To incorporate your company in the United Kingdom, you'll need to register it on Companies House's registrar of companies page. The company registration process requires creating an account, choosing a company name and paying a small filing fee. This short article explains what companies house is and everything you can with your companies house login.
What is Companies house?
Companies House is an executive agency falling under the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Companies House hosts a publicly available registrar of companies in the UK.
Companies' data can be searched by, company name, company number, or company director.
How to incorporate on Companies House?
UK companies need to be registered on Companies House where company information will be stored and made public. The company formation process can be done by post (longer and more expensive) or online and you'll receive a certificate of incorporation. You will need to:
- Choose a company name and registered address
- Choose company directors and a company secretary
- Decide who the shareholders or guarantors are
- Identify people with significant control (PSC) over your company (e.g. a solo founder)
- Prepare a memorandum of association (these will be generated automatically for you if you register online)
- Prepare articles of association (you can either use model articles or prepare your own)
- Pay the filing fee and submit the application
What can you submit on the Companies House WebFiling service?
Running a limited company requires keeping a number of company documents and accounting records which need to be submitted to Companies House via its WebFiling service. HMRC may check these records with a compliance check to make sure each member of your company is paying the right amount of tax. Companies House offer a number of forms to make online filings. These Companies House Services range from filing annual returns and annual accounts to updating director details.
For foreign nationals who want to establish a business in the UK must have their non-English documents translated by certified translation services. This ensures that the translated documents are accurate and accepted by public and private institutions worldwide. It is important to verify the background of the translation provider to ensure that they are accredited and certified by globally renowned organisations such as ISO, and that they offer a Certificate of Translation Accuracy, which guarantees that the translated documents are precise and high-quality.
The full list of online forms offered by Companies House are organised by section below. Most of these forms can be completed via the online service and your company authentication code.
Confirmation statement and accounts
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Confirmation statement - CS01
- Change of accounting reference date - AA01
- Dormant company accounts - AA02
- Audit exempt abbreviated accounts
- Audit exempt full accounts
- Joint file accounts with Companies House and HM Revenue & Customs (Tax return and annual accounts)
- Micro-entity accounts
Change registered office and location of company records
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Change of Registered Office Address - AD01
- Notification of single alternative inspection location (SAIL) - AD02
- Notification of location of company records to the single alternative inspection location (SAIL) - AD03
- Change of location of company records to the registered office (SAIL) - AD04
- Provide your directors' information on the public register - EH01
- Provide directors' usual residential address information to the public register - EH02
- Provide your secretaries' information on the public register - EH03
- No longer provide your directors' information on the public register - EW01
- No longer provide directors' usual residential address information for the public register - EW02
- No longer provide your secretaries' information on the public register - EW03
Directors and secretaries
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Appointment of director - AP01
- Appointment of corporate director - AP02
- Appointment of secretary - AP03
- Appointment of corporate secretary- AP04
- Change of director's details - CH01
- Change of corporate director's details - CH02
- Change of secretary's details - CH03
- Change of corporate secretary's details - CH04
- Termination of appointment of director - TM01
- Termination of appointment of secretary - TM02
Persons with significant control
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Notification of a person with significant control (PSC) - PSC01
- Notification of a relevant legal entity with significant control (PSC) - PSC02
- Notification of a legal person with significant control (PSC) - PSC03
- Change of person with significant control (PSC) details - PSC04
- Change of relevant legal entity (PSC) details - PSC05
- Change of legal person with significant control (PSC) details - PSC06
- Notice of ceasing to be a person with significant control (PSC) - PSC07
- Notification of a person with significant control (PSC) statement - PSC08
- Withdrawal of a Person with Significant Control (PSC) statement - PSC09
Share capital
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Return of allotment of shares - SH01
Change of name
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Change of name same day service (£30 charge) - NM01
- Change of name standard service (£8 charge) - NM01
Mortgage charges
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Register a charge - MR01
- Register an acquisition - MR02
- Satisfy a charge - MR04
- Cease or release property from a charge - MR05
Strike off and dissolution
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Withdrawal of application to strike off - DS02
Amend an error on a previously filed document
In this section you can upload the following documents:
- Amend share capital or shareholder error on previously filed confirmation statement - RP04 (for CS01)
- Amend error on a previously filed return of allotment of shares - RP04 (for SH01)
- Amend error on previously filed appointment of director - RP04 (for AP01)
- Amend error on incorporation documents for appointment of director
How to login to Companies House?
To register and log in to the Companies House WebFiling service, users can simply go to https://ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk and enter your email and password.
You will also need an authentication code and your company number to log in. Once logged in you'll see your dashboard which summarises your company information and documents you have uploaded. You can manage eReminders to notify you when filings need to be made.
If you have any questions, contact enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk for assistance.
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The opinions on this page are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice on which you should rely.