Next week Companies House will introduce a number of fee changes. Aimed at increased transparency and enforcement, for many they will be seen as just additional costs for businesses.

Companies House has announced that, from 1 February 2026, the level of fees it charges will change.  In its press release, Companies House outlined the main changes as follows:

• the digital confirmation statement filing fee increasing from £34 to £50
• the digital incorporation filing fee rising from £50 to £100
• the digital voluntary strike-off fee decreasing from £33 to £13.

There are many other changes listed on its website, including the authorised corporate service provider (ACSP) registration fee increasing from £55 to £63, just 11 months after launching.

Transparency

Companies House has stressed these changes are “creating a transparent marketplace that boosts economic confidence and disrupts economic crime”. The same reason has been given for increasing fees as the last time which is “Our new and enhanced powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act enable us to query and remove false and misleading information from our registers. We’re building a more trustworthy environment for consumers and legitimate businesses,”

Level of increase

The increase of the CS01 filing fee from £34 to £50 may not seem unreasonable although many may recall this being £13 only a few years ago. Similarly a ten-fold increase of the new formation fee seems quite a jump.

Impact

Whilst unlikely to result in many companies disincorporating, it may be a deterrent from incorporating some smaller businesses in future, which may be an intended consequence of the increase, but in all likelihood these amounts are still not at a level where they would lead decision makers to act differently.

Keep up to date with your company’s filing requirements by letting Simpson Wood deal with these on your behalf. Contact us for more details