Services and prices for forming an English or Irish limited company

Services and prices

Every formation package at a glance — with the price, what is included and what comes back every year.

Two registers are available: Companies House in England and the Companies Registration Office in Ireland. The packages and the services are the same for both; the amounts differ. All services are provided by persons authorised to do so.

A limited company is the least expensive way into a company with limited liability: no minimum capital to be paid up, no notarial deed, and the registry fees are part of the package price. What it does require is discipline afterwards — a confirmation statement and accounts every year, whether or not the company has traded. Missing them is the most common reason companies are struck off the register. That is what the compliance service package is for, and its annual amount is stated below rather than left to be discovered later.

Net prices in euros, no hidden items
Registry fees included in the package price
Everything can be ordered online
Annual costs stated in advance

Looking for a company in a German-speaking country? Austria · Germany · Switzerland · Liechtenstein. Or order here straight away: the order form covers every country we work in.

Which company form suits you?

The entry price is rarely the only thing that matters. Minimum capital, liability and the effort of running the company differ considerably — this overview sets them side by side.

Company form	Minimum capital	From	What it is meant for
English Ltd	none required	180	The private company limited by shares, entered at Companies House. The least expensive to form and to run — the right choice for business in the United Kingdom, and for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which are not in the EU.
Irish Ltd	none required	260	The Irish private company limited by shares. Since Brexit the route for anyone wanting a branch inside the EU: Ireland is a member state, so the freedom of establishment applies. It needs a company secretary, which is why it costs somewhat more each year.
Ltd & Co KG	none required	on request	A German or Austrian partnership in which the limited company is the general partner. It combines limited liability with the taxation of a partnership. Formed together with the Ltd.
GmbH Austria	EUR 10,000	1,800	Where a domestic Austrian company is expected. The name GmbH is the legal name of the form and is not translated.
GmbH Germany	EUR 25,000	1,800	The German limited company. Half the capital has to be paid up on formation.
GmbH Switzerland	CHF 20,000	850	Switzerland is not in the EU, so Brexit changes nothing about forming here. The capital has to be paid up in full.
GmbH Liechtenstein	CHF 30,000	2,500	Liechtenstein is in the EEA but not in the EU. Interesting above all for holding structures and for asset protection.

All amounts net, in euros, for the smallest package in each case. The GmbH figures are formation costs without the capital itself, which stays yours. What counts is the total in the order form.

The packages for the English and the Irish Ltd

Insolution distinguishes three packages. They apply to both registers; which of the two the company is entered in, you choose in the order form.

The three packages compared

✓ included in the package ○ available as an option — not included i opens the full description

