An aged shelf company is a limited company that was incorporated one or more years ago and has never traded. Its older incorporation date can help where a bank, payment provider, marketplace or contract asks how long a company has existed, but it has no trading history, accounts with turnover or credit score.
Key points
- Age is the time since incorporation, shown on Companies House.
- It can help with checks that ask “how long has the company existed?”.
- It does not create a credit file or trading history.
- Providers still assess the directors, owners and business plan.
Where company age can help
- Applications that ask for a minimum company age, such as some trade credit accounts, leases and tenders.
- First impressions with suppliers and partners who look you up on Companies House.
- Payment providers and marketplaces that weigh company age as one factor among many.
What age does not do
- No credit history. Credit reference agencies score trading and payment behaviour. A dormant company has none.
- No guarantee of approval. Banks and payment providers decide based on who owns and runs the company, what it will do and where its money comes from.
- No hidden history. The filing history shows dormant accounts and the recent change of directors; anyone can see it.
Pricing by age
Older companies are rarer, so they cost more. Royale Corporate aged companies start at £1,499, with the price rising with age. VAT, EORI and bank accounts can be added.
How to check a company’s age
Search the company on Companies House: the overview page shows “Incorporated on” and the filing history shows every set of accounts since. Make sure all accounts are dormant and were filed on time.
Official sources
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; check the official sources above or speak to a UK accountant before you act.