Incorporation Becomes Cheaper

Following an internal review by the Public Registrar and bound by its obligation to charge fees based on its own recovery cost, Companies House are to reduce the cost of setting up a new limited company from £18 to £15.

As from October there will also be a slight decrease in the charge for submitting an annual return and to use some of the search facilities such as documents but not directors details.

Efficiencies made by Companies House together with the large number of people using electronic services has enabled cost savings to be passed on to businesses.

Due to “extremely low volumes” charges for forms required under the Companies Act 1985 (including provisions of the act that apply to LLP's) and that are delivered on or after 1^st October 2012 will be waived.

Overseas companies and partnerships will also benefit from the new tariff of fees.

The full proposed fee changes are reproduced below:

Proposed Fee Changes October 2012
The fees that require changes to secondary legislation need Parliamentary approval. Therefore, until approval is given, new fees cannot be charged and the relevant prices changes shown are proposed only.

Incorporation

Software Incorporation – (Reduced Fee)
The fee for software filed incorporation is being reduced from £14 to £13 for all companies and LLPs.

Web Incorporation – (Reduced Fee)
The fee for web filed incorporation is being reduced from £18 to £15 for all companies excluding LLPs.

Summary
The fees changes for incorporation are set out below:

Incorporation Transition
The new fee will commence on 1st October 2012 for all incorporations received at Companies House on or after 1st October 2012.

Annual Fee
Electronic Annual Return (Reduced Fee)
The annual fee attached to the electronic annual return (Web and Software versions) for all companies and LLPs is being reduced from £14 to £13

Summary
The fee changes for all annual fees are set out below:

Annual Return Transition
The new fee will commence on 1st October 2012 for all annual returns delivered under the Companies Act 2006 received at Companies House on or after 1st October 2012.

Search products
View Documents – CHD, Extranet & Companies House Information Centres (CHIC) (Reduced Fee)
The instant image ‘View Documents’ download fee in CHD and Extranet is being reduced from £4 to £1, to align them with standard image download fees. The ‘View Document’ function in CHIC will also be reduced from £2 to £1.

Appointments by Company Data (Free)
The fee for director appointment screens by company via CHD, Companies House Information Centre(CHIC), Extranet and the XMLGW Function 7 call are to be made available free of charge for the first time from 1st October 2012.However to search an individual directors appointments will still carry a £1 fee.

Usual Residential Address (URA) Bulk Products
The URA Snapshot fees and the Daily Update Bulk Product fees are being reduced as follows: