There is a set of changes coming from Companies House, which has confirmed that fees for annual filing and incorporating a business on the register will increase from February 2026.
It’s Companies House’s first significant rise in fees since May 2024 and means you will need to factor these changes into your planning and support is available if you need more information.
You will need to have measures in place to mitigate the increased costs, as from 1 February 2026, the annual filing fee will increase for both digital and physical submissions.
The Digital filing fee will rise from £34 to £50, and the physical filing fee will increase from £62 to £110.
Moving forward, any finance and business planning you do will need to factor in the increased fees from Companies House. This includes budgeting and setting funds aside to manage any changes.
If you fail to plan or submit the necessary information on time you run the serious risk of being fined and further sanctions placed on yourself and your business.
Companies House is keen to see businesses using digital software to submit information and this is highlighted in the fact that physical fees have increased much more exponentially.
If you aren’t using digital software, now is a good time to implement it within your company because it will be much more cost-effective long term.
While it may take time to adapt to submitting information digitally, it will save your company money moving forward and allow you to complete your legal and compliance obligations in a much faster way.
For new businesses, the incorporation digital filing fee will increase from £50 to £100, while the confirmation statement digital filing fee will rise from £34 to £50.
The increase in fees will impact all entities, including private limited companies, LLPs, charitable companies and overseas entities.
The fees are also increasing for companies that file information physically. The current cost for incorporating a business on Companies House in a physical manner is £71, but this will sharply rise to £124.
Not all costs will be increasing in February, as the voluntary strike off digital filing fee will be dropping to £13 and £18 for paper filing.
Companies House is increasing fees to support its own investment plans by enhancing its services and technology and supporting the Insolvency Service.
They will support them by helping them complete investigations and the necessary enforcements that need to be in place, like winding up companies, disqualifying directors and prosecuting those involved in fraudulent activities.
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House has been given increased powers to ensure transparency and the quality of data given by businesses is accurate.
Coming into effect on 18 November are ID verification checks being mandatory for business owners, directors and persons of significant control.
For existing individuals registered on Companies House, they will have a 12-month window to complete a digital ID verification check, which closes on 18 November 2026.
New registrations through Companies House will have to follow the procedures in place and complete an ID verification check when the law officially takes effect in a couple of weeks’ time.
Checks will need to be completed either through the Gov.uk One Login gateway or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
If you need support with this, accountants can help you collect all the necessary information to validate your identity and explain why Companies House has introduced these strict new measures.
You need to understand these changes because they will have an impact on your company, especially when you need to submit information to Companies House.
Our experienced team is here to support you. We can answer all your questions, implement measures to manage the changes and ensure you are following your legal and compliance obligations.
Speak with our team if you need advice and support on the latest changes from Companies House.
