1stformations Review: Is 1st Formations Worth It for UK Ltd and LLP Registration?
1stformations Review : Is 1st Formations Worth It for UK Ltd and LLP Registration?
By JoshWP Team | Updated: | ~34 min read | 1stformations Review UK Ltd Formation LLP Setup Non-Resident Friendly
1stformations Review: The Short Answer
1st Formations is a strong UK company formation agent if you want speed, a clean guided checkout, registered office options, business address services, and support for common UK structures such as private limited companies and LLPs. It is especially useful when you want more hand-holding than filing directly with Companies House, or when you need address services for a UK Ltd, dormant UK company, or non-resident UK business setup.
That said, 1st Formations is not magic. It cannot remove legal disclosure rules, guarantee bank approval, replace tax advice, or make a business private in the way some founders imagine. Your directors, persons with significant control (PSCs), filings, confirmation statements, and accounts still matter. The best way to use 1st Formations is to treat it as a formation and company services platform, then keep your records accurate after incorporation.
Compliance-first note: UK company formation should be used for lawful business activity. Do not use a formation agent, address service, nominee-style wording, or payment account setup to mislead banks, hide beneficial ownership, evade tax, or bypass platform rules. A UK company creates ongoing legal duties with Companies House, HMRC, banks, and any jurisdiction where you actually operate.
Table of Contents
- What 1st Formations is
- Who should use it
- Who should avoid it
- Key stats and compliance context
- Main services and add-ons
- Pricing and renewal costs
- Ltd formation walkthrough
- LLP formation walkthrough
- Dormant company setup
- Registered office and privacy
- Banking, PayPal, Wise, and Payoneer
- Pros and cons
- Alternatives to consider
- Buyer checklist
- FAQs
- Sources
What Is 1st Formations?
1st Formations is a UK company formation agent that helps customers register companies with Companies House and buy related services such as registered office addresses, service addresses, business mail forwarding, confirmation statement support, company documents, and optional business services. In plain English, it sits between you and Companies House so you do not have to complete every filing directly on the government portal.
Companies House lists 1st Formations Limited among company formation and secretarial agents with electronic incorporation capability. 1st Formations also describes itself as a Companies House authorised agent, also known as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), and says it is supervised by HMRC for anti-money laundering purposes. That matters because identity verification, AML checks, and accurate beneficial ownership information are now central to UK incorporation.
This 1stformations review focuses on the practical buyer question: should you use 1st Formations instead of filing directly, using another UK agent, or choosing a different structure altogether?
Bottom line: 1st Formations is most useful when you value guided setup, bundled address services, support, and a more polished online process. Direct Companies House filing can be cheaper for simple UK residents who already have an appropriate address and know exactly what to file.
Who 1st Formations Is Best For
UK Ltd founders
Solo founders, agencies, consultants, e-commerce sellers, SaaS builders, creators, and small teams that want a standard private company limited by shares.
Non-residents
International founders who need a UK registered office, director service address, mail forwarding, and a cleaner process than filing alone.
Dormant companies
People reserving a UK company name, preparing for future trading, or setting up a holding vehicle that will initially remain dormant.
LLP users
Two or more partners who specifically need a Limited Liability Partnership rather than a share company.
PayPal or platform setup
Founders who need consistent company documents before applying for a UK PayPal account or other platform accounts.
Privacy-conscious founders
People who want residential addresses kept off the public register through lawful service address and registered office products.
If your bigger goal is a payment account, this review pairs naturally with how to create a UK PayPal account as a non-UK resident. If you are still deciding between the UK and US, compare it with the best LLC formation services for non-US residents.
Who Should Not Use 1st Formations?
Use it when
- You want a guided registration flow instead of a bare government form.
- You need a UK registered office or business address service.
- You understand that public Companies House disclosure still applies.
- You are prepared to handle annual accounts, confirmation statements, and HMRC duties.
Skip it when
- You only need the absolute cheapest direct filing and already know UK company rules.
