Appointing a Company Secretary!
When incorporating a UK limited company it is not a legal requirement to appoint a secretary. If you chose to not appoint a secretary at the time of incorporation it is still possible to appoint a company secretary at a later date if required. A company secretary can be a corporate entity or a physical person.
Companies House have a variety of forms for many different processes. When appointing a new secretary it is important to ensure the correct form is completed and submitted to Companies House. If you wish to appoint a person as your new company secretary you will need to complete the AP03 form. If you wish to appoint a corporate entity (another company) as your new secretary, you will need to file form AP04.
When you have appointed a company secretary, you will need to update the company’s statutory books (combined register).
Company Formation
- Full company documents
Submitting the Forms!
Both documents can be filed by completing the manual form and posting it to Companies House. You must ensure it is sent to the correct office in the country of registration. (E.g. if your company is registered in Scotland it must be sent to Companies House, Edinburgh office). Postal applications typically take 7-10 working days to be registered on the public database.
The alternative method is to file the documents electronically if you have registered for Companies House online web filing service. Forms submitted electronically are typically registered on the public data base within 24 hours and you will receive email communication confirming the document has been accepted.