From 1 February 2026, Companies House has raised the cost of many of its most common filings.
The digital incorporation fee has doubled from £50 to £100, confirmation statements have jumped from £34 to £50, and paper filings have become noticeably more expensive across the board.
If you’re a company director, planning to set up a new business, or holding onto dormant companies you’ve been meaning to deal with – these changes are worth understanding.
Let’s walk through what’s actually changed, why it’s happening, and what steps you can take to stay on top of things.
The Key Companies House Fee Changes
Most of the increases affect filings that limited companies and LLPs encounter regularly. Here’s a summary of the main ones:
- Company incorporation (digital) – up from £50 to £100. Same-day digital incorporation has also doubled, rising from £78 to £156.
- Incorporation (paper) – up from £71 to £124.
- Confirmation statement (digital) – up from £34 to £50. Paper filings have jumped even more sharply, from £62 to £110.
- Voluntary strike-off (digital) – this one has actually dropped, from £33 to just £13. Paper applications have fallen from £44 to £18.
Beyond these headline changes, a few other fees have been adjusted. Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) now costs £63, up from £55. Registering the UK branch of an overseas company has risen from £71 to £124. Reductions of share capital, administrative restorations, and same-day company name changes have all seen increases too.
The voluntary strike-off reduction is worth highlighting. If you’ve been holding onto dormant or inactive companies and putting off closing them down, it has never been cheaper to do so.
At £13 for a digital application, there’s very little reason to keep paying for annual filings on a company that serves no purpose.
Part of a Bigger Picture For UK Company Law
The fee increases don’t exist in isolation. They’re one piece of a much broader overhaul of how Companies House operates, driven by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the ECCT Act).
If you’ve noticed more changes than usual coming from Companies House over the past year or so, that’s why. Since the ECCT Act came into force, there’s been a steady stream of new requirements:
- Registered office addresses: Companies must now provide a physical UK address, not a PO box
- Registered email addresses: Required for all new companies at incorporation, and existing companies must update theirs at their next confirmation statement
- Mandatory identity verification: From November 2025, all new directors, PSCs, and LLP members must verify their identity at appointment. Existing officeholders have until November 2026 to complete theirs
- New powers to challenge filings: Companies House can now query, reject, and remove information from the register if it suspects something is false or misleading
Essentially, Companies House is playing a deeper role in oversight and enforcement, and the fee increases will help pay for it.
Paper Filing Is Becoming Hard to Justify
One of the clearest trends in the updated fee schedule is the widening gap between digital and paper costs.
The confirmation statement is a good example – £50 digitally versus £110 on paper. That’s more than double for the same filing, purely because of the format.
This isn’t accidental. Companies House has been nudging businesses toward digital filing for years, and the pricing now makes the financial case very hard to argue against. Digital filings are processed faster, cost less to administer, and carry a lower risk of errors. From Companies House’s perspective, every paper filing that moves online frees up resources they can put elsewhere.
If your business still submits anything on paper, it’s worth reviewing whether that’s a choice or a habit. In most cases, switching to digital is straightforward – and the savings add up, especially if you manage multiple entities.
How This Affects New Companies
If you’re in the process of setting up a limited company or LLP, the incorporation fee is now £100 for a standard digital filing. That’s still relatively modest in the context of starting a business, but it’s worth factoring in alongside the other costs of getting started – registered office services, accounting software, professional fees, and so on.
For anyone planning to incorporate multiple companies – whether for property portfolios, group structures, or other reasons – the doubling adds up quickly. Five incorporations that would have cost £250 last month now cost £500.
It’s also worth remembering that the fee is charged based on when Companies House receives the filing, not the date you purchase a formation package or begin the process. If your application lands after 1 February, you pay the new rate regardless of when you started.
How This Affects Existing Companies
For companies already on the register, the most noticeable change will be the confirmation statement fee.
Every active company must file at least one confirmation statement per year, so this is a recurring cost that’s now £16 higher per filing. For a single company, that’s manageable. For directors or business owners with several entities, it’s another line item to budget for.
Beyond the direct cost, it’s also a good prompt to make sure your company’s details are current.
Companies House is now actively using its new powers to scrutinise the data on the register, so it’s worth checking that the basics are accurate:
- Your registered office is a physical UK address (not a PO box)
- Director and PSC details are up to date
- Your registered email address has been provided
- Identity verification has been completed (or is in progress) for all relevant individuals
If any of this is out of date, you could face delays, queries, or compliance issues when you file.
What You Should Be Doing Now
The fee increases are already in effect, but there are still practical steps you can take to manage the impact and keep your filings in order:
- Review your budget: Make sure your annual compliance costs reflect the new confirmation statement fee. It’s a small change per company, but it adds up if you have several entities.
- Switch to digital filing: The cost difference between paper and digital is now stark enough that paper is difficult to justify. If you’re unsure how to move your filings online, your accountant can handle this for you.
- Tidy up dormant companies: With voluntary strike-off fees dropping to £13 digitally, there’s no better time to close down companies that are no longer trading. Keeping them on the register means continuing to pay confirmation statement costs for no benefit.
- Complete identity verification: If you or anyone connected to your company hasn’t completed the mandatory ID checks introduced in November 2025, the deadline is November 2026. Don’t leave it until the last minute.
How Double Point Can Help
Keeping up with regulatory changes on top of running a business isn’t always easy. At Double Point, we help our clients stay ahead of filings, deadlines, and compliance requirements so that nothing slips through the cracks.
Whether you need help incorporating a new company, filing your confirmation statement, closing down a dormant entity, or simply understanding how these fee changes affect your specific situation – our team of chartered accountants is here to support you.
Book a free consultation with us today and let’s make sure your company’s affairs are in good shape.