- You expect the agent to provide legal, immigration, or international tax advice.
- Your business activity is high-risk, regulated, prohibited, or likely to fail AML checks.
- You want “anonymous” ownership. UK PSC disclosure is not optional.
Important: A registered office service protects your home address from appearing as the company’s public registered office. It does not hide directors, PSCs, filings, or the fact that you control the company. For lawful privacy strategy, read how to start an anonymous LLC and compare how UK disclosure differs from US state-level privacy rules.
1st Formations Features and Services
1st Formations is not just a one-page incorporation form. Its value is the stack around incorporation: packages, address services, documents, post-formation admin, and extras you can accept or skip. The exact package names and prices can change, so confirm live terms before checkout.
| Service | What it does | When it is useful | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ltd formation | Registers a private company limited by shares with Companies House. | Most small businesses, creators, agencies, SaaS, e-commerce, and consulting companies. | You still need annual accounts, confirmation statements, tax records, and real beneficial ownership details. |
| LLP formation | Registers a Limited Liability Partnership. | Two or more partners who want a partnership-style structure with limited liability. | LLPs require at least two members and can be more complex for tax and banking. |
| Registered office | Provides the official public UK address for Companies House and HMRC mail. | Non-residents, home-based founders, and privacy-conscious owners. | Usually renews yearly. Missing renewal can create mail and compliance problems. |
| Director service address | Provides a public service address for directors and PSCs. | Keeping residential addresses off the public register. | Your real residential address is still provided privately where legally required. |
| Business address and mail forwarding | Lets you receive business correspondence at a professional UK address. | Branding, client-facing address use, and operational mail routing. | Mail scanning, forwarding, parcel handling, and frequency can have limits or fees. |
| Confirmation statement service | Helps file the annual confirmation statement. | Founders who want reminders and admin support. | It does not replace maintaining accurate statutory records throughout the year. |
| Additional services | Banking introductions, tax consultation, domains, documents, VAT/PAYE help, and similar add-ons. | Useful when they match a real business need. | Do not buy every upsell automatically. Some can be handled later or elsewhere. |
Pricing, Government Fees, and Renewal Costs
When reviewing 1st Formations pricing, separate three things: the Companies House statutory fee, the agent/package fee, and renewing services such as address products. This is where many cheap-looking formation offers become less obvious.
Current government benchmark: Companies House lists the digital company incorporation fee as £100 and digital confirmation statement fee as £50 from 1 February 2026. Any agent package sits on top of, includes, or itemises those statutory fees depending on how the checkout is presented.
Cost categories to compare
Illustrative weighting only. Use it as a buyer checklist, not a live price quote.
Best-fit score by founder type
Scores reflect editorial assessment from features, compliance needs, and typical founder workflows.
Costs to check before paying
- Package total: Does the visible price include VAT and Companies House fees?
- Address renewals: Registered office, service address, and business address services commonly renew annually.
- Mail forwarding: Check whether scanning is included, whether postage is extra, and what happens to parcels.
- Identity verification: Confirm whether ID checks are included, required separately, or handled during onboarding.
- Banking offers: Treat banking introductions as optional. Approval is decided by the bank or fintech, not 1st Formations.
- Compliance extras: Confirmation statement, VAT, PAYE, and tax support can be useful but should match your actual situation.
How to Form a UK Limited Company with 1st Formations
The screenshots below show the limited company path in practical order. The flow starts with a name search, moves through package selection and checkout, then asks for company particulars, address choices, officers, PSC control details, shares, documents, optional services, and final review.
Ready to follow the flow?
Open 1st Formations in another tab, compare the current packages, and only add services you genuinely need for the next 12 months.
See the full limited company formation image walkthrough
How the 1st Formations LLP Flow Works
A UK LLP is not the same as a limited company. It usually suits professional partnerships, joint ventures, and two-member arrangements where partnership taxation and internal agreement terms matter. If you are a solo founder, an LLP is usually not suitable because an LLP needs at least two members. For a full structure guide, read how to form a UK LLP as a non-resident.
