Company formation for UK limited companies
Form your limited company and get your accountant sorted at the same time, with a fixed formation quote agreed before we start.
In short: NDCA is an ACCA-regulated accountancy practice that forms UK limited companies with Companies House and then acts as the company’s accountant from day one. We register the company, set up the HMRC registrations you need, such as PAYE and VAT, and move you onto Xero. You work with a named accountant who normally replies the same day.
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In short: NDCA is an ACCA-regulated accountancy practice that forms UK limited companies with Companies House and then acts as the company’s accountant from day one. We register the company, set up the HMRC registrations you need, such as PAYE and VAT, and move you onto Xero. You work with a named accountant who normally replies the same day.
What is on this page?
More than company formation
Forming the company is only the first step. Once your company is registered, NDCA can continue with the accounting work behind it.
- Bookkeeping
- VAT
- Payroll
- Corporation Tax
- Annual accounts
- Management accounts
- Cash flow forecasting
- Ongoing tax and accounting support
Not every new company needs every service from day one. We build the accounting support around what your business actually needs as it grows, rather than signing you up for things you do not need yet.
What our company formation service covers
There is a small one-off fee for company formation, agreed upfront when you join NDCA as an ongoing client. Companies House charges its own separate statutory fees, currently £100 to incorporate and £50 a year for the confirmation statement. Here is what our service covers:
Formation
- Company registration directly with Companies House
- Registered office address service
- Guidance on director, shareholder and PSC (person with significant control) information
- Guidance on Companies House identity verification for directors and PSCs
- SIC code guidance
- Guidance opening a business bank account
Initial tax and accounting setup
- Corporation Tax registration with HMRC, where applicable
- Director Self Assessment (SA1) registration, where your circumstances require it
- Initial accounting setup, so you are ready to start trading and invoicing from day one
- Guidance on what happens after incorporation
Ongoing support, included as you join us
- Bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and annual accounts
- Your first confirmation statement, prepared and filed for you
- A named accountant as your point of contact throughout
Every company’s circumstances are different, so we confirm exactly which registrations and services apply to you before we start and agree the fee upfront.
Not sure whether a limited company is right for you?
If you are currently a sole trader, or starting a new business, incorporating is not automatically the right answer.
NDCA can talk through the accounting and tax considerations with you before you incorporate, based on your income, plans and circumstances. If staying a sole trader suits you better for now, we will tell you honestly rather than steer you towards forming a company that is not the right fit yet.
If a limited company is the right move, we can form it and take on the accounting straight away. If it is not, we are happy to advise you as things stand, and revisit the question later as your business grows.
How NDCA works
What you can expect:
- Fixed formation quote
We confirm our formation fee before we start. Our fee is agreed upfront, and Companies House’s own statutory fees are separate and set by them, not by us. - A named accountant from day one
The same NDCA relationship continues beyond incorporation. You get a named accountant who forms your company and then looks after your bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and tax, not a ticket queue. - Accounting support as you grow
We start with what your business needs now and add services such as payroll, management accounts or cash flow forecasting as you grow.
Who we work with
NDCA company formation clients fall into a few groups:
- New business owners starting their first limited company
- Sole traders incorporating as their business grows
- Freelancers moving into a limited company
- Consultants and agencies
- Technology and SaaS businesses
- E-commerce businesses
- Content creators and online businesses
- Hospitality and healthcare businesses
- Business partners forming a company together
- Directors setting up a second company or subsidiary
This list is illustrative rather than exhaustive. Plenty of people come to us unsure whether a limited company is even the right move yet, and that is a normal place to start. If your situation is not covered above, tell us what you are setting up and we can assess the right structure for you.
A worked example: your first year of deadlines
Say you form a limited company on 15 June 2026 and start trading straight away. Companies House sets the first year end at 30 June 2027, and the first accounts are due by 15 March 2028, 21 months after incorporation. The first confirmation statement, with its £50 fee, is due by 28 June 2027.
Because the first accounts cover just over 12 months and a Corporation Tax period cannot be longer than 12, HMRC needs two Company Tax Returns: one for 15 June 2026 to 14 June 2027 and a short one for 15 to 30 June 2027. We set up both periods from the start, so no return or payment is missed.
Ready to form your company?
Share the company name and who will run and own it, and we will confirm the fee and get your company formed quickly.
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Already have a company?
You do not need to form a new company to work with NDCA. If your company is already registered, we can take on the accounting for it. We register as your agent with HMRC and Companies House, request everything we need directly from your previous accountant and set you up with a named accountant on our fixed monthly fee. No re-formation needed, and no handover for you to manage.
Switching accountants does not affect your company, only who looks after it. We handle the handover directly with your previous accountant.
Company formation at a glance (2026/27)
View the key tax figures
| Online incorporation fee | £100, paid to Companies House |
|---|---|
| Identity verification | Directors and people with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House |
| First accounts | Due 21 months after incorporation |
| Confirmation statement | Every year, with a £50 fee |
| Corporation Tax | Tell HMRC within 3 months of starting to trade |
Fees and rules were checked against GOV.UK and Companies House guidance. Your own position depends on your circumstances, which we confirm before any advice.
Company formation FAQs
The Companies House incorporation fee is £100 when you register online. Our ongoing fees start from £95 plus VAT a month for limited companies, and you receive a fixed quote at the end of your free 30-minute call. Any records alignment or bookkeeping catch-up is quoted separately in writing before work starts.
Most companies are formed within 24 hours, provided we have your proposed company name, director and shareholder details and a registered office address. Companies House can occasionally take longer to process an application, but formation within 24 hours is typical once we have what we need from you.
You will need a proposed company name, at least one director and shareholder, details for anyone with significant control over the company (PSC) and a registered office address. We can provide the registered office address as part of our service.
Since 18 November 2025, every new director and person with significant control must also complete identity checks. It is free through GOV.UK One Login and usually takes a few minutes.
Yes. NDCA files the incorporation directly with Companies House ourselves, rather than outsourcing it to a separate formation agent, so you deal with one point of contact from formation through to your ongoing accounting.
You are not legally required to use an accountant, but a limited company has its own filing and tax obligations separate from your personal tax affairs, including Companies House filings and Corporation Tax. Most directors find it more straightforward to have an accountant handle this from the start rather than untangling it later.
Yes, this is central to how we work. We form the company and then continue as your ongoing accountant, covering bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, annual accounts and Corporation Tax on a fixed monthly fee with a named accountant.
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Ready to set up your limited company?
Tell us a little about the business, who the directors and shareholders will be and what you plan to do. We will confirm the formation fee and explain what accounting support you will need from day one.
