Setting up a limited company in the UK has never been faster or more straightforward — but there's a real difference between registering a company and actually setting it up properly. Many people spend fifteen minutes on the Companies House website, receive their certificate of incorporation, and then discover a string of tax registrations, compliance deadlines and administrative decisions that nobody warned them about.
This guide walks you through the whole process in order: what you need before you start, the registration itself, and everything that needs to happen in the days and months that follow. If you're based in Macclesfield, Bollington or anywhere in Cheshire and thinking about incorporating, we're happy to handle any or all of this for you.
Before you begin — key decisions
A few decisions need to be made before you open the Companies House registration form:
Is a limited company right for you?
If you haven't already weighed this up, read our separate guide on sole trader vs limited company. As a broad rule, a limited company starts to make financial sense when your profits consistently exceed around £40,000–£50,000 per year. Below that level, the extra admin and accountancy costs may outweigh the tax saving.
Company name
Your company name must be unique on the Companies House register and must end in "Limited" or "Ltd". You can check availability using the Companies House name checker. A few rules worth knowing:
- Names cannot be identical — or "too similar" — to an existing registered company
- Certain words (such as "Royal", "Bank", "Chartered") require special permission to use
- Having a company name doesn't automatically protect a brand — for brand protection you'd need a registered trademark
- Have a backup name ready in case your first choice is taken
Registered office address
Every UK limited company must have a registered office address — a physical UK address where official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC will be sent. This address appears publicly on the Companies House register. It does not need to be where you actually work. Many people use their accountant's address, a virtual office address, or their home address (though this means your home address will be publicly visible).
Share structure
For most new single-director companies, the simplest approach is 100 ordinary shares at £1 each, all held by you. This gives you flexibility to transfer shares later without complex calculations. For husband-and-wife companies or businesses with multiple founders, the split and class of shares should be thought through carefully from the outset — it's much easier to get right at the start than to restructure later.
What you'll need to have ready
- Company name (and a backup)
- Registered office address — a physical UK address
- Director details — full legal name, date of birth, nationality, country of residence, and a service address (can be the same as the registered office)
- Shareholder details — name, address and number of shares for each shareholder
- PSC details — anyone owning more than 25% of shares must be listed as a Person with Significant Control from day one
- SIC code — a Standard Industrial Classification code describing your business activity (you can search for the right one at Companies House)
Step-by-step: the registration process
Verify your identity
Since November 2025, identity verification is mandatory for all directors before a company can be incorporated. You'll need to complete this via GOV.UK One Login before or as part of your application. It takes around 10–20 minutes and requires a valid passport or driving licence. There's no fee for the verification itself.
Register with Companies House
Go to gov.uk/register-a-company-online. You'll complete form IN01 — the standard application for a private company limited by shares. You'll need to provide all the details above and agree to the Model Articles of Association (the default rules governing how the company operates) or provide your own bespoke articles.
The registration fee is £100 for standard digital registration (increased from £50 in February 2026). Most applications are approved within 24 hours — often much faster.
Receive your certificate of incorporation
Once approved, Companies House issues a Certificate of Incorporation. This is your company's birth certificate — it confirms your company number, company name and the date of incorporation. Keep it safe — you'll need it to open a bank account and for various HMRC registrations.
We can handle the entire registration process for you — including identity verification, Companies House filing and initial HMRC notifications. This is often the fastest route and ensures everything is set up correctly from day one. Get in touch if you'd like us to manage this.
After registration — what happens next
Incorporation is a 10-minute form. The real work begins immediately afterwards. Here's what needs to happen in a specific order:
Open a company bank account
Your company is a separate legal entity and must have its own bank account — mixing personal and company finances is a common mistake that creates significant problems later. Most banks require your certificate of incorporation. You'll also typically need your company number, registered address and proof of identity.
For new small companies, Starling Business, Tide or Monzo Business are often the quickest to open online. Traditional high street banks take longer but may be preferred if you need overdraft facilities or a business relationship manager.
