HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a company formation agent in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Formation agents must be supervised for anti-money laundering, and directors must verify their identity. Here are the checks.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a company formation agent in five steps

  1. Check the name is freeAnd not too like an existing company name.
  2. Check the agent's supervisionTrust or company service providers must be supervised for anti-money laundering.
  3. Plan identity verificationEvery director and person with significant control verifies with Companies House.
  4. Choose the registered officeIt appears on the public register; a service address keeps your home off it.
  5. Take tax advice firstWhether a limited company suits you, before you form one.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no licence for company formation in any UK nation, and you can incorporate directly with Companies House. A business forming companies for others must still meet the anti-money-laundering rules.

Compare the agent's package with forming the company yourself. gov.uk →

Trust or company service provider supervision

The Money Laundering Regulations require a business that forms companies for others, unless the FCA or a professional body already supervises it, to register with HMRC, and it may not trade until that registration is confirmed.

Ask the company formation agent who supervises it, and check. gov.uk →

Identity verification with Companies House

Since 18 November 2025 Companies House has made identity verification a legal requirement for directors and people with significant control, and for anyone else who sets up or controls a company.

Ask how the agent handles verification for each director and PSC. gov.uk →

Your details on the public register

Company details, including the registered office, are public. Data protection rules cover the personal data the agent collects to form the company.

Decide on a registered office and service address before applying. gov.uk →

VAT

Formation services are standard-rated, so a registered company formation agent adds 20% to the package and to registered office or service address fees. Registration becomes compulsory once a company formation agent has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the company formation agent for the VAT number and for the package price, its VAT and the Companies House fee shown as three figures. gov.uk →

“Who supervises your company formation business for money laundering?”

A good answer: HMRC or a named professional body.

“What is included in the formation package?”

A good answer: The filing, standard articles, certificate, share certificates and registers, and any address services.

“How do you handle identity verification for directors?”

A good answer: A clear process for each director and person with significant control.

“Will my home address appear on the public register?”

A good answer: An explanation of registered office and service address options.

“Are bespoke articles or a shareholders' agreement included?”

A good answer: Priced separately, with who drafts them.

“How quickly will the company formation be approved?”

A good answer: Usually within a day online; same-day services cost more.

“Will you advise on tax, or should I see an accountant?”

A good answer: An honest answer about what the agent covers.

Getting the quote right

  • Package price and what it includes
  • Who actually attends to the filing: the company formation agent's employed staff or a subcontracted provider
  • The Companies House fee, shown separately
  • Registered office or service address: monthly or yearly cost
  • Extra documents: bespoke articles, shareholder agreements
  • Ongoing services and renewal prices
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the agent's package and address services as its own line

Walk away if

  • Not supervised for anti-money laundering
  • Says identity verification is optional
  • Hidden renewal charges for addresses
  • Pushes extras you did not ask for
  • No confirmation of the filing
  • Gives tax advice it is not qualified to give
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£500

What a company formation agent costs: £100–£500 per formation

Company formation is priced per formation as a package, with address services and extra documents often charged separately or yearly. Company Formation Service price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Company formation agents near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Name checkAvailability and similarity checked.
  2. DetailsDirectors, shareholders, PSCs and addresses gathered, with identity verification.
  3. FilingThe application sent to Companies House.
  4. IncorporationCertificate and company number issued.
  5. DocumentsShare certificates and registers set up.

Incorporation
Registering a company so it legally exists.
Articles of association
The company's rules.
PSC
Person with significant control.
Registered office
The company's official address on the public register.
Service address
A director's published contact address.
Confirmation statement
The yearly check of company details filed with Companies House.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the certificate of incorporationWith the company number and the statutory documents.
Check the public registerNames, addresses and shares as you expected.
Diary the first deadlinesConfirmation statement, accounts and tax registration.
Leave an honest reviewRate the company formation agent on the things that mattered to you: the result, the communication, the price. Anything wrong goes through make-it-right before the review is published.

STEP 1Start with the company formation agentExplain to the company formation agent, in writing, which part of the job fell short and what you want done. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you ask for it to be put right at no extra cost, or for money back.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyBelow four stars, Locufy asks if the company formation agent should be told first and given a chance. We follow it up; your review goes live once it has run its course.
STEP 3The supervisor, then adviceA formation agent that is not properly supervised can be reported to HMRC. For your consumer rights, ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060 or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 (Northern Ireland).
STEP 4Take it to small claimsIf the company formation agent still will not refund or fix it, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a company formation agent: questions people ask

Yes, for anti-money laundering: trust or company service providers must be supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations before trading.

Yes. Companies House requires directors and people with significant control to verify their identity.

Yes, directly with Companies House online.

The range is £100–£500 per formation, and £150 is a typical figure. Address services, extra documents and advice raise the price above the basic filing. The company formation agent price guide covers what changes it; enter your town above to compare local company formation agents.

Not if you use a different registered office and service address.

Online applications are usually approved within a day.

MORE GUIDES

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Company formation agents near you

Company formation agents in LondonCompany formation agents in ManchesterCompany formation agents in BirminghamCompany formation agents in GlasgowCompany formation agents in BelfastAll company formation agents on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — Money Laundering Regulations: who needs to register
  2. gov.uk — verifying your identity for Companies House
  3. gov.uk — set up a private limited company
  4. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register