fletcherkennedy.com

What is Fletcher Kennedy Company Services?

Fletcher Kennedy Company Services is a company formation specialist that handles incorporation in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland and various international jurisdictions. Its core offer is a limited liability company setup — UK and Irish limited companies, Scottish companies, and International Business Companies in what it describes as reputable jurisdictions — combined with ongoing corporate services for keeping a company compliant after it exists.

What the service covers

• Company formation: incorporation of UK, Irish, Scottish and international companies, with assistance through each step of the process.
• Corporate services after incorporation: company secretary, registered office, preparation and filing of annual accounts, and preparation and filing of confirmation statements.
• Name availability check: a free, no-commitment check of whether a proposed company name is available.
• Advice: the site presents its roughly 25 years of experience as the basis for guidance that continues after incorporation, not just up to the point of registration.

Who it suits

The practical audience is a founder or small business owner who wants an experienced intermediary to handle registration and the recurring paperwork, rather than someone who prefers to file directly with a companies registry. It is also relevant to people setting up a holding company or a non-trading entity, since the site notes Irish limited companies can be used for any commercial purpose, including as holding companies, and can be trading or non-trading.

Choosing between jurisdictions

The site states that UK and Scottish companies can typically be incorporated in about three hours, and Irish companies within three working days. Treat those as the provider's stated turnaround times, since actual timing depends on registry processing and the completeness of your submission.

A useful next step is to decide which jurisdiction matches where you will trade, bank and pay tax, then use the free name check before committing. If you expect to need registered office, company secretary or annual filing support, compare the cost of those recurring services against handling filings yourself, because the formation fee is usually the smaller part of the long-term expense.

How much does it cost to form a UK company through Fletcher Kennedy?

The page does not state a price for forming a UK company through Fletcher Kennedy. It lists UK, Irish and Scottish incorporation services and mentions a free company name check, but the only cost-related detail anywhere in the supplied material is the presence of Stripe as a payment platform — which tells you payment can be taken online, not what you would pay.

What you can confirm before pricing

• UK companies are registered online, with a stated incorporation time of about 3 hours.
• The most common UK vehicle described is a private company limited by shares (a "Ltd").
• Support is described as continuing after incorporation, not just up to the filing.
• Corporate services are separate from formation: company secretary, registered office, annual accounts preparation and filing, and confirmation statement preparation and filing.
• A company name availability check is offered free and without commitment.

Why the price is likely to vary

Formation fees in this market usually depend on the package rather than the jurisdiction alone. A bare incorporation, a package including registered office and company secretary, and an ongoing accounts-and-filings arrangement are three different purchases. Because Fletcher Kennedy advertises those corporate services alongside formation, expect at least two figures: a one-off incorporation cost and a recurring annual cost for the services you keep.

Practical next step

Use the free name check first — it costs nothing and confirms whether your chosen name is available before you commit to anything. Then ask for a written quote that separates:

1. The one-off UK incorporation fee.
2. Which corporate services are bundled and which are add-ons.
3. The annual renewal amount for registered office, company secretary and filing support.
4. Whether government filing fees are included or billed separately.

Compare that quote against a generalist registrar such as Companies House for the official filing route, or Rapid Formations and 1st Formations for packaged UK formation, so you can see what is standard versus what you are paying a specialist for. If your plans involve more than one jurisdiction — for example an Irish or Scottish entity alongside the UK company — the value of an experienced incorporation agent is more likely to justify a premium than for a single straightforward Ltd.

What is the process and timeline for incorporating an Irish limited company?

Fletcher Kennedy describes Irish company formation as an online process that can be completed within roughly three working days, and it handles the filing on your behalf as part of its formation service. The practical sequence is:

1. Choose and check the name. The site offers a free, no-commitment company name check, which is worth doing first because a rejected name restarts the clock.
2. Prepare the incorporation details. You supply the company name, registered office address in Ireland, directors and secretary, shareholders and their shareholdings, and the constitution (the company's rulebook).
3. File with the Companies Registration Office. The application is submitted electronically, which is what allows the three-working-day turnaround.
4. Receive the certificate of incorporation. Once registered, the company exists and can open a bank account and begin trading.
5. Set up ongoing compliance. Annual accounts and annual return filings, plus a registered office and company secretary if you want them handled externally.

What shapes the timeline

Fletcher Kennedy's stated Irish service sits alongside UK and Scottish incorporation and international business companies, so if you are comparing jurisdictions, note that UK and Scottish companies are also described as roughly three-hour online registrations — much faster than the Irish three-working-day figure. The trade-off is that speed is not the only consideration: Ireland is often chosen for EU access, holding-company structures and a corporate tax regime distinct from the UK's, so decide on substance before speed.

A useful next step is to run your intended name through the free name check on Fletcher Kennedy Company Services, then assemble your director, shareholder and registered office details before filing so the three-day estimate is not extended by back-and-forth. For official requirements and current fees, check the Companies Registration Office at Companies Registration Office and, for tax registration once incorporated, Revenue Commissioners.

Can I use an Irish limited company as a holding company, and what are the requirements?

Yes. An Irish limited company can be structured and used as a holding company, and Fletcher Kennedy Company Services states that Irish limited companies are used as holding companies and can be either trading or non-trading. The same source notes that Irish companies are registered online and that incorporation can be completed within three working days.

