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Countingup is an official HMRC Company Formation Agent registered as a Trust and Company Service Provider
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Register your company
Form and register your company with Companies House
✅ Companies House charge £50, but just pay a £12 refundable deposit with Countingup
✅ Countingup is an official HMRC Company Formation Agent registered as a Trust and Company Service Provider
✅ Start by searching for your company name and apply in minutes
✅ Get a business current account with your registration
Please enter a valid company name
Company registration: how it works
Wondering how to start a business in the UK? Our company formation service makes it simple. It only takes a few minutes to register your business with us – you’ll be up and running in no time! You need to be a UK resident to apply.
- Search and choose your company name
- Tell us some details about you and your new business
- Pay £12 deposit towards the Companies House registration fee – we'll refund this when you become an active customer
- Get your company incorporation documents and your free 3 month Countingup business current account trial
- Start getting paid!
- We'll refund the £12 deposit – making your company formation completely free (terms apply)
Why choose Countingup?
It’s quick & easy
Applications are processed in hours and most companies are registered by the next working day
You’re ready to trade
Get a 3-month trial of our business current account with built-in accounting software – perfect for limited companies!
A business current account, but smarter
- Free invoicing & payment links Create and send personalised invoices in just a few taps
- Get paid faster Accept payment by card or easy account transfer on invoices and payment links
- Instant payment notifications Countingup lets you know as soon as payment hits your account
- Unpaid invoice notifications Countingup tracks late payments – that's one less thing for you to worry about
- Receipt capture & storage Snap, attach, and store receipts, so everything’s ready for tax season
- Financial reporting & insights See exactly how your business is doing with real time insights at your fingertips
- Automatic categorisation SmartTax AI automatically assigns each transaction to the correct tax category
- Real-time tax estimate Your tax estimate updates automatically based on your income and expenses
- Save smart with tax pots Set aside a % of your income every time you're paid or top up your tax pot in a tap
- Never miss a tax deadline Countingup syncs directly to Companies House to give an accurate timeline of deadlines
- Unlock hundreds in tax savings SmartTax AI flags tax allowances your business qualifies for like trivial benefits and work from home allowance
- Connect with your accountant Accountants get direct, secure access to your data through the Accountant Hub
What you need to register a company
Unique company name
Use our search tool to see if your company name is available and meets the Companies House requirements.
Registered office address
You need to have an address in the UK for all mail to be sent to, including government correspondence. This can be your home address, office address or a virtual office address.
Using a virtual registered office address means you can still get official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC whilst keeping your residential address private. This is usually an office in a city that will process mail for you, whilst giving you the flexibility to work from anywhere.
Business details
We’ll need some basic details about your new business.
Director and shareholder information
You’ll need to provide your full name, date of birth, nationality, address, occupation and proof of identity. Proof of ID can be a valid passport, driving license or European ID card. Please note, you need to be a UK resident to apply.
Ready to form your new company?
Check if your business name is free
Please enter a valid company name
What are the benefits of forming a limited company?
When you register a company in the UK, there are advantages to choosing a limited company structure. Compared to trading as a sole trader, you’ll gain legal protection and potential tax savings once your business is on the Companies House register.
Limited liability
When you register a limited company, it becomes a separate legal entity. This means your personal assets are generally protected if your business comes into difficulty.
Tax efficiency
Limited company directors can benefit from tax efficiency by taking a combination of salary and dividends, which can reduce tax due and leave more money available for growth.
What happens after forming your company?
Forming a company is just the first step. We’ll still be here to guide you as you start, run and grow your business. Once your business is on the Companies House register, there are a few things you’ll need to keep on top of:
- Register for Corporation Tax with HMRC so your company is ready to trade legally
- File annual accounts and confirmation statements to stay compliant with Companies House
- Keep up with HMRC and Companies House requirements throughout the year, such as deadlines and record keeping
Company registration FAQs
Registering a company online with Companies House costs £50 but we’ll register your company for free when you open Countingup business current account. You’ll need to pay a £12 deposit to register your company but we’ll refund this when you spend £50 on your card within 30 days.
We charge a £12 when you submit your company registration but this is a deposit towards the Companies House fee. We’ll refund this when you spend £50 on your card within 30 days of opening an account.
Doing business through a limited company provides you with limited liability protection. This means that your company is its own entity. If your company faces any issues, your personal assets are safe as you and your company are separate entities.
The application process only takes a few minutes. Most applications are processed within hours, and the majority of customers receive their company registration documents by the next working day. Please note that Companies House does not operate on weekends or bank holidays, so applications submitted during that time may take longer to process.
If your company registration is approved, you’ll receive the below documents by email to the email you applied with.
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Company registration number
If you need any assistance in the application process, you can reach out to us by emailing support@countingup.com.
If your application is rejected, we’ll let you know as soon as we can and then issue a refund back to your original payment method.
Businesses must register for VAT if their taxable turnover is over £90,000. This is known as the threshold and is the total amount of money your business makes from items that aren’t exempt from VAT
If you know your turnover will pass the threshold in the next 30 days, or if your turnover from the last 12 months has already passed it, HMRC requires you to register for VAT.
Shareholders are the owners of a limited company. They invest in the company by buying shares and in return, they’re entitled to a share of the profits (dividends). Shareholders also have certain rights, like voting on important company decisions.
People with significant control (PSCs) are people who have influence or control over the company. Usually a company’s shareholders or directors are PSCs. For example, someone is classed as a PSC if they:
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Own more than 25% of the company’s shares
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Hold more than 25% of the company’s voting rights
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Have the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors
Companies must record PSC information and keep it up to date on the Companies House register.
Yes, if you register a company name, you need “Limited” or “Ltd” at the end. This makes it clear to customers, suppliers and the public that your business is a limited company with limited liability.
Yes, you need a separate business bank account when running a limited company. That’s because a limited company is a separate legal entity from you. Your business’ finances need to be separate, which means you can’t just use your personal bank account.
That’s exactly why we offer a free 3 month business current account trial with your registration.
A company director is someone responsible for running a limited company and making sure it meets its legal responsibilities.