Service	S	M	L
Formation
Formation in England or Ireland i Limited company formation in England or IrelandYou decide which of the two registers the company is entered in. In England that is Companies House, in Ireland the Companies Registration Office. For business inside the EU the Irish Ltd is the one to choose: Ireland is a member state, so the freedom of establishment applies. For the United Kingdom, for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and for business without an EU establishment, the English Ltd is the less expensive of the two.	✓	✓	✓
Express formation i Express formation of your companyThe application reaches the register electronically rather than by post. As a rule the company is registered within a few working days — provided the KYC documents are complete.	✓	✓	✓
Registry fees included i Fees of the company register (Companies House) includedThe fees of Companies House, or of the Irish Companies Registration Office, are part of the package price. Nothing follows later. This is one of the reasons a limited company is less expensive to start than the continental capital companies — there, notarial deed and register come on top.	✓	✓	✓
Memorandum and articles i Filing of the memorandum and articles of associationThe memorandum of association and the articles of association are drawn up and filed with the application. Anyone who needs their own provisions — on voting rights, say, or on the transfer of shares — receives an individual agreement.	✓	✓	✓
Shareholders and share issue i Naming of the shareholders and issue of the sharesThe shareholders are named, the shares issued and entered in the register. How many shares are issued at what nominal value, we suggest; you are free to change it. With the English Ltd a nominee shareholder is possible on request.	✓	✓	✓
Electronic archiving i Electronic archiving of the company register and of the general meetingsEvery register extract, resolution and set of minutes is held by us electronically and stays available. If a bank or an authority asks for proof years later, nothing has to be reconstructed.	✓	✓	✓
Templates for the minutes i Prepared minutes for the first and second general meetingThe first two general meetings are required as a matter of form. You receive prepared templates for them, in which only the date and the resolutions remain to be entered.	✓	✓	✓
Formation documents i Certificate of incorporation, memorandum, articles, register extractThe complete set of formation papers. You receive it by insured post to your address; the electronic versions are additionally held in your customer area.	✓	✓	✓
Registered office and ongoing administration
Setting up the registered office i Setting up the registered officeEvery limited company needs a registered address in the country of formation. We set it up; it appears in the public register. It is not included in package S — there you have to provide an address of your own.	—	✓	✓
Registered office service, 12 months i Registered office service with daily forwarding of the official post for 12 monthsPost from Companies House, HMRC and other bodies arrives with us, is reviewed daily and forwarded to you. We recognise letters with deadlines and get in touch, rather than simply passing them on.	—	✓	✓
Compliance service package, 12 months i Compliance service package with extended minute-keeping and register-keepingThe package brings together everything that has to be done each year: registered office service, handling of the official post, communication with the English and Irish authorities, annual notification to the ICO, upkeep of the PSC register, reminder service, confirmation statement, accounts, tax filing with HMRC, archiving and telephone support free of charge. From the second financial year it continues as an annual service — 385 for the English, 470 for the Irish Ltd.	—	✓	✓
Confirmation statement i Electronic filing of the confirmation statement including registry feesThe annual confirmation of the registered particulars. It is compulsory even when nothing has changed, and missing it is the most common reason companies are struck off. The registry fee is included.	—	✓	✓
Filing the accounts i Filing of the accounts through an instructed accountantEvery English and Irish company must file accounts each year — including companies that do no business in the country of formation. An accountant instructed by us takes care of it. No tax or legal advice is given in the process.	—	✓	✓
Tax filing with HMRC i Tax filing with HMRC through an instructed accountantThe return to the British tax authority, likewise through the instructed accountant. It is to be kept apart from the filing at the register: two authorities, two returns, two deadlines.	—	✓	✓
Changing the accounting reference date i Moving the accounting reference date on request, for instance to 31 DecemberThe register sets the first accounting reference date automatically to the end of the month in which the company was formed. Anyone wanting the financial year to follow the calendar year — usually because the accountant would otherwise work twice — has it moved. Once, and free of charge.	—	✓	✓
Certification and apostille
Notarial certification i Formation documents certified by an English notaryOur notary in London certifies the company papers. That is the precondition for the apostille and thereby for any use of the documents before an authority or a bank abroad.	—	—	✓
Certificate of Good Standing i Certificate of Good Standing including apostille and certified translationAlso called a certificate of fact. It certifies whether the company is active or in liquidation, who the director and secretary are and where the registered office lies. Banks ask for it regularly when an account is opened. On its own it costs 220.	—	—	✓
Express apostille i Express apostille from the Foreign & Commonwealth OfficeThe apostille confirms that the notarial certification is genuine and makes the document usable abroad — the basis is the Hague Convention. Without it, foreign authorities do not accept the papers. Express means days rather than weeks.	—	—	✓
Certified translation i Certified translation by a sworn translatorThe documents are drawn up in English. Where they are to be used before an authority or a bank in a German-speaking country, a translation by a court-sworn translator is required — an ordinary translation will not do.	—	—	✓
Around the start
KYC and AML check i KYC checks including AML risk assessmentBefore any formation, identity and beneficial owners have to be established. For that we need photographic identification and proof of address from every person involved. It is required by law — and it is the point at which formations most often come to a halt.	✓	✓	✓
Business account i Business account including online banking and prepaid MastercardMain account in euros with IBAN and BIC, online banking, and on request currency accounts in USD, GBP, SEK, NOK and DKK. About four working days; the account is subject to the bank's approval. 199 as an optional service.	○	○	○
Insured postal despatch i Insured postal despatch of the documents to your addressThe originals go to your address by insured post. With apostilled documents that is no small matter: a lost original means certification and apostille start again from the beginning.	✓	✓	✓
English Ltd	180	580	1,250
Irish Ltd	260	690	1,340

Prices in euros, net. Package S has no registered office and no compliance package — there you provide an address of your own and see to the filings yourself. From package M both are included for twelve months; what follows from the second financial year is in the section below.

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What comes from the second financial year on

A limited company is inexpensive to form and regular in its upkeep. The compliance service package is included for twelve months in every package except package S; after that it continues as an annual service.

Included in the compliance service package

Included for twelve months in every package except package S, annually thereafter.

Registered office service with daily forwarding of official post for 12 months
Handling of the English official post
Communication with the English and Irish authorities
Annual notification to the ICO (the UK data protection register)
Upkeep of the PSC register of persons with significant control
Reminder service for important dates
Electronic filing of the confirmation statement including registry fees
Filing of the accounts for the financial year in question, through an instructed accountant
Tax filing with HMRC through an instructed accountant
Electronic archiving of the company register and of the general meetings
Telephone support free of charge

English Ltd385 annually, net, from the second financial year on

Irish Ltd470 annually, net, from the second financial year on

Package S— No registered office, no compliance package — and therefore nothing to pay later.

You already run a limited company and are looking for someone to take over its administration? That is the service takeover — the prices for it are below, under the optional services.

