking off a company actually fell, and the change of name fee stayed at £20 for digital filings.
Companies House fees 2026: the full list
These are the fees in force now, as published by Companies House (last updated July 2026).
Starting a company
| Service | Online / software | Paper | Same day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incorporate a limited company | £100 | £124 | £156 |
| Incorporate an LLP | £100 | £124 | £156 |
| Incorporate a community interest company (CIC) | £115 | £139 | Not available |
| Register a limited partnership (LP) | Not available | £124 | Not available |
| Register an overseas company | Not available | £124 | Not available |
Running a company
| Service | Online / software | Paper | Same day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation statement (annual) | £50 | £110 | Not available |
| Change of company name | £20 | £30 | £85 |
| Registration of a charge (mortgage or loan security) | £14 | £24 | Not available |
| Filing annual accounts | Free | Free | Not available |
Closing or restoring a company
| Service | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary strike off (dissolution) | £13 | £18 |
| Administrative restoration | Not available | £341 |
| Re-registration (for example, private to public) | Not available | £124 |
Fees for limited companies and LLPs compared
Limited companies and LLPs now pay identical fees for the core filings: £100 to incorporate online, £50 for the digital confirmation statement, and £20 for a digital name change. If you are deciding between the two structures, the Companies House costs are no longer a point of difference. The real differences are in tax treatment and liability, which is exactly the kind of decision our start-up support team helps new business owners work through.
Why did Companies House fees increase?
Companies House operates on a cost-recovery basis: it is only allowed to charge what its services cost to run, not to make a profit. The 2024 and 2026 increases fund its expanded role under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), which gave it new powers to query and reject filings, share data with law enforcement, and require identity verification for directors and people with significant control.
Identity verification itself is free if you do it directly through GOV.UK One Login, though many businesses choose to verify through an authorised agent as part of wider company secretarial support.
Is there a fee for filing annual accounts?
No. Filing your annual accounts at Companies House is free, whether you file online or on paper. What catches companies out are the automatic penalties for filing accounts late, which start at £150 for a private company up to one month late and rise to £1,500 beyond six months. The penalty doubles if you file late two years in a row. Fees and penalties are different things: the confirmation statement carries a fee, the accounts carry a deadline.
How to keep your Companies House costs down
- File digitally, always. Paper filing now costs more than double for most services: £110 against £50 for the confirmation statement alone.
- Never pay twice for a confirmation statement. The £50 fee covers a 12-month payment period. You can file as many updates as you like within it without paying again.
- Avoid same-day services unless you genuinely need them. Same-day incorporation costs £156 against £100 for the standard service, which is usually completed within 24 hours anyway.
- File accounts on time. The accounts themselves are free; the late filing penalties are not.
- Let your accountant handle the filings. Our company secretarial service files confirmation statements and manages statutory deadlines so nothing is missed and nothing is paid twice.
Need help with your company filings?
Simon & Co looks after Companies House compliance for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships across Orpington, Bromley, Kent and London. From company secretarial support and year-end accounts to full tax advisory, we make sure every filing goes in on time, digitally, at the lowest fee. Request a fixed quote or contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.
Enjoying our content?
Make Simon & Co a preferred source on Google
Tap below and select us to see more of our guides in Google Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews.
Add us as a preferred source →Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a company at Companies House?
It costs £100 to register a limited company online with Companies House, £124 by paper, or £156 for the same-day service. These fees took effect on 1 February 2026, doubling the previous £50 online fee.
What is the Companies House confirmation statement fee?
The confirmation statement costs £50 when filed online or through software, and £110 by paper. The fee covers a 12-month payment period, so any additional statements filed within that period are free.
How much does it cost to register a charge at Companies House?
Registering a charge (such as a mortgage or loan security) costs £14 online or through software, and £24 by paper. The charge must be registered within 21 days of its creation or it becomes void against creditors.
When did Companies House fees increase?
The most recent increase took effect on 1 February 2026. Before that, fees rose on 1 May 2024. The 2026 change doubled the online incorporation fee from £50 to £100 and raised the digital confirmation statement fee from £34 to £50.
Why did Companies House fees go up?
Companies House charges on a cost-recovery basis and the increases fund its new powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, including identity verification for directors, stronger data checking, and enforcement work alongside the Insolvency Service.
How much does it cost to change a company name?
Changing your company’s name costs £20 when filed online or through software, £30 by paper, or £85 for the same-day service. The new name takes effect from the date the change of name certificate is issued, not the date you file.
Is there a fee for filing annual accounts at Companies House?
No, filing annual accounts is free. However, late filing triggers automatic penalties starting at £150 for a private company and rising to £1,500 if accounts are more than six months overdue, doubling if you are late two years running.