Register for Corporation Tax — within 3 months
This is one of the most commonly missed deadlines. You must notify HMRC that your company is trading and register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade. Failure to do so can result in penalties. Register via your HMRC business tax account or Government Gateway.
Note: registering for Corporation Tax is different from filing your first Corporation Tax return (CT600), which isn't due until 12 months after your accounting year end.
Set up PAYE if you're paying a salary
If you plan to pay yourself a salary — as most directors do — you need to register an employer scheme with HMRC and operate PAYE payroll. This applies even if you're the only employee. We can set this up and run your payroll for you as part of our ongoing service.
Consider VAT registration
VAT registration is compulsory once your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any 12-month period. You can also register voluntarily below this threshold — there are situations where this is genuinely beneficial (for example, if your customers are VAT-registered businesses who can reclaim the VAT). This needs to be considered carefully for your specific circumstances.
If you're likely to approach the threshold quickly, it's better to register early and set up your bookkeeping correctly from the start than to scramble when you cross the line.
Set up your bookkeeping
From day one, every transaction your company makes should be recorded properly. We recommend Xero for most small companies — it's cloud-based, excellent for Making Tax Digital compliance, and we can connect to your account directly. Good bookkeeping from the start makes everything easier: tax returns, dividend declarations, bank account management and cash flow visibility.
Register for self-assessment
As a company director, you'll almost certainly need to file a personal self-assessment tax return each year — to declare your director's salary, dividends received and any other income. If you're not already registered for self-assessment, register via GOV.UK as soon as you start receiving director's income.
Plan your remuneration strategy
One of the most valuable things your accountant does from day one is help you structure how you pay yourself. The combination of salary and dividends, and at what levels, makes a significant difference to your overall tax bill. Read our guide on director salary and dividends for 2026/27 for the current numbers — or get in touch and we'll work through the right approach for your specific situation.
Ongoing compliance — what your company must do each year
Once your company is running, a set of annual obligations kick in:
| Obligation | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation Statement | Annually (within 14 days of your review date) | £50/year to Companies House |
| Annual accounts | 9 months after your accounting year end | No fee — but accountancy costs apply |
| Corporation Tax return (CT600) | 12 months after your accounting year end | No fee — accountancy costs apply |
| Corporation Tax payment | 9 months and 1 day after your accounting year end | Whatever your tax bill is |
| Self-assessment (personal) | 31 January each year | No fee — accountancy costs apply |
| Payroll (if applicable) | Each pay period + RTI submissions to HMRC | No statutory fee |
What does it all cost?
The statutory costs of running a limited company are modest — it's the accountancy and admin time that people often underestimate:
- Companies House registration — £100 (one-off)
- Annual Confirmation Statement — £50/year
- Accountancy costs — typically £800–£2,000/year for a small company, depending on complexity, whether you use bookkeeping software, and whether your accountant handles payroll and VAT too
Before incorporating, make sure the tax saving from the limited company structure actually exceeds the extra accountancy cost. For most people at profits above £50,000 it clearly does — but below £30,000–£40,000 it often doesn't. We can run the numbers for your specific situation before you commit.
Your pre-incorporation checklist
- Decide on your company name (and have a backup ready)
- Choose your registered office address
- Decide on share structure and who holds what percentage
- Identify all PSCs (anyone over 25% ownership)
- Complete identity verification via GOV.UK One Login
- File form IN01 at Companies House (£100)
- Open a company bank account immediately after incorporation
- Register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade
- Set up PAYE if you're paying a salary
- Set up bookkeeping (we recommend Xero)
- Register for self-assessment as a director
- Plan your salary and dividend strategy with your accountant
Starting a limited company in Macclesfield or Cheshire?
We help new businesses get set up correctly from day one — handling the Companies House filing, HMRC registrations, Xero setup and your first year's compliance. Book a free call and let's talk through what you need.
Book a free 30-minute call →This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Rules and fees are correct as at June 2026 but may change. Please contact us to discuss your specific situation. JAC Accountancy Solutions Limited is regulated by ICAEW (Membership No. 8650147).