This week (1 May) saw Companies House increase its fees resulting in increased costs for all entities registered, including private limited companies, limited liability partnership, charitable companies and overseas entities.

Some costs have increased significantly. The cost to file company incorporation documents has increased to £50, from £10 when using software or £12 when filed online, and from £40 to £71 when filed by post.

Similarly, the fee for annual confirmation statements filed online or via software has increased from £13 to £34 and from £40 to £62 when filed by post.

Companies House has published a full list of the new fees, which confirms higher fees for filing by post compared to online. This approach aligns the planned transition to software-only filing set to be introduced in future, along with Companies House’s own ambition to be a fully digital organisation by 2025.

Companies House fees are set on a cost recovery basis, which means it does not make a profit on the services it delivers. The increased fees will fund the cost of measures being introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which began with new and enhanced powers from 4 March to tackle economic crime.

ICAEW’s Corporate Reporting Faculty will soon be publishing a detailed examination of the first set of Companies House reform changes in By All Accounts, their digital magazine,  which all members can access.

More information

• Companies House new powers from 4 March
• The implications of new company size thresholds