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Can ChatGPT help me register a business in the UK?
Short answer
ChatGPT can explain your options, help you choose a business structure, suggest names and draft documents, but it cannot register the business for you. Sole traders register with HMRC for Self Assessment, which is free. Limited companies register with Companies House, which costs £100 online (checked 18 October 2026), and every director must verify their identity.
What ChatGPT is good for
- Comparing sole trader, partnership and limited company in plain English.
- Brainstorming business names, then checking them yourself on the Companies House register.
- Drafting a simple business plan, terms and conditions or a privacy notice.
- Making a checklist of what to register for, such as VAT, PAYE and the ICO fee.
What you must do yourself
- Sole trader: register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year you started.
- Limited company: register on GOV.UK with Companies House. You need a name, registered office address, at least one director, shareholders, a SIC code and a Companies House personal code for each director from identity verification.
- Register for Corporation Tax within three months of starting to trade, if you are a company.
- Check other registrations: VAT if your turnover goes over the threshold, PAYE if you employ people, and the ICO fee if you handle personal data.
Watch out
ChatGPT may give out-of-date fees, thresholds or deadlines. Check every figure on GOV.UK. Do not pay third-party sites that charge high fees to do the free parts for you.
Related questions
How much does it cost to register a company in the UK?
£100 online or through software, or £124 by post, from Companies House (checked 18 October 2026). Same-day incorporation by post costs £156.
Can ChatGPT write my articles of association?
It can draft them, but most small companies use the standard "model articles" that Companies House offers when you register.
Will I need Making Tax Digital?
Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 joined MTD for Income Tax from April 2026. See what is Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?
Sources
- GOV.UK: Companies House fees
- GOV.UK: set up a private limited company
- GOV.UK: verify your identity for Companies House
- GOV.UK: set up as a sole trader
Checked 18 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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