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Tide Logo
Tide Logo
Tide Logo
Tide Logo

+2M

members globally

1 in 7

UK SMEs bank with Tide

+240,000

companies registered

Why UK businesses use our company formation service

Tide is here to support you in starting your own limited company. With hundreds of thousands of businesses registering their company with each year, we want to make company formations as easy as possible.

Best value

Pay £14.99 instead of the usual £100*, and we’ll get you set up and verified. We also don’t charge monthly fees on your free business account.

Fast

Registering your limited company takes minutes, and you could receive your certificate of incorporation within a day.

Secure

We’re a Companies House Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), plus we're FSCS-protected, meaning you’re in safe hands.

Register a company

*Get your company registered for just £1 when you sign up to Tide and subscribe to Company Secretary. Then for the following 11 months, pay £12.50 + VAT/month for secretarial services.

Company registration in five simple steps

  • Check your company name's availability, then complete Tide’s online IN01 application to register with Companies House.
  • Enter your business and personal details, including your SIC code(s) and PSC details.
  • Verify your identity in line with Companies House regulations.
  • Receive your limited company Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Share Certificates, and Company Register.
  • Get a free business bank account, plus an optional Virtual Office Address.
Register a limited company

Simple pricing, discover the right option for you

Register your company for just £1 when you subscribe to Company Secretary or pay £14.99 to get incorporated without.

Business registration

Save £85 when you register with Tide

Get your new company set up and receive a free business bank account within one business day.

£14.99 (stand-alone offer)

Register your company for just £14.99 (saving you £85)

Emailed Certificate of Incorporation

Free Tide Business Account & PAYE registration with HMRC

Receive your Memorandum and Articles of Association, Share Certificates, and Company Register.

Get started

Company Secretary

Get incorporated for just £1 when you subscribe

Manage Companies House filings, track deadlines and keep your records accurate – all in one subscription.

£12.50 + VAT/month

Register your company for just £1 (saving you £99)

Emailed Certificate of Incorporation

Free Tide Business Account & PAYE registration with HMRC

File Confirmation Statement

Unlimited Director/PSC address and name changes

Receive your Memorandum and Articles of Association, Share Certificates, and Company Register.

Get started

Choosing a sole trader vs. limited company structure

Still unsure of your business structure? To explore the pros and cons of each setup in more detail, you can read Tide's guide on sole trader vs limited company. If you're ready to incorporate as a limited company, Tide gets you set up for just £14.99.

What you need to register a limited company

Unique company name

Use our search tool to instantly check if your company name is available. Alternatively, use our Company Name Checker to check up to eight business names at once.

Registered office address

Ensure you have an address within the UK for official communications to be sent to. If you don’t have one, you can opt for a Virtual Office Address during sign up.

Director and shareholder information

You'll need the name, nationality, date of birth, address and occupation of the Director. If there's more than one, this information can be added later with Companies House.

 Register a limited company

Register your company today and join over 2 million business owners!

Serving over 15% of all SMEs in the UK, helping contractors, freelancers and scaling businesses get back to doing what they love.

Am I eligible to register a limited company?

Registering a limited company with Tide is easy. Apply online for just £14.99 and receive your Certificate of Incorporation within one business day - plus, you'll get a free business bank account.

You must be over 18

Have a UK-based business

Show valid photo ID

Verify your personal and business details

Register a limited company

Companies House identity verification

You now need to verify your identity with an ACSP. Tide is now an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) which means we can verify your identity on behalf of Companies House.

Verify your identity

Whether you just registered a company with us or are an existing Director or shareholder, we can verify your identity.

Store your verification code

Once you’ve been verified, Companies House will issue a personal code which will be stored securely in your account.

File confirmation statement

When you’re doing your company filings your personal code will be integrated, making the submission process seamless.

How identity verification works

Access a range of smart business tools when you register a limited company

  • Hand holding Tide card - beige background
    Business Bank Account
    A free business bank account included with every UK company registration. Manage payments, transactions, and cash flow all in one place.
    Learn more
  • Virtual Office Address
    Virtual Office Address
    A prestigious London business address that protects your privacy - we handle your mail and forward it straight to you.
    Learn more
  • Own Website
    Own Website
    Build a professional, no-code website with a custom domain and business email - no design skills needed.
    Learn more
  • Tide Accounting
    Tide Accounting
    Get started with our built-in Tide Accounting software for seamless bookkeeping and invoicing.
    Learn more
  • Business Insurance
    Business Insurance
    Get affordable, tailored cover that protects your business - so you can trade with peace of mind.
    Learn more
  • Business Savings Account
    Business Savings Account
    Get a dedicated savings account to grow your savings. Explore our range of instant saver rates.
    Learn more
  • Business Loans
    Business Loans
    Get funding for larger business investments or long-term growth through Tide’s credit partners.
    Learn more

Join over 2 million small business owners worldwide

What members say about Tide

Charlotte Davitt-Mills
Shotley Vineyard

"Tide works in harmony with your business. It's really user friendly and it's there alongside you kind of every step of the way, helping you grow your business."