Optional services

Everything below can be added to any package — later as well, once you actually need it. Where the English and the Irish Ltd differ in price, both amounts are shown.

Preparation of the accounts

English companies are in principle obliged to file accounts every year. That applies to companies doing no business in the UK as well. For small companies we offer a very inexpensive service for this.

A company counts as small if at least two of the three following criteria are met: turnover no more than GBP 6,500,000, balance sheet total no more than GBP 3,260,000, on average no more than 50 employees. The balance sheet drawn up by you or your accountant is converted into a balance sheet under FRSSE and filed at Companies House. No tax or legal advice is given in the process.

English Ltd235

Irish Ltd310

Service transfer of an existing company

Your formation agent can no longer be reached, or is not doing the work properly? Included are: analysis of the filings made so far at the English company register and preparation of a suitable set of measures, involving the professionals entitled to carry them out; registration for online filing and transfer of your data into our customer system; registered office service with daily forwarding of the official post for 12 months; electronic filing of the confirmation statement including registry fees; filing of the accounts through an instructed accountant; tax filing with HMRC; electronic archiving of the company register; convening of the annual general meeting and prepared minutes for it; electronic forwarding of any changes, such as a change of director, including prepared minutes; electronic forwarding of share issues and share transfers including prepared minutes and submission to HMRC (without stamp duty); telephone support free of charge.

From the second financial year 385 and 470 respectively. More about it under service takeover.

English Ltd420

Irish Ltd520

Company secretary — provided by us

Annually. You then do not need to name a person of your own.

With the Irish Ltd this is needed more often than one might think: where the company has only one director, the secretary must be a different person. That is the main reason the Irish Ltd costs somewhat more to run than the English one.

English Ltd90

Irish Ltd149

Nominee shareholder service

Annually. The nominee holds the shares on trust; you remain the beneficial owner, and you are identified as such to the authorities.

English Ltd380

Irish Ltd570

Opening a business bank account

Main account in euros, online banking, IBAN and BIC, instructions by telephone or e-mail. On request a currency account in USD, GBP, SEK, NOK and DKK, and a prepaid Mastercard.

About four working days; the account is subject to the bank's approval.

English Ltd199

Irish Ltd199

Company documents including apostille and translation

Certificate of incorporation, memorandum, articles and current appointments report, certified by our notary in London, with an express apostille from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and a certified translation by a court-sworn translator.

The Irish Companies Registration Office keeps no comparable set of documents. There the company printout takes its place — the certified register extract, likewise with an apostille for use abroad.

English Ltd690

Irish Ltd240

Ireland: company printout with apostille

Company printout and letter of status with apostille

As the company printout, with the letter of status in addition. It certifies the current standing of the company and is often asked for by banks when an account is to be opened for an Irish company.

English Ltd—

Irish Ltd390

Current Appointments Report

We apply for a register extract for you, including a certified translation. In the higher packages it is already included.

English Ltd85

Irish Ltd85

Certificate of Good Standing

Also called a certificate of fact. This certificate, produced by Companies House, certifies whether the company is active or in liquidation. It also shows who the director and the secretary are and where the registered office is.

Including a certified translation. It takes about five working days for the certificate to reach us. In the higher packages it is already included.

English Ltd220

Irish Ltd220

Certificate of Good Standing including Company Snapshot

As above, with the company snapshot in addition — the complete picture of the register entry at a given moment. Banks and authorities ask for this compilation when they want to see more than the bare existence of the company.

English Ltd275

Irish Ltd275

Dormant accounts

Dormant accounts are only possible where the company does not trade anywhere in the world. Prepared by our accountant for Companies House in Cardiff, including preparation of the tax return for HMRC.

English Ltd98

Irish Ltd125

Brass name plate

A company is obliged to display its name outside its place of business. Our name plates are of lacquered solid brass, 75×150 mm, with the lettering engraved, for a professional finish.

English Ltd65

Irish Ltd65

Registered office in London instead of Stockport

From package M a registered office in Stockport is included. Anyone wanting a London address instead books one of these. The difference between a business address and a registered office is not one of location but of function: the registered office is the address under which the company appears at Companies House.

One George Yard, EC3V225

Great Portland Street, W1W225

Business address north of London185

Annually. The business address north of London is for post and public presence — there the registered office remains Stockport.

Prices in euros, net. You need decide none of this when the company is formed — ordering later is possible at any time at the same amounts.

If you want to trade in Europe

Since Brexit an English company no longer carries the freedom of establishment within the EU. That does not make it a worse company — but it does mean that anyone who wants to appear in an EU member state with a branch or a subsidiary should look at the alternatives. We form all of them.

Which company for which purpose

The short version, before the amounts below.

