Company formation agents are independent and professional agencies that specialize in the registration of companies with Companies House. They provide expert advice and assistance in applying for registration (‘incorporation’ or ‘formation’) in line with the Companies Act 2006.
Using a company formation agent services make it easier for new and existing businesses to set up and update their companies information. As a result they provide a simple, fast, and cost-efficient company registration.
What We Covered In This Article
Are company formation agents regulated?
Yes. Company formation agents are regulated by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which also maintains a list of approved agents. However, before contracting a company formation agent to work on your company registration, you can request to see their license or any other authorization document from HMRC if you are in doubt.
Read also: Complete list of HMRC regulated company formation agents
Can I register the company myself?
If you are familiar with the process, you can register your company yourself. We wrote a guide on how to do that in this article. You can also visit the UK government’s website and see the information needed to register your limited company. You will spend anywhere from £12 to £40 depending on the mode of registration.
Why use a company formation agent
- It saves time
- Simple online application process
- Less chance of the application being rejected
- Professional advice
- Incorporate any form of a company online
Best company formation agents in the UK
We reviewed 120 registered company formation agents in the UK and came up with a list of the best 10 company formation agents listed on Companies House website based clients’ reviews on Google. The listed be are arranged based on the highest to least number of reviews.
1st Formations Limited
71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
According to their website, 1st Formations is the UK’s leading company formation agent. The company was founded in 2014, and has formed over 750,000 companies. They have assisted thousands of clients to grow their business with expert advice on limited companies, reporting requirements, and corporate governance. They are also a companies house approved company.
- With a 5 star rating from 1657 clients on Google.
- Price range from £12.99 to £139.99
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £124.99
Rapid Formations
71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
As a Companies House approved company formation agent, they specialise in the registration of limited companies and LLPs. As a business services provider, they offer a wide range of address services, banking solutions, meeting room hire.
- With a 4.9 star rating from 860 clients on Google.
- Price range from £12.99 to £89.99
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £124.99 to £249.99
ICON OFFICES
Company formation agent in the United Kingdom for UK Residents and Non-residents. Unlike other company formation agents we have reviewed, Icon Offices do not have separate pricing for non-residents. Non-residents of the UK you would need to purchase their virtual address services to register their company to. They can also use the address for marketing campaigns and advertising. Free director’s mail handling is also included. Note that other virtual address services will charge you extra between for handling directors mail.
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With a 4.4 star rating from 39 reviews on Google.
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Price: £5.99 inclusive of VAT for company formation if youalso purchase their Virtual Address service
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£15.99 inc VAT if you have your own registered address.
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Virtual Office/Address prices start from only £0.99 per week.
Another interesting thing is that they offer other complimentary services worth £150 for FREE.
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Free .co.uk and .uk domain
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Free UK Bank accounts for UK and Non-UK residents with up to £70 cash rewards
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Free £400 google Adwords Voucher (when you spend £400 with Google)
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Free website builder
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Easy online application no more than 3 minutes to complete
Office Hours
Monday to Friday 09.00 a.m. – 5:00pm Office Hours
Your Company Formations
Kemp House, 160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom
They provide expert services which can get your new business off to a flying start. With their online company manager clients can easily set up a Limited company online.
- With a 4.8 star rating from 458 clients on Google.
- Price range from £12.48 to £54.48
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £108.48
Quality Company Formations
71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
Quality Company Formations are open 24 hours except for public holidays. They are one of the UK’s leading company formation agents, recognised for its authority in company matters. They provide the largest range of company structures and company formation packages in the UK.
- With 4.9 star rating from 264 reviews on Google.
- Price range from £11.49 to £44.49
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £119.99
Online Filings Ltd
Studio 210, 134-146 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AR, United Kingdom
- With a 4.3 star rating from 258 reviews on Google.
- Price range from £19.99 to £39.49
CCS Nationwide Limited
Fairgate House, 205 Kings Rd, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 2AA, United Kingdom
Registered Address Ltd has multiple offices across the UK. The company was launched in 2009, and is a licensed address provider, a company formation agent listed on Companies House website and an accountancy firm registered with HMRC.
- With a 5.0 star rating from 129 reviews on Google.
- Price starts from £29 to £89
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents (not stated)
Registered Address Ltd
International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom
Registered Address Ltd has multiple offices across the UK. The company was launched in 2009, and is a licensed address provider, a company formation agent listed on Companies House website and an accountancy firm registered with HMRC.
- With a 4.6 star rating from 107 reviews on Google.
- Price starts from £20 but requires you to purchase a registered office address plan which is £75
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £95.
The Company Warehouse
76-80 Baddow Rd, Chelmsford CM2 7PJ, United Kingdom
They are one of the first online company formation agents in the UK and are a registered electronic filing agent with Companies House. The Company Warehouse have formed thousands of limited companies and are the only UK company formation agent to offer free company formations.
- With a 4.6 star rating from 90 reviews on Google.
- Price starts from £9.99 to £46.66
The Formations Company
130 Old St, London EC1V 9BD, United Kingdom
The Formations Company, simplifies the process of forming a company by supporting your business through the first stages of your start-up journey.
- With a 3.9 star rating from 79 reviews on Google.
- Price starts from £9.99 to £99.99
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £129.99.
121 Company Formation
3rd Floor, 207 Regent St., London W1B 3HH, United Kingdom
121 Company Formation is amongst the UK’s leading company formation service providers, offering a fast, cost-effective online limited company registration service, as well as a full range of bookkeeping and accounting services to customers who wish to register a business and operate a limited company in the UK.
- With a 5.0 star rating from 73 reviews on Google.
- Price starts from £15.95 to £379.99 including accountancy
- UK business registration for foreigners and non-residents £159.99 to £374.99
Due diligence
In concluding this piece, we would like you to understand that if user reviews are a key part of your process for choosing organizations to work with, the company formation agents are your best options.
However, you might also consider proximity to your location just in case you would like to visit their office. This is not a necessary requirement though because most of them operate an online filing system for company registrations.
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