12 answers for owners and founders of a United Kingdom company, from ordering to banking, annual compliance and what happens after incorporation. General information, not legal or tax advice: your specialist confirms how it applies to you.
Send it to us so we can include it in the incorporation filing. The code belongs to you, not to a company, and you reuse it for every UK role you hold, including a later director appointment. Share it only with people you trust to file for you, as you would a tax reference.
Source: Verifying your identity for Companies House, Companies House, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
Yes, if they are a person with significant control, for example anyone with more than 25% of the shares or voting rights. Each of them verifies their identity, then has a 14-day window to give Companies House their personal code for that role.
Source: People with significant control (PSCs), Companies House, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
The name must end in Limited or Ltd, and it cannot be the same as an existing name once punctuation and common words are ignored. Words that suggest a link to government, such as Accredited, need permission from the relevant body first. Offensive names are refused, and a name found too like an older one after a complaint may have to change.
Source: Set up a private limited company: choose a company name, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
A same-day name change filed online costs £85 in Companies House fees, as of February 2026. Shareholders must approve the new name first, and it has to pass the same name rules as at formation. We can prepare the resolution and the filing for you.
Corporate changesSource: Changes to Companies House fees (1 February 2026), Companies House, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
The Companies House fee for a voluntary strike-off is £13 online or £18 on paper, as of February 2026. Our strike-off service starts from US$490 and covers the checks and the filing. Accounts and tax returns that are still due must be dealt with first.
Company strike-offSource: Changes to Companies House fees (1 February 2026), Companies House, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
The certificate of incorporation, your registered office address, passport and proof of address for each director and major shareholder, and a clear description of what the company sells and to whom. Expect questions on expected monthly volumes and the countries you pay or get paid from. A website or signed contracts make the case stronger.
No. Banks and payment institutions need the company number and certificate of incorporation, so the application starts once Companies House registers the company. We prepare your application pack in the meantime so it can go in the same week.
It depends on how late they are: £150 up to 1 month, £375 up to 3 months, £750 up to 6 months and £1,500 after that. The penalty doubles if the accounts are late 2 years in a row. It is charged to the company automatically.
Accounting and filing supportSource: Late filing penalties, Companies House, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
Not on the invoice. Until the 9-digit VAT number arrives by post, you can raise your prices to cover the VAT, then reissue the invoices showing VAT once you have the number. You owe VAT from your effective date of registration, which HMRC confirms in the same letter.
Source: VAT registration: how to register, HM Revenue & Customs, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
HMRC posts the 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) to the registered office after incorporation. If it has not arrived 15 working days after registration, you can request it online. The activation code for the online Corporation Tax service follows within 10 days, or 21 days if you live abroad.
Source: Set up a private limited company: set up your company for Corporation Tax, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
Director appointments, resignations and changes to their details go to Companies House within 14 days, and so do changes to people with significant control. New shares must be reported within a month of issue. A new director gives their personal code as part of the appointment filing, so they should verify their identity first.
Corporate changesSource: Running a limited company: company changes you must report, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
Companies House checks form DS01, which a majority of directors must sign, and publishes a notice in The Gazette. If nobody objects, the company is struck off once the 2 months in the notice have passed. The company must not have traded or changed its name in the 3 months before you apply, and you lose access to its bank accounts once it is struck off.
Company strike-offSource: Strike off your limited company from the Companies Register, GOV.UK (accessed Sep 2026)
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