What "holding company" means in practice

A holding company typically owns shares in one or more subsidiary companies rather than trading directly. If the Irish company holds shares in subsidiaries, it may be non-trading for Irish tax purposes, which can affect how it is treated. Whether it qualifies for Irish holding company reliefs depends on the shareholding, the subsidiary's activities and the relevant tax rules.

Requirements to consider

• Incorporation route: An Irish limited company is registered online, with a typical three-working-day turnaround according to the page.
• Directors and secretary: Irish companies generally require at least one director and a company secretary. At least one director must usually be resident in an EEA country, unless a bond is put in place.
• Registered office: An Irish registered office address is required.
• Share capital and shareholders: The company needs shareholders and a share structure. For a holding company, the shares it holds in subsidiaries need to be documented.
• Substance and management: Where the company is managed and controlled matters for tax residence. An Irish-incorporated company is generally tax-resident in Ireland, but this can be affected by management location and treaty rules.
• Ongoing filings: Annual accounts and confirmation statements still need to be prepared and filed. Fletcher Kennedy lists preparation and filing of annual accounts and confirmation statements among its corporate services.

Trade-offs

An Irish holding company can be useful for EU access, a common-law corporate environment and a familiar holding structure. But it adds Irish filing, tax and governance obligations, and if the company is non-trading, it may not benefit from the same treatment as a trading company. A UK or Scottish limited company, which the same provider also covers, may be simpler if your investors and banking are UK-focused.

Next step

Before incorporating, confirm with a tax adviser whether the Irish company will be tax-resident in Ireland, whether it can access holding company reliefs, and whether an EEA-resident director is available. Then use the provider's free company name check to confirm the name is available before filing.

What ongoing corporate services does Fletcher Kennedy provide after incorporation, such as company secretary or annual accounts filing?

Fletcher Kennedy provides post-incorporation corporate services covering company secretary, registered office, preparation and filing of annual accounts, and preparation and filing of confirmation statements. These are the administrative duties that continue after a company is registered, and the site presents them as a distinct "Corporate Services" offering alongside its formation work.

What each service covers in practice

• Company Secretary: A named point of contact for statutory and administrative matters. Useful if you are a sole director or based outside the jurisdiction and want a local presence handling formalities.
• Registered Office: The official address where statutory mail and notices are received. Practical if you do not have a trading address in the country of incorporation, or prefer not to publish your home address.
• Annual Accounts: Preparation and filing of the company's financial statements. Relevant for owners who want the filing handled rather than preparing accounts themselves.
• Confirmation Statements: Preparation and filing of the annual confirmation statement (the UK filing that confirms company details are correct). A recurring obligation that is easy to overlook.

Who this suits

The combination points to owners of UK, Irish or Scottish limited companies who want one provider to handle filings rather than assembling an accountant, a formation agent and a registered office service separately. The site also states that assistance continues "for as long as after incorporation as you require," so the relationship is positioned as ongoing rather than a one-off transaction.

Decision criteria

Judge any provider on three things: whether the registered office address is a real staffed location or a mail-forwarding service; whether accounts preparation is handled by a qualified accountant; and what the annual renewal cost is, since registered office and secretary services are typically billed yearly. Ask directly whether accounts preparation is included or only the filing, as these are different jobs.

As a next step, use the free company name check on the site before committing — it costs nothing and confirms availability, which is the one item you cannot resolve after paying. For background on the statutory filings themselves, GOV.UK explains UK confirmation statement and accounts requirements in plain terms.

How can I check if a company name is available before registering?

Use the free company name check on Fletcher Kennedy’s site before you start an incorporation. It is described as available without charge and without commitment, which suits the early stage when you are comparing names rather than ready to file.

What the name check helps you decide

A name availability check tells you whether a proposed name is already taken in the relevant register. It does not, by itself, confirm that the name is acceptable for your intended business, that it will not conflict with a trademark, or that it meets rules on sensitive words.

For a UK private company limited by shares, the practical sequence is:

1. Shortlist two or three names.
2. Run each through the free check.
3. Keep a fallback in case your first choice is rejected or objected to later.
4. Only then proceed with formation.

Fletcher Kennedy positions itself as a company formation specialist for UK, Irish and Scottish companies, plus International Business Companies in other jurisdictions. That matters for name checking because availability is jurisdiction-specific: a name free in the UK register may be unavailable in Ireland or Scotland, and vice versa. If you plan to operate in more than one place, check the name in each jurisdiction you intend to register in.

A concrete scenario

Suppose you want to trade as “Northbridge Consulting” and incorporate in the UK. You check the name and it is free. Before filing, you would still consider whether the name is too close to an existing company, whether it uses a sensitive word such as “bank” or “royal”, and whether someone else holds a trademark. Fletcher Kennedy’s 25 years of incorporation experience is offered as assistance through and after incorporation, so if a name is borderline, that is the point to ask rather than after you have paid to file.

Where to check

The free check is on Fletcher Kennedy Company Services. For the official registers, you can also check directly with Companies House for UK and Scottish companies, and the Irish register via Companies Registration Office Ireland. Fletcher Kennedy notes UK and Scottish incorporation typically takes about three hours, while Irish incorporation can be completed within three working days, so a name check early avoids restarting a short filing window.

Decision criterion

If you have one strong name and no fallback, check it first and hold off on filing until it clears. If you are still exploring, check several names in one sitting and rank them by availability, fit with your business, and any regulatory sensitivity.