Companies House Explained

Agency Name:Companies House
Headquarters:Crown Way
Cardiff
CF14 3UZ
Employees:1,000
Chief1 Name:Louise Smyth
Chief1 Position:Chief Executive
Keydocument1:Companies Act 2006
Footnotes:[1] [2]
Parent Department:Department for Business and Trade

Companies House is the executive agency of the British Government that maintains the register of companies, employs the company registrars and is responsible for incorporating all forms of companies in the United Kingdom.[3] [4]

Prior to 1844, no central company register existed and companies could only be incorporated through letters patent and legislation. At the time, few incorporated companies existed; between 1801 and 1844, only about 100 companies were incorporated. The Joint Stock Companies Act 1844 created a centralised register of companies, enabled companies to be incorporated by registration, and established the office of the registrar; the Joint Stock Companies Act 1856 mandated separate registrars for each of the three UK jurisdictions. Initially just a brand, Companies House became an official executive agency in 1988.

All public limited, private limited, private unlimited, chartered and some other companies are incorporated and registered with Companies House. The agency also registers limited partnerships, while most other enterprises fall under the purview of the Financial Conduct Authority. All limited companies (including subsidiary, small and inactive) must file annual financial statements with Companies House, all of which are public records. The agency is also responsible for dissolving companies.

From 2016, Companies House operated under the authority of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This then became the Department for Business and Trade from 7 February 2023 following a Machinery of Government change initiated by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The current chief executive is Louise Smyth, who also serves as registrar for England and Wales. The agency, as well as British company law in general, are governed by the Companies Act 2006. Companies House maintains 5.32 million active companies.[5]

History

See also: History of company law in the United Kingdom.

19th century

See also: Local and personal Acts of Parliament (United Kingdom). Prior to 1844, companies could only be incorporated through grant of a royal charter, by private act of Parliament,[6] or, from 1834, by letters patent. Few companies were incorporated, with only approximately 100 companies being incorporated by private act between 1801 and 1844.[7] At this time, no central register of companies was in existence.

Joint Stock Companies Act 1844

See main article: Joint Stock Companies Act 1844. The origins of Companies House date back to 1844, the year the Joint Stock Companies Act received royal assent, enabling companies to be incorporated by registration for the first time.[8] The Act created the office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies to maintain the register of companies,[9] which was publicly accessible.[10] It was hoped by MPs of the day that a publicly accessible central company register would help to protect the public from fraud.[11] All companies, irrespective of their method of incorporation, were obliged to register within three months of the commencement of the Act.

The Act provided for two types of company registration: provisional,[12] and complete.[13] The filing requirements for complete registration were more extensive than those for provisional registration. Given that there was no requirement for companies granted a certificate of provisional registration to submit the remaining information in order to become completely registered, the Act was not hugely successful as many of its provisions applied only to completely registered companies.[14]

The Joint Stock Companies Act 1844 applied only to England and Wales, and Ireland; it did not apply to Scotland.[15]

rowspan="2"
YearNumber of companies
Provisionally registeredCompletely registered
1844119
18451,52057
1846292112
184721598
184812363
184916568
185015957
185121163
1852414110
1853339124
1854239132
185525381

Limited Liability Act 1855

See main article: Limited Liability Act 1855. Prior to the commencement of the Limited Liability Act 1855, shareholders were generally treated similarly to partners in a common law partnership, and had unlimited liability for the debts and obligations of the companies in which they held shares.[16] From 1855, it became possible for shareholders to benefit from limited liability[17] as a matter of routine,[18] [19] provided the companies in which they held shares were registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies under the 1844 Act.[20] The aim of this act was to incentivise the creation of new joint stock companies, while giving investors, the majority of whom did not play an active role in day-to-day management, protection from liabilities incurred by company directors.[18]

Joint Stock Companies Act 1856

See main article: Joint Stock Companies Act 1856. The Joint Stock Companies Act 1856 abolished the dual registration system of the 1844 Act; provisional registration ceased to be possible. In exchange for providing shareholders with the benefit of limited liability, companies were required to submit certain information to the Registrar for Joint Stock Companies, including memoranda and articles of association (which had not previously been divided in this way), and annual reports.

The 1856 Act also mandated that there be a Registrar of Companies for each of the UK's three jurisdictions.[21] This system remains today, with a separate Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland;[22] 'Companies House' is merely a brand adopted by the registrars.

Company registration in Scotland commenced in 1856, with the first company registered being the Daily Bulletin Company Limited, a newspaper publisher.[23] The first Registrar of Joint Stock Companies for Scotland was George Deane, from 1856 to 1858, before he was transferred to the London office of Companies House to be Chief Clerk to the Registrar for England and Wales. The remaining staff were transferred to the office of the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (Q&LTR), who took on the role of Registrar of Companies for Scotland.

20th century

In 1982 the post of Q&LTR was transferred to the Crown Agent, and the staff and functions relating to company registration in Scotland were transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry on 1 April 1981.

In October 1988, Companies House became an executive agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, and then in October 1991 started to operate as a trading fund, self-financing by retaining income from charges.

21st century

Companies Act 2006

See main article: Companies Act 2006. When the Companies Act 2006 was fully implemented on 1 October 2009, the Northern Ireland companies register was fully integrated into Companies House; previously, all limited companies in Northern Ireland were registered with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

As government departments were reorganised, Companies House came under the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (2007), the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2009), and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2016). Companies House was a member of the Public Data Group, an advisory