Quick answer
To form a private limited company in England and Wales you register with Companies House, choosing a unique name and providing a registered office, at least one director, shareholders, details of people with significant control, a memorandum and articles of association. Online incorporation costs £100 from February 2026 and is usually approved within 24 hours.
Free to start · no sign-up · no card. Tell Chris what has happened and see whether we can help before you pay anything.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · For use in England & Wales · eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm. Always check the current official form on GOV.UK before you file, and sign the statement of truth yourself.
① Draft it from scratch
Tell Chris your business idea, structure and people. Chris drafts your IN01 content, memorandum, articles, first resolutions and statutory registers from your facts.② Check the draft you’ve written
Already drafted your articles or board resolutions? Upload them and Chris reviews them against your structure so they read clean before you file.③ Filed and stuck?
Hit a Companies House query, a name objection or a post-incorporation deadline? Run what you received by Chris and see where you stand — in minutes.In short: Incorporating a UK limited company is a digital, end-to-end procedure with Companies House — Form IN01, a memorandum of association (Companies Act 2006 s.8), articles of association (Model or bespoke), first board resolutions, share allotments and your Person with Significant Control (PSC) register. eLitigant’s Chris drafts the full incorporation pack from your business facts, or checks the draft you have already written — professional and ready to file. eLitigant is not a law firm; you remain responsible for what you submit.
Incorporating a UK limited company in 2026 is a digital procedure. Form IN01, articles, memorandum, PSC filings, first resolutions — all submitted online, all processed in hours. What used to require an accountant or incorporation agent now requires Chris drafting the paperwork in minutes.Generic AI drafts generic paperwork. Chris is purpose-built for UK legal and business drafting.
Company formation is now digital end-to-end — Chris drafts the memorandum, articles, IN01, first board resolutions, share allotments, PSC register, and Companies House filings in minutes. The generic chatbots do not know your jurisdiction, cannot read Companies House schemas, and cannot match the precision the Registrar expects. Chris can.
What you need before incorporation
- Company name (check availability on Companies House)
- Registered office address (England, Wales, Scotland, or NI — determines jurisdiction)
- Directors — at least one natural person, minimum age 16
- Shareholders — can be same as directors
- Share capital structure (commonly 1 ordinary share at £1, or 100 × £1, or 1,000 × £0.001)
- SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification — describes the business activity)
- PSC — Person with Significant Control details
- Email address for Companies House correspondence
The documents
1. Form IN01
The application to incorporate. Online form. Collects all the above. Chris pre-drafts the IN01 content so you can enter it accurately.2. Memorandum of Association
Under Companies Act 2006 s.8 — the short statement of subscribers’ intention to form. One-page standard document.3. Articles of Association
The company’s constitution. Default: Model Articles. Better: Bespoke Articles tailored to the business. See Articles drafting guide.4. First Board Resolutions
- Acceptance of directorship
- Appointment of chair and any officers
- Allotment of shares to subscribers
- Adoption of company banking arrangements
- Appointment of accountants
- Adoption of the company seal (if any)
- Adoption of registered office
5. Share allotment and issue
- Section 551 CA 2006 authority (usually in articles)
- Section 561 pre-emption rights waiver if relevant
- Share certificates
- Register of members updated
6. Statutory registers
- Register of members
- Register of directors
- Register of directors’ residential addresses
- Register of secretaries (if any)
- PSC register
- Register of charges (if any)
Let Chris draft this for you
One instruction. One upload. One download. Your paperwork is ready to sign and file. Redraft as many times as you need — the Queen’s English tuning is on you, the heavy lifting is on Chris.
Post-incorporation essentials
- Business bank account
- HMRC registration — Corporation Tax (automatic typically), VAT if threshold applies, PAYE if employing
- Employer’s liability insurance (if employing)
- Data protection fee to ICO (if processing personal data)
- Relevant industry licensing
Choosing the name
- Must not be the same as or “too like” an existing registered name
- Must not contain sensitive words without permission (“Royal”, “Bank”, “University”)
- Cannot imply connection with government without permission
- Trading name separate from registered name — different rules
Ongoing filings
- Confirmation Statement annually (s.853A CA 2006)
- Annual Accounts (by deadline based on year-end)
- Corporation Tax Return
- Changes to officers, registered office, PSC — within 14 days
Can Chris draft the incorporation pack end to end?
Yes. Tell Chris your business idea, structure, and people. Chris drafts:- IN01 content pre-filled
- Memorandum of Association
- Model or Bespoke Articles
- First Board Resolutions
- Share certificates
- Statutory registers template
- Post-incorporation checklist (HMRC, bank, insurance)
Prepare to win. Plan not to fail.
Incorporation is the beginning, not the end. Chris drafts the beginning so the rest is clean.The documents your company needs
Bespoke articles of association · shareholders’ agreement · employment contracts
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before I incorporate?
A company name (checked for availability on Companies House), a registered office address — which determines your jurisdiction (England, Wales, Scotland or NI) — at least one natural-person director aged 16 or over, your shareholders, a share capital structure, a SIC code describing the business activity, PSC details, and an email address for Companies House correspondence.What is Form IN01?
IN01 is the application to incorporate. It is an online form that collects all your formation details. Chris pre-drafts the IN01 content so you can enter it accurately.Do I have to use the Model Articles?
No. The Model Articles are the default constitution, but bespoke articles tailored to your business are often the better choice. Chris can draft articles suited to your structure — see the bespoke Articles of Association guide.What goes in the first board resolutions?
Typically acceptance of directorship, appointment of a chair and any officers, allotment of shares to subscribers, banking arrangements, appointment of accountants, adoption of any company seal, and adoption of the registered office.What do I have to do after incorporation?
Post-incorporation essentials include HMRC registration (Corporation Tax, plus VAT or PAYE where they apply), employer’s liability insurance if employing, the ICO data protection fee where you process personal data, any industry licensing, your annual Confirmation Statement (s.853A CA 2006), annual accounts, and notifying changes to officers, registered office or PSC within 14 days.Can Chris draft the whole incorporation pack?
Yes. Tell Chris your business idea, structure and people and Chris drafts the IN01 content, memorandum, articles, first board resolutions, share allotment documents, statutory registers template and a post-incorporation checklist. Chris drafts the full company pack or individual documents.Ready to form your company?
Draft my incorporation pack →One matter · one case folder · a full day of drafting · 7-day guarantee on the standard of the drafts · you remain the litigant in person
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Would you rather we drafted it for you?
Tell us what has happened and what you need. Every document is quoted case by case, on its size and the time it needs, and the price is agreed with you by email before any work starts. Nothing is charged until you say go.
Once agreed, it comes back to you within one working day (business documents usually within the hour). You read it, check every date and figure, sign it and file it: it stays your document throughout. No need to attach anything now — once we reply, you send your papers by email.
We use your details only to reply to this enquiry. eLitigant CIC is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. You remain the author of your documents.