Where the money goes
Every option has the same core cost: the Companies House fee. It is £50 if you file online and £110 if you file a paper CS01 form by post.
You only pay this fee with your first confirmation statement in each 12 month payment period. After that, you can file more statements in the same period without paying again. That is useful if you need to update share or business activity details mid-year.
Anything above the government fee is the price of the service. That is the part worth comparing.
Option 1: file it yourself online
Filing yourself on the Companies House service costs £50 and nothing else. It is the cheapest route.
You will need the company authentication code. Companies House will not accept the statement until all directors have verified their identity, and you need each director's Companies House personal code. You must also check the officers, shareholders, people with significant control and business activities are correct.
Avoid the paper form if cost matters. At £110 it costs more than double the online fee.
Option 2: SimpleFilings
SimpleFilings charges £4.99 per filing. The total price includes the £50 Companies House fee when due. There is no subscription and no annual renewal charge.
Before filing, we check whether the current 12 month payment period has already been paid. If it has, no further Companies House fee is due.
If officer, PSC or address details are wrong, those changes are made as separate filings. Each one is priced the same way.
More options2
Option 3: low-cost services and software
Some providers show their service fee and the £50 separately. File Confirmation Statements lists £9.99 plus the £50 fee, £59.99 in total, with same-day submission and no subscription. It pre-fills the details Companies House already holds, so any changes to directors, shareholders, PSCs, registered address or SIC codes have to be filed first.
Icon Offices lists £11.99 including VAT, and Businassist lists £12.00 including VAT, each plus the £50 fee.
Inform Direct is software you file through yourself. It charges £15 + VAT for a confirmation statement, plus the £50 fee. Its page says you pay the £50 to Inform Direct when you submit, and it pays Companies House for you. That is £68.00 in total.
Option 4: a formation agent's all-in price
Many formation agents quote one price that already includes the £50 fee, with VAT added on top. None of the pages we checked says how VAT applies to the £50 part.
1st Formations, Quality Company Formations and Rapid Formations each list £75.99 + VAT standard and £85.99 + VAT express, and say the service renews annually. 1st Formations' pricing page says all prices are subject to VAT at 20%. Formationswise lists £84.00 + VAT standard and £94.00 + VAT express, and also says the service renews annually.
Companies Made Simple lists £89.99 + VAT, or £99.99 + VAT for an express service within 24 hours, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Your Company Formations lists £90 + VAT, including the £50 fee, and says its price covers eligible updates made through the statement, such as SIC codes, statement of capital and shareholder information.
Agents offer things a pay-per-filing service may not. 1st Formations, Quality Company Formations, Rapid Formations and Formationswise offer a one working day express service. Formationswise sells a bundle with dormant accounts. Icon Offices and Businassist say they include basic changes, such as registered address and business activities, at no extra charge. Both also say they can help where a filing is late or strike-off action has started, for example by asking Companies House for an extension.
Worked example: one statement, online fee due
Take a company filing its first confirmation statement in a new 12 month payment period, so the £50 fee is due.
Show the sum for each option (11)
- File it yourself online: £50 total.
- SimpleFilings: £4.99 service fee + £50 Companies House fee = £54.99.
- File Confirmation Statements: £9.99 + £50 = £59.99, as published.
- Icon Offices: £11.99 inc VAT + £50 = £61.99 inc VAT.
- Businassist: £12.00 inc VAT + £50 = £62.00 inc VAT.
- Inform Direct: £15 + £3 VAT + £50 = £68.00, and you do the filing.
- 1st Formations, Quality Company Formations or Rapid Formations standard: £75.99 + VAT, fee included. How VAT applies to the £50 part is not stated.
- Formationswise standard: £84.00 + VAT, fee included.
- Companies Made Simple: £89.99 + VAT, fee included.
- Your Company Formations: £90 + VAT, fee included.
- File it yourself on paper: £110 total.
Which option suits you
- Filing yourself suits you if your details have not changed and you are comfortable with the Companies House service.
- SimpleFilings suits you if you want guided checks before filing and to pay per filing with no subscription.
- Software such as Inform Direct suits you if you want to file yourself and keep your company records in one place.
- A formation agent suits you if you want a one-day express service, a bundle with dormant accounts, or one supplier for several company services.
When another option may suit you better
- Filing yourself online is cheaper than every paid option on this page, because you pay only the £50 government fee.
- 1st Formations, Quality Company Formations, Rapid Formations and Formationswise offer an express service with a stated one working day turnaround. Companies Made Simple offers 24-hour express filing, excluding weekends and bank holidays.
- Quality Company Formations, Rapid Formations, 1st Formations and Formationswise say their service renews annually, so the statement is set up again each year.
- File Confirmation Statements says it will resolve the issue or refund you if Companies House rejects the statement.
- Formationswise offers a single bundle covering the confirmation statement and dormant company accounts.
- Icon Offices and Businassist say their price includes some basic changes, such as registered address and business activities. SimpleFilings prices those as separate filings.