In short: £450 forms a company limited by guarantee with charitable purposes, including VAT and the £100 Companies House fee. You get charity-ready articles of association, the certificate of incorporation, registers, identity verification by us as a Companies House ACSP and printed documents. We form the company; registering it as a charity with OSCR (Scotland) or the Charity Commission (England and Wales) is a separate application that you make once the company exists. Most companies are registered within 24 hours of us receiving your details and approved purposes.
What's included
- The £100 government fee Companies House charges to register a new company. It's already included in our price — there's nothing extra to pay.
- We check your proposed name against the Companies House register and the naming rules, and suggest alternatives if it's taken or needs approval.
- Review of your charitable purposes before we file
- The memorandum records who founded the company; the articles are the company's rulebook — how directors make decisions, how shares work and more.
- The official certificate from Companies House proving your company exists, with its name, number and date of incorporation.
- The legal records every company must keep: members (shareholders), directors, people with significant control and more. We set them up for you.
- Every director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) we can do it for you remotely and give you your personal code.
- A six-character code from Companies House that works like your company's signature for online filings. Keep it safe.
- Your certificate, articles and share certificates printed on quality paper — useful when a bank or authority abroad wants originals.
- Guidance on applying to OSCR or the Charity Commission
- Track your order, fill in company details, download your documents and message our team in one place — and ask us questions for as long as you're a client.
- Lifetime email and phone support
What a charitable company is
A charitable company is a company limited by guarantee whose purposes are exclusively charitable — for example relieving poverty, advancing education, or protecting the environment — and whose articles stop any profit being paid to members. Its directors are also its charity trustees.
The company structure gives the charity a separate legal identity. It can sign leases, employ staff and hold property in its own name, and the members' liability is limited to their guarantee, usually £1 each.
What we do, and what you do next
We form the company at Companies House with articles drafted for charitable use. That is step one. Forming the company does not make it a charity. Charity status comes from a separate application to the regulator for the nation where the charity is based:
- Scotland: any organisation that calls itself a charity in Scotland must be entered on the Scottish Charity Register, kept by OSCR (the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator). There is no minimum income.
- England and Wales: a charitable company must register with the Charity Commission once its income is over £5,000 a year.
The regulator decides whether your purposes are charitable. We cannot guarantee that an application will be approved, so we review your purposes before we file and point out anything that is likely to cause problems.
How it works
- Check your name and pay online. Words such as "charity" or "charitable" are sensitive and may need extra approval — we check this first.
- Send us your charitable purposes, a short description of your activities, and details of your directors (trustees) and first members.
- We prepare the articles and agree them with you.
- We verify the identity of each director and person with significant control remotely, as a Companies House ACSP, and give each person their personal code. Anyone who prefers can verify through GOV.UK One Login instead.
- We submit the application. Once the company is registered, you receive your documents and our guidance on the charity application.
What you need to provide
- The proposed name
- Your charitable purposes and how you plan to carry them out
- Full name, date of birth, nationality, country of residence and service address for each director
- The name and address of each first member
- A UK registered office address in the same nation as the company — for Scotland or England and Wales, this also decides which regulator you deal with. See registered office address.
- A registered email address for Companies House
Charitable company or CIO?
Some groups choose a charitable incorporated organisation instead: a CIO in England and Wales, or a SCIO in Scotland. A CIO is registered only with the charity regulator, not with Companies House, so it reports to one body instead of two. A charitable company files accounts and a confirmation statement at Companies House as well as its annual return to the regulator.
A company can suit charities that want a well-known structure that lenders, funders and landlords recognise, or that plan to trade. A CIO can suit smaller charities that want less paperwork. We form companies, not CIOs; if you are unsure which is right, ask a charity adviser or your local third-sector support body.
Running the company after registration
- Confirmation statement at Companies House at least once every 12 months — our confirmation statement service can file it
- Annual accounts at Companies House, plus an annual return and accounts to the charity regulator once registered
- Keep the register of members up to date
Common mistakes
- Calling the company a charity before it is registered. In Scotland it is an offence to describe an organisation as a charity if it is not on the register.
- Purposes that are too broad or not charitable. Vague purposes are a common reason for delay. Be specific.
- Paying trustees. Charity trustees are usually unpaid; payment needs authority in the articles or the regulator's consent.
- Using a standard guarantee company. Articles must contain charitable purposes and asset lock clauses to satisfy the regulator.
Frequently asked questions
Does forming the company make it a registered charity?
No. We form the company at Companies House. You then apply separately to OSCR in Scotland or the Charity Commission in England and Wales, and the regulator decides whether to register it.
Do small charities need to register?
In Scotland, yes — every organisation calling itself a charity must register with OSCR, whatever its income. In England and Wales, a charitable company must register with the Charity Commission once its income is over £5,000 a year.
What is the difference between a charitable company and a CIO?
A charitable company is registered with Companies House and the charity regulator. A CIO (or SCIO in Scotland) is registered only with the charity regulator, so it has one set of reports instead of two.
Can I use the word 'charity' in the company name?
It is a sensitive word and may need supporting approval before Companies House accepts it. We check your name before filing and tell you what is needed.
Are the directors the charity trustees?
Yes. In a charitable company the directors are the charity trustees and have legal duties under both company and charity law.
Can you guarantee the charity application will be approved?
No. Only the regulator can decide. We review your purposes and draft suitable articles to give your application a sound starting point.
Related services
Company Limited by Guarantee
A company with members instead of shareholders — for clubs, associations and not-for-profits.
Limited by Guarantee with Bespoke Articles
A guarantee company with articles drafted around how your organisation actually works.
Registered Office Address
Use our Edinburgh or central London address as your company's official registered office, with mail scanning.
Confirmation Statement Filing
We check your company details and file your annual confirmation statement (CS01) with Companies House.