London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2026) - New research by Icon Offices, based on official Companies House data, reveals that UK entrepreneurs continue to establish new businesses at record levels despite significant increases in the cost of incorporating a company online.
The study analysed monthly company formation data from January 2024 to July 2026, covering more than 1.69 million newly incorporated companies, alongside changes to Companies House digital incorporation fees.
Figure 1. Monthly UK Company Formations (2024-2026)
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Key Findings
- 461,765 new companies were incorporated between January and July 2026.
- This represents a 6.9% increase compared with the same period in 2025 (431,953).
- Company formations during January-July 2026 were 65.6% higher than the equivalent period in 2024 (278,785).
- Despite the incorporation fee increasing by more than 733% since early 2024, monthly registrations remained strong.
- January 2026 recorded 70,362 incorporations, compared with 46,585 in January 2025.
Digital Incorporation Fee Timeline UK
| Effective Date | Digital Fee |
| Before 1 May 2024 | £12 |
| 1 May 2024 | £50 |
| 1 February 2026 | £100 |
Figure 2. Companies House Digital Incorporation Fee Changes
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Expert Commentary
Figure 3. January-July Company Formation Comparison
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James Riley, Manager at Icon Offices, said:
"Many expected the increase in Companies House incorporation fees to slow new business creation. However, the data tells a different story. Entrepreneurs continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and confidence in the UK market."
"Although the cost of incorporating a company has increased significantly, it remains only a small part of the overall investment required to launch a business."
Supporting Entrepreneurs Beyond Incorporation
Icon Offices provides company formation, virtual office services, registered office addresses, director service addresses, business mail handling, compliance support, and business banking assistance for UK and international entrepreneurs.
Research Methodology
Table 1. UK Company Formations (2024-2026)
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Table 2. UK Company Dissolutions (2024-2026)
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Figure 4. Monthly UK Company Dissolutions (2024-2026)
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Icon Offices analysed official Companies House monthly incorporation statistics from January 2024 to July 2026, examining company formations, year-on-year growth and the impact of digital incorporation fee changes.
About Icon Offices
Icon Offices is a UK-based company formation and business support provider helping entrepreneurs establish and grow businesses through incorporation, virtual offices, registered office services, mail handling and compliance support.
Media Contact
Alex Wilson
Digital Marketing Manager - Icon Offices
Email: marketing@iconoffices.co.uk
Website: https://iconoffices.co.uk/
Phone: +44 (0)33 00 88 1920
Registered Office Address - 321-323 High Road, RM6 6AX, UK.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/307094
Source: Icon Offices
