Important changes that affect UK company formations and ongoing filings.
Companies House fees are changing from 1 February 2026
From this date, Companies House will increase a number of statutory fees as part of its modernisation and enforcement programme under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) reforms. Key digital fees will be: incorporation £100 (currently £50), confirmation statement £50 (currently £34), and voluntary strike‑off £13 (reduced from £33).
These changes help fund stronger checks and powers to improve the accuracy of the company register and combat fraud, as set out by Companies House.
Compulsory identity verification for directors and PSCs
As part of the ECCT Act, identity verification (IDV) is being phased in. From 18 November 2025, directors and people with significant control (PSCs) are legally required to verify their identity. For new incorporations, proposed directors must have verified their identity before we can submit a formation, and PSCs are also required to verify and provide their Companies House code in line with the rollout timetable. Once verified—either via GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)—individuals receive a Companies House personal code that links their verified identity to company roles. We must include these codes in filings.
Important for new formations: We cannot proceed with a company formation until all proposed directors (and any PSCs required at incorporation) have completed ID verification and shared their personal code with us.
Our agency fee change
Meeting these new statutory steps adds administration to our formations workflow (gathering/verifying IDs, managing Companies House personal codes, and additional pre‑submission checks). To keep delivering a compliant, efficient service, our agency fee for company formations will increase by £3.00 per company, effective for instructions priced on or after 1 February 2026.
We’ve kept this adjustment as modest as possible while absorbing much of the additional process work ourselves.
What we need from you
If you’re planning a new company: Please ensure all proposed directors (and PSCs, where relevant) complete Companies House identity verification and send us their personal code before we prepare the application. You can verify for free via GOV.UK One Login, or we can arrange verification for you through our ACSP route.
How we can help
FCLS is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider and can handle ID verification for directors and PSCs, register verification outcomes with Companies House, and support you through the entire filings process.
If you have any questions about fees, identity verification, or an upcoming formation, please contact your usual FCLS adviser, reply to this email, or call us and we’ll be happy to help.
Kind regards,
FCLS Group Limited
Company Secretarial & Formations Team
