Registered Office Requirements
UK Limited Companies &
Limited Liability Partnerships
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The following guide is designed to help you understand the Registered Office requirements for a UK limited company.
What is a valid addresses for a registered office?
Does the registered office address have to be my main trading address?
Where does the registered office address get displayed?
Is there an alternative to using my own address?
What is a registered office?
It is the address of a company to which Companies House and HM Revenue and Customs letters and reminders will be sent. The registered office can be anywhere in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland depending on where your company is registered. The registered office must always be an effective address for delivering documents to the company, and to avoid delays, or worse penalties, it is important that all correspondence sent to this address is dealt with promptly. If a company changes its registered office address after incorporation, the new address must be notified to Companies House on Form AD01 available here - Companies House Forms
The registered office address will also be used by the UK tax authorities, and other government departments, to contact the company.
In the event the company is involved in any legal action official papers will often be served at the registered office address.
What is a valid addresses for a registered office?
The address must normally include a house name and/or number, a street, a town and a post code. Companies House use the Post Office address file to verify addresses so you need to ensure the address is recognised by the Post Office and always give the correct postcode. In less common circumstances an address may be just a house name in a small town. In these circumstances Companies House may reject the company formation but we will assist you with the application if required.
It is not permitted to use a Post Office box (PO Box) address as your registered office. It must be possible for a person to locate the company in person if required. You can however use a PO box as your general correspondence address for business mail and use an alternate address for the registered office.
Does the registered office address have to be my main trading address?
No, you can use one address as your trading address and another address for your registered office. If you are trading from home you may want to consider using one of Simple Formations prestigious addresses as your registered office. We also offer further mailing services for business that would prefer not to use their own address on business correspondence.This ensures your home address is not displayed on the public register at Companies House. A PO box can not be used as a registered office address.
Where does the registered office address get displayed?
The address will be recorded at Companies House and is freely available on their web site for the general public to view. Many third parties then copy this information and add it to their directory websites. You must also state the registered office address on your company stationery.
It is a legal requirement to display the name of your company at the registered office address. This can be done using any sign your wish or you can purchase a brass name plate from Simple Formations engraved with your company name and the words “Registered Office”.
You must also include the registered office address on official company stationery, emails, and websites.
Is there an alternative to using my own address?
If you would prefer not to make your address so publicly available or want a more prestigious address why not use one of Simple Formations addresses? Further information is available here – Why Choose our Registered Office Service
