Companies House is the principal registrar of businesses in the United Kingdom (UK). It is responsible for handling the registration of companies, maintaining a public register of company information, and enforcing company compliance. If you are new to the world of business in the UK, this article will answer the question ‘what is Companies House’ and explain its role as the registrar of companies.
- Companies House manages the incorporation and dissolution of companies, ensuring public access to accurate information.
- It enforces compliance with the Companies Act 2006 through filing deadlines and governance.
- Companies House actively combats economic crime under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
- It handles various services including registration, closures, and document provision for businesses.
- Companies House maintains a public register, ensuring transparency and accountability across UK businesses.
What Is Companies House?
Companies House is the UK government’s official registrar for:
- Limited companies (Ltd)
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), and
- Public Limited Companies (PLC)
It is an executive agency of the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade responsible for ensuring business transparency and accountability. It manages the incorporation and dissolution of companies, ensuring that accurate company information is available to the public at all times, including company addresses, directors’ names, annual financial accounts, and confirmation statements.
Why was Companies House formed in the first place?
The industrial revolution in the 1800s in Britain gave rise to large numbers of new commercial enterprises. The problem was that without proper governance and oversight, investors and creditors had little way of verifying whether these companies were genuine or trustworthy.
To address the problem, the British Parliament introduced the Companies Act 1844, which created Companies House. Its purpose was to act as the official authority for registering and regulating companies in the UK and provide much greater confidence to those dealing with companies.
What does Companies House do?
Companies House provides a number of important functions as the official registrar of companies in the UK, including:
- Registration of all limited companies and LLPs.
- Maintenance of the publicly available register of company information.
- Ensuring the statutory compliance of all companies in the UK in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 through filing deadlines and enforcement
- Tackles economic crime and supports economic growth due to its powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
The governance and enforcement role of Companies House
Companies House is the main governance and enforcement body for corporate compliance in the UK. Simply put, it makes sure that the companies on its register comply with the Companies Act 2006. For example, it checks whether companies and directors are adhering to their statutory duties, such as filing annual accounts, updating director information, and reporting important changes like dissolutions or share alterations. Not only does the governance provided by Companies House preserve the integrity of the public register, but it also ensures companies operate in a transparent manner in accordance with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
Where a company or director fails to meet their legal obligations, Companies House has the power to take action such as issuing financial penalties, removing the company from the register, or referring cases for further investigation.
What services does Companies House provide?
Companies House does not just deal with company registration; it offers a wide range of services, including but not limited to:
| Companies House service | Description |
|---|---|
|
Company registration |
Processing online and paper applications for new limited companies, PLCs, and LLPs |
|
Company closures |
Handling voluntary and compulsory dissolutions |
|
Company data access |
Providing real-time access to active and dormant company information |
|
Statutory filing services |
Managing the submission of accounts, confirmation statements, director updates, SIC codes, and address changes |
|
Company name services |
Issuing certificates of name change and helping protect existing company names |
|
Director and officer management |
Handling the appointment, resignation, and changes to company directors and officers |
|
Address protection |
Providing services to protect directors’ residential addresses from public view |
|
PSC register maintenance |
Keeping the official record of People with Significant Control (PSCs) |
|
Document provision |
Supplying certified copies of incorporation documents, certificates of good standing, and historic filings |
|
Complaints handling |
Handling complaints about company information, compliance, or misconduct |
Many of these services can be accessed through a company formation agent such as Uniwide Formations or through the Companies House website.
Where is Companies House located?
Companies House has an office in each of the three legal jurisdictions in the United Kingdom: England/Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is important to ensure that you deal with the correct office based on the country in which your company is registered.
- Scotland: Edinburgh Office, 4th Floor, 2 Edinburgh Quay, 139 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 9FF
- Wales and England: Cardiff Office, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ
- Northern Ireland: Belfast Office, 2nd Floor The Linenhall, 32-38 Linenhall St, Belfast, BT2 8BG
What are a company’s memorandum and articles of association?
When forming a UK limited company, Companies House will require two foundational documents: the memorandum of association and the articles of association. You can use a standard template of articles of association, known as ‘model articles’ or draft your own version to meet the needs of your company. Many founders choose to start with model articles and modify them once the business grows.
A memorandum of association is a short statement that confirms the intention of the company’s first shareholders (known as subscribers) to form a company and become members.
Articles of association set out the rules for running the company. This includes details regarding meetings, director powers, share issues, and voting rights.
Why use a company formation agent?
Company formation agents such as Uniwide Formation are professional service providers that have been vetted and specially approved by Companies House to handle company registration applications. Company formation agents interact directly with Companies House through the authorised software filing system. They simplify the process and often include a registered office service.
Uniwide Formations is also an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), which means that we meet the very strict requirements of Companies House to handle the identity verification of directors, members, general partners, managing officers, Persons with Significant Control (PSC), and anyone filing documents for a company.
In addition to handling all aspects of setting up a UK limited company, we provide a number of important services to make running businesses and remaining compliant as easy as possible. These additional business services include business address services, filing secretarial services, and bank and accountant introductions.
As a company formation agent, Uniwide Formations works closely with Companies House to make the process of incorporation and company compliance as easy and seamless as possible for companies of all types and scales across the UK.
Informing Companies House of changes to your business
According to company law in the UK, you must inform Companies House of any changes to the following:
- Directors and company secretaries, e.g. new appointments, resignations or changes to their personal details
- Company name
- Registered office address
- Accounting reference date
- ‘People with significant control’ (PSC) information
- Company share structure, e.g. if you issue new shares
- Details of any new mortgages it has or mortgages it has paid off
In some cases, it may be necessary to pass a special resolution before you can make one of these changes before reporting them to Companies House.
What is a company registration number (CRN)?
When you register your new company with Companies House, they will issue you with a company registration number (CRN), a unique eight-character code. It usually consists of 2 letters followed by 6 numbers, depending on the jurisdiction in which the company was registered. This number stays with your company throughout its life, even if it changes name or address.
You can find your company’s CRN on our online portal, your Companies House online record or the incorporation certificate.
What is a certificate of incorporation?
Following the registration/incorporation of your company, Companies House will issue a certificate of incorporation, a legal document that confirms the existence of the company. The document contains the full company name, company registration number (CRN), date of incorporation, and legal jurisdiction (e.g. England and Wales).
It is important to keep your company’s certificate of incorporation safe and available for inspection. You may need to show the CRN when opening a business bank account, signing contracts, or applying for licences.
Companies House FAQs
Do I need to register with Companies House as a sole trader?
Sole traders and traditional partnerships do not register with Companies House, but they must register with HMRC for self-assessment.
What if I lose my CRN?
You can find the CRN on your incorporation certificate, on the Uniwide Formations online portal (assuming you registered your company through us), or by searching the Companies House register.
Is my company information publicly visible?
Most data filed at Companies House is accessible to the public; however, you can protect your residential address from being visible by using our private registered address service.
What is the Companies House PROOF service?
The Companies House ‘protected online filing’ (PROOF) scheme enables business owners and directors to protect their company from unauthorised changes to official records. The service works by making it possible to file certain information online using an authentication code. This includes changes to the registered office address, officers’ details, and company name by special resolution.
Final words
Companies House provides a vital function in the UK in terms of company formation, maintaining the public register of companies, ensuring the integrity of its services, promoting best practice, and creating transparency. Without it, customers, suppliers, investors and other stakeholders would lack the confidence to do business.