Matt Herd
Beaucroft Watches

"Everything became digital, and Tide just made it so easy. Everything was easy to set up. We didn't need tremendous amounts of paperwork or history to set up an account."

Aaron Mo
Ong Ong Buns

"With the help of Tide and their team of business finance experts, I was able to navigate the complexities of business finance, and secure the necessary funds to grow my business."

Ismail Uddin
NYAS Studio

"We were just in Portugal last week where we were having to make some payments and pay invoices, and I was just doing it from my phone on the beach...that was good."

Learn more about registering a company

Read more articles
Read more articles

Company Registration FAQs

A limited company is a business structure that's legally separate from its owners, and comes in two main types: limited by shares (the most common, used by most small businesses) or limited by guarantee (typically non-profits).

When you register, Companies House issues a certificate of incorporation confirming the company exists, along with a memorandum of association (the founding agreement) and articles of association (the rules for how it's run).

Yes. We’re an authorised formation agent of Companies House, and we’re securely integrated with them, so you can trust us to register your limited company.

It depends. In many cases, Companies House will incorporate your company within 1 business day. The majority of businesses are incorporated within 48 hours. Please note that Companies House does not work on weekends so if you send an application on a Friday, it will take longer.

Forming a company via Companies House is now £100 (effective from 01/02/2026). At Tide, our members will only pay £14.99 – we’ll take care of the rest.

https://changestoukcompanylaw.campaign.gov.uk/changes-to-companies-house-fees/

Companies House requires limited companies to have either Limited or LTD at the end of the company name. If you don't include LTD or Limited in your search, we will automatically add LTD. There is no difference between the name endings Limited or Ltd, except for how they look.

If your company incorporation is rejected by Companies House we will issue a refund for the amount you paid directly to your directly to your original method of payment immediately after receiving the rejection communication from Companies House.

Help, my question isn’t answered here…

Find answers to all our most frequently asked questions about registering a company

We understand businesses, it's all we do

Tide is built by business owners for business owners. That’s why we’re trusted by over 2 million sole traders, freelancers, and limited companies worldwide.

 Open an account

Tide | Do what you love.
Tide Platform Limited (Tide) designs and operates the Tide website and app. Tide is not a bank. Tide is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 under firm reference number 900843 for the issuing of electronic money and the provision of payment initiation services and account information services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Tide is also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its credit and insurance broking activities (firm reference 718743). Tide is incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 09595646 and registered office at 4th Floor The Featherstone Building, 66 City Road, London, EC1Y 2AL. Tide offers bank accounts powered by ClearBank® Ltd (ClearBank) (account sort code is 04-06-05). ClearBank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 754568. Eligible deposits with ClearBank are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. For further information visit Home. ClearBank Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number: 754568). Registered Address: ClearBank, Level 27, The Broadgate Tower, 20 Primrose Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 2EW. Eligible deposits held in the Tide Business Current Account (powered by ClearBank) are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”) subject to eligibility. All eligible deposits at the same bank are aggregated to determine the coverage level for each depositor up to £120,000, therefore if you have any other product/services with ClearBank these will be aggregated. To find out more and to check your eligibility please visit: About us . Some of Tide’s members also hold e-money accounts powered by PrePay Technologies Limited (PPT) (account sort code is 23-69-72). PPT is an electronic money institution authorised by the FCA under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 under firm reference number 900010 for the issuing of electronic money. PPT holds an amount equivalent to the money in Tide current accounts in a safeguarding account which gives members protection against PPT’ insolvency. Tide Cards may be issued by both Tide and PPT, who are licensed by Mastercard International for the issuance of cards. The issuer of your Tide card will be identified on your monthly card statement. Tide Capital Limited is an appointed representative of P1 Investment Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 752005 to carry out such regulated activities as are involved in the provision of Tide Investment Account. Seccl Custody Limited is the custodian of assets held in Tide Investment Account and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 793200) and registered in England and Wales under No. 10430958. Registered office 20 Manvers Street, Bath BA1 1JW. Tide, the Tide logo, the Swell, and Do Less Banking are trademarks and trade names of Tide Platform Limited, and may not be used or reproduced without the consent of the owner.