filing documents

Companies House Guides!

If you own a limited company or LLP then you will need to know a little about Companies House. As the registrar of companies in the UK you may need to contact them for advice or to file documents.

Companies House is the UK registrar of companies. They are a government body that administers companies within England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Companies House provides three main services-

  • The registration and dissolution of UK limited companies;
  • Processing and storing documents and company information delivered under the Companies Act and related legislation; and
  • Provision of information. Companies House is a public register and they make documents available for public inspection

It is not just limited companies (LTD and PLC) that Companies House are responsible for. They are also the registrar for LLP’s, Unlimited Partnerships, and Community Interest Companies.

You can contact Companies House directly on 0303 1234500.

There are hundreds of forms use by Companies House. Many of these can be submitted online using Companies House electronic filing, often called webfiling. If you need a paper version of the forms we have put together a collection of the most popular forms on our website. Alternatively you can visit Companies House website to locate forms.

Find Companies House forms here..

In some circumstances, it is possible to remove an address from Companies House records. This is called suppressing the address.

Learn more here..

If a company has no trading activity during the year it is dormant. To keep a company dormant it is important to file documents at Companies House and HMRC every year. You need to file the Confirmation Statement, Accounts and Tax Returns.

Find out more here..

The Confirmation Statement is a document submitted to Companies House every year detailing your company structure. It confirms the structure of the company at that moment in time.

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You can reinstate a company to the register at Companies House. Advice on how to restore a company. There are two options depending on why the company was dissolved.

More here..

Sensitive Words in Company Names!

When you register a new company, there are certain words that are protected by Companies House. These words are classes as ‘sensitive’. They are restricted from use as inclusion within a company name could mislead customers if used incorrectly. This list of sensitive words is quite long, with some words deemed to be more sensitive than others.

The list of sensitive names is quite extensive. It includes some words or expressions that you may expect to see (e.g. ‘charity’) and others that you may be more surprised to see included (e.g. Sheffield). Each sensitive word has it’s own rules on acceptance.

For the complete list click here..

Previously companies would only be allowed to use the word group in their company name under certain circumstances. Due to changes in regulation they no longer require approval from Companies House. You can now form a company using group regardless of the company structure or even being a group of companies.

Use of the word architect in a company name is only allowed with prior written approval. You have to contact the ARB.

More here..

Using international in a company name previously required supporting evidence. Due to changes in the sensitive name regulations this is no longer required.

Any company can now use the word international without any supporting data or approval.

Using bank in a company name is protected by UK law. Companies House include bank on the list of sensitive words to protect it from misuse. If you want to use the word bank you will need approval from the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Find out more here..

The use of some CHARACTERS and SYMBOLS in a company name is restricted by Companies House. Many can be used simply enough, while others are prohibited. There are also rules on where characters and symbols can be used within a company name.

Read more here..

sensitive company names
protected company names

More Sensitive Words

Forming a company with association in the company name is normally only allowed by Limited by Guarantee companies. The company will need to meet a specific set of requirements to use the word.

Find out more..

Use of the word dentist is deemed to be sensitive by Companies House. Its is protected to stop people without correct qualifications starting businesses that may be misleading. To use the word you will need to obtain approval form the General Dental Council.

Read more..

Use of the word Charity in a company name is restricted by Companies House and only allowed in certain circumstances. You will need to provide supporting evidence form the relevant authority.

Find out more here..

Foundation is considered to be a sensitive word when used in a company name. Companies House will only allow a company to use the word if it meets certain criteria. Typically the company must be Limited by Guarantee and have the correct documents.

Read more here..

Use of UK countries (England, Scotland, Wales or N Ireland) in a company name is restricted in some circumstances. A company will only be allowed to use the word at the start of the registered name if written approval is provided, or if it meets specific regulations. If the country appears after the first word, then it will be given approval if the company is registered in that country.

Read more about using UK countries in a company name here..