UK Company Formations Hit Record Highs — Even as Fees Have Tripled

If you assumed rising costs would put people off starting a business, the numbers say otherwise. New research from Icon Offices, based on Companies House data, shows UK entrepreneurs are incorporating companies at record levels — despite the cost of registering online more than doubling in the past year.

The numbers

Between January and July 2026, more than 1.69 million companies were incorporated in the UK — a 6.9% increase on the same period in 2025, and 65.6% higher than the equivalent period back in 2024. January 2026 alone saw 70,362 new incorporations, compared with 46,585 in January 2025.

That growth has happened alongside a steep rise in the Companies House digital incorporation fee, which has gone up by more than 700% in a short space of time. The standard online registration fee is now £100 (up from £50 as of 1 February 2026), with same-day digital incorporation costing £156, and postal registration £124.

Why it doesn’t seem to matter

For most founders, the incorporation fee is a rounding error against everything else involved in getting a business off the ground — professional advice, initial stock or equipment, marketing, insurance. Even at £100, it remains one of the cheapest and quickest ways in the world to set up a limited company, with same-day options if you need to move fast.

There’s also a structural reason for the volume: successive rounds of Companies House reform under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act have added new identity verification and reporting requirements over the past two years, which arguably makes the register more trustworthy — a small trade-off against a bigger, longer-term confidence boost for anyone dealing with UK companies.

What this means if you’re setting up

If you’ve been putting off incorporating because the fee “used to be £50,” it’s worth remembering that £100 still buys you a company within 24–48 hours (or the same day, for a bit more) — and you’re in good company. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for what actually adds up: business bank account setup, accountancy support, and the ongoing filing obligations — confirmation statements, annual accounts, and PSC register requirements — that come after the certificate of incorporation lands.

Source: Icon Offices research based on Companies House data, August 2026.