Using 1st Formations for a Dormant UK Company
A dormant company is a company that is registered but not actively trading. Founders use dormant companies to reserve a name, prepare a future launch, hold a structure while waiting for banking, or keep an entity ready while operations are paused. It can be simple, but it is not “set and forget”.
When the 1st Formations flow asks for company particulars and SIC codes, a company intended to be dormant can use SIC code 99999 for a dormant company. Keep the company genuinely dormant if you use that classification: no trading income, no business purchases, no client invoices, and no operating transactions beyond permitted formation/admin activity.
Dormant caution: A dormant company can still have filing duties. You may need dormant company accounts, a confirmation statement, registered office renewal, mail handling, and HMRC correspondence. See the full guide on how to set up a dormant UK company before choosing this route.
Registered Office, Business Address, and Privacy
Address services are one of the main reasons people use 1st Formations instead of direct filing. UK companies need an appropriate registered office address in the same UK jurisdiction where the company is registered. That address appears publicly and must be capable of receiving official notices.
| Address type | Public? | Purpose | Key caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered office | Yes | Official company address for Companies House and HMRC notices. | Must be renewed and monitored. Missed official mail can harm the company. |
| Director service address | Yes | Public correspondence address for directors and PSCs. | Does not remove the private legal requirement to provide a residential address. |
| Business address | Usually customer-facing | Branding, invoices, websites, and client mail. | Check whether commercial mail, parcels, and bank letters are allowed. |
| Forwarding address | No, unless you publish it | Where the agent sends or scans mail to you. | Must be a reliable real-world address you control. |
For non-residents, address consistency is important when later opening PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, Stripe, marketplace, or advertising accounts. Use the company name, registered office, business address, and director details consistently and lawfully. Do not invent local presence you do not have.
Banking, PayPal, Wise, and Payoneer After Using 1st Formations
1st Formations can help you get the company registered and may show banking offers during or after checkout. But bank approval is separate. Banks and fintechs run their own KYC checks, risk rules, supported-country lists, business activity reviews, and document requirements.
Wise Business
Wise can be useful for multi-currency balances, international transfers, invoices, and receiving GBP/EUR/USD where available. It is often attractive for non-resident UK company owners who need practical cross-border payments.
Open Wise BusinessGuide: How to open a Wise account
Payoneer
Payoneer can suit marketplace sellers, freelancers, agencies, and founders who need receiving accounts for global clients and platforms. Approval depends on your documents, country, and business category.
Open PayoneerDocument stack to prepare: Certificate of Incorporation, Companies House company profile, memorandum and articles, share/PSC details, director ID, proof of residential address, business website or invoices, and a clear explanation of your business model.
If your next step is payment processing, read how to create a UK PayPal account as a non-UK resident. The same consistency principle applies: do not mix personal addresses, old business names, and mismatched ownership details across platforms.
1st Formations Pros and Cons
Pros
- Polished, beginner-friendly online formation flow.
- Useful package options for Ltd companies, LLPs, and address services.
- Strong fit for non-residents who need a UK registered office and mail handling.
- Step-by-step screens reduce common Companies House data-entry mistakes.
- Recognised by Companies House as a formation/secretarial agent with electronic filing capability.
- Optional services are broad, which is helpful when you know what you need.
Cons
- Not always the cheapest route versus direct Companies House filing.
- Address and mail services can renew annually, so long-term cost matters.
- Upsells can distract beginners who do not yet know what is essential.
- It does not guarantee bank, PayPal, Stripe, VAT, or marketplace approval.
- It is not a substitute for tax advice if you are a non-resident or have multi-country operations.
- UK company ownership and director information remains more public than many founders expect.
1st Formations Alternatives
A fair 1stformations review should not pretend there is only one good route. Your best option depends on whether you need the lowest cost, non-resident support, privacy, tax planning, US banking, or UK credibility.
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Companies House direct filing | UK residents with a compliant address and confidence completing forms. | Less guidance, fewer bundled address services, and no formation-agent hand-holding. |
| Your Company Formations | Founders who want another UK provider with non-resident packages. | Compare current address inclusions and service renewals. See Your Company Formations review. |
| US LLC formation | Founders focused on US payment rails, US clients, and pass-through style structures. | Different tax, banking, and privacy rules. Compare using best LLC formation services for non-US residents. |
For a detailed UK formation tutorial, see how to form a UK limited company with 1st Formations. For broader UK context, read how to form a UK limited company as a non-resident.
1st Formations Buyer Checklist
Before you click pay, run through this list. It catches most of the expensive mistakes.
- I have checked the company name at Companies House and searched for brand/domain conflicts.
- I know whether I need a Ltd company, LLP, dormant company, or a different structure.
- I know who the directors, shareholders, members, and PSCs are.
- I understand public disclosure: names and PSC control appear on Companies House.
- I selected address services intentionally, not because they looked automatically required.
- I checked annual renewal costs for registered office, service address, business address, and mail forwarding.
- I know whether the company will trade immediately or remain dormant using SIC code 99999.
- I prepared ID and proof of address for identity verification and later banking KYC.
- I have a post-formation plan for HMRC, accounts, confirmation statement, and bookkeeping.
- I understand that PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, banks, and marketplaces make independent approval decisions.
Final recommendation
Use 1st Formations if you want a guided UK formation experience and address services in one place. Compare package details carefully, skip unnecessary extras, and keep compliance clean after incorporation.
1stformations Review FAQs
Is 1st Formations legitimate?
Yes. 1st Formations Limited is listed by Companies House among formation and company secretarial agents with electronic incorporation capability. As with any provider, review current package terms, renewals, and compliance requirements before buying.
Is 1st Formations better than filing directly with Companies House?
It depends. Direct filing can be cheaper if you already know the rules and have a suitable UK address. 1st Formations is usually better when you want a guided flow, address services, support, and a packaged setup.
Can non-UK residents use 1st Formations?
Generally, yes. UK company law does not require directors or shareholders of a private limited company to live in the UK. Non-residents should pay close attention to identity verification, registered office, service address, tax residence, and banking/KYC requirements.
What SIC code should I use for a dormant company?
For a genuinely dormant company, SIC code 99999 is commonly used. Do not use dormant status if the company is trading, issuing invoices, receiving active business income, or incurring operating expenses.
Does 1st Formations guarantee a UK business bank account?
No. Formation agents may introduce banking partners or provide documents, but the bank or fintech makes the final decision. Keep company records, business model details, director ID, residential address proof, and source-of-funds explanations ready.
Can 1st Formations help me stay anonymous?
No provider can make a UK company fully anonymous. Address services can keep residential addresses off the public register, but director names, PSC information, company filings, and registered office details remain part of the UK transparency framework.
Should I buy every add-on shown during checkout?
No. Buy the add-ons that solve a real problem: registered office, service address, business address, mail forwarding, or compliance help. Skip extras you do not understand, then add them later if your business actually needs them.
Sources and Notes
The article uses official government guidance where rules change frequently, plus 1st Formations’ own public service descriptions for provider-specific claims. Always verify live prices and package inclusions before purchasing.
Open sources used for this 1stformations review
- Companies House fees – GOV.UK. Current fee schedule, including digital incorporation and confirmation statement fees.
- Companies House confirms identity verification rollout from 18 November 2025 – GOV.UK. Identity verification dates and affected roles.
- Identity verification for Companies House – GOV.UK. Collection of current identity verification guidance.
- Company formation agents and secretarial agents – GOV.UK. Companies House list of agents and official caveats.
- Incorporation and names – GOV.UK. Company name and incorporation guidance.