Business in the United Kingdom, or worldwide without an EU establishment — the English Ltd. It is the least expensive to form and to run.
A branch or an establishment inside the EU — the Irish Ltd. Ireland is a member state, so the freedom of establishment applies; it is the route that has replaced the English Ltd for continental business since Brexit.
A company that is itself Austrian, German, Swiss or Liechtenstein — a GmbH. Where customers, banks or public bodies expect a domestic company, this is the answer.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not in the EU. Brexit changes nothing there — an English Ltd can be entered as before, and it is less expensive than the Irish one.

GmbH Austria1,800 net, in euros — insolution.at

GmbH Germany1,800 net, in euros — insolution-ltd.de

GmbH Switzerland850 net, in euros — insolution.ch

GmbH Liechtenstein2,500 net, in euros — insolution.li

The name GmbH is not translated here, and deliberately so: it is the legal name of the company form in all four countries, it appears in the register in that form, and it belongs in the company name itself. The nearest English equivalent is a private company limited by shares.

How it works and how long it takes

The price says nothing about when you can actually start. So here is the way from order to a company able to trade — the times are drawn from experience, not promises.

1. Order and name checkYou choose the register — England or Ireland — and the package in the order form. We check whether the name is free at Companies House or at the Companies Registration Office. That usually takes one working day.
2. Review and invoiceWe go through your particulars and issue the invoice. We begin once payment has arrived.
3. KYC checkBefore any formation, identity and beneficial owners have to be established. For that we need photographic identification and proof of address from every person involved. It is required by law — and it is the point at which formations most often come to a halt.
4. FormationThe application goes to the register electronically. As a rule the company is registered within a few working days.
5. Documents and registered officeYou receive the formation documents by insured post; the electronic versions are in your customer area. From package M the registered office is set up and the post begins to be forwarded.
6. Certification and apostille, where neededOnly in packages L and above, or booked separately. Notarial certification, express apostille and certified translation take a few days more — plan for them if a bank abroad is waiting for the papers.

A bank account can be applied for as soon as the company is registered. About four working days, and subject to the bank's approval — 199 as an optional service.

Questions that come up before ordering

Are the prices net or gross?

All prices are net amounts in euros. Our invoice is issued from Austria.

If you are a business with a valid VAT identification number from the EU, the tax liability passes to you (reverse charge). If your invoice address lies outside the EU — the United Kingdom does — the service is not taxable in Austria, and again nothing is added. Without a VAT number inside the EU, and in particular as a private individual, 20 per cent Austrian VAT is added.

Official fees that we merely pass on are an exception: those we invoice without VAT throughout. The order form works this out on its own and gives you the reason underneath the total.

Why are all the prices in euros and not in pounds?

Because that is what we invoice in. Converting them into pounds would produce a figure that is wrong the day after — and an amount in an order form has to hold. If you would rather pay in pounds, tell us in the remarks and we will look at it for your individual case.

English or Irish Ltd — which should I choose?

It depends on where you want to appear, not on taste. For business in the United Kingdom, or worldwide without an establishment in the EU, the English Ltd is the more economical: less to form and less each year.

If a branch in an EU member state is planned, the Irish Ltd carries the freedom of establishment and the English one, since Brexit, does not. For Switzerland and Liechtenstein the question does not arise — neither is in the EU, and there the English Ltd is entered as it always was.

What does the company cost me each year?

From the second financial year the compliance service package continues: 385 for the English Ltd, 470 for the Irish one, net and in euros.

Package S has no registered office and no compliance package — and therefore nothing to pay later. In exchange you have to provide an address of your own and see to the filings yourself.

Do I have to be resident in the United Kingdom?

No. Neither the director nor the shareholder needs to be resident in the United Kingdom or in Ireland. What the company does need is a registered office in the country of formation — that is included from package M.

What happens if a deadline is missed?

Missing the confirmation statement is the most common reason companies are struck off the register. That is what the compliance service package is for: we watch the deadlines and get in touch in good time.

A company that has already been struck off can as a rule be restored — but that costs considerably more than keeping the deadline, and it takes months.

Can you take over a company formed by someone else?

Yes. That is the service takeover: we analyse the filings made so far, put right what is outstanding and then run the company as we would one of our own. The amounts are above, under the optional services.

Not sure which register?

It is the question we are asked most, and the answer lasts. Tell us where you intend to trade, and we will say which of the two fits — before you commit to anything.

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Telephone UK +44 114 6972907 IRL +353 12337845 AT +43 5524 22308 DE +49 69 96759363 CH +41 58 5105770

In writing Enquiry Name check Written order Service takeover Downloads

All services are provided by persons authorised to do so. This price list is an overview, not a legal assessment. We give neither legal nor tax advice. The legal and tax assessment of what you intend — which includes the choice between the English and the Irish Ltd — is made by a solicitor or an accountant, whom you instruct directly. We are glad to name partners on request. Subject to price changes and error; the amount in the order form is what counts.