Is anyone else having problems getting limited companies formed?

Posted by newmoon PM | on Fri, 09/10/2009 - 08:52 1615 8 comments | report

I use a large company formation agent to form limited companies, and normally the process is complete within 24 hours.

However I have had one application in since last Friday, and another since Tuesday, and still no sign of the companies being incorporated.

The agent says the problem is Companies House being terribly slow in getting companies incorporated, but when I search the Companies House website there seem to have been plenty of companies incorporated in the past week.

I'm aware of the 1st October changes at Companies House, but is anyone else having similar problems?

One of the new clients in particular is completely unimpressed with the delay (they can't get their banking arrangements sorted out or anything), and I need to get the companies set up very quickly somehow.

Thanks.

Comments

Strange !

JCresswellTax | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 09:30 | Permalink

No, we are still getting ours set up in good time.

Perhaps something to take up with your formation agent

YES

Anonymous | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 10:13 | Permalink

The agency i use usually gets the company formed the next working day, often the same day.

I just rang them to chase them up as I applied for a new company on Weds 7th, and they said everything is miles behind because of Companies House changes from 1 October. They are chasing Companies House every day but CH are in complete disaray at the moment.

Hopefully will be better next week. Its a problem when you tell new clients that a company can be all set up in less than 48 hours, and then you dont deliver.....

You could consider

pauljohnston | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 12:54 | Permalink

buying an already formed Company from good formation agent. Whilst not perfect it could cover over the current Companies House problems. We were warned that this might happen!

Yes

Jason Dormer | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 12:59 | Permalink

Yes there are problems though a helpful bank will still get the account up and running but not release anything until the registration number is granted.

Jason Dormer

http//www.seahorseuk.co.uk

Who do you use?

newmoon | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 13:10 | Permalink

Thanks for the reply - who do you use for your formations?

We have been using Waterlow Legal (not a small outfit).

The other replies all suggest that there are problems, so would be interested to see if your agent can help.

Thanks.

Fallen off a cliff!

alan159 | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 13:26 | Permalink

We have a few companies waiting in the system and do not receive any help when we call Companies House.

Companies House advised the new system would be live from the 5th October - it would appear the testing has not been very thorough.

We have not had any new companies back since last Friday.

Very disappointed with Companies House, usually quite efficient.

Only 2 hours for me...

the_fishmonger | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 13:33 | Permalink

...we form our own directly through IRIS Company Formations. On Tuesday I lodged IN01 and got the docs through in under 2 hours :-)

Cheaper than using an agent and you know there's gonna be no transcription errors (which seem more frequent than you'd like).

Iris doesn't solve it - no fault of theirs!

Malcolm Veall | Fri, 09/10/2009 - 13:35 | Permalink

I submitted a formation from Iris on Tuesday & still waiting. Companies House traced the formation application and confimred received but in the ever-growing list of those to be processed.

Not intending to comment on merits/demerits of particular software just stopping anyone who used Iris & found a formation was slow from thinking it was their own fault - it is neither Iris' nor the user's fault - it is a holdup at Companies House.