What should I do when my UK business bank account application is declined?

Common reasons include an unclear or high-risk business description, an undisclosed beneficial owner, a registered office flagged as a mass-formation address, inconsistent information across the application, or the applicant's country of residence being on the provider's restricted list.

If several providers decline in a row for what seems like the same reason, it is worth stepping back and reviewing the whole application pack, including the SIC code and business description, rather than treating each decline as unrelated.

Rewrite the business description in plain, specific terms: what is sold, to whom, in which countries, and roughly what volumes are expected. This single change resolves a large share of declines caused by vague or automated-sounding descriptions.

Try more than one type of provider, since a traditional bank and an EMI have different risk models, and consider whether appointing a UK resident director or strengthening UK address evidence would help, taking tax advice first if a director change is being considered for banking reasons alone.

Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.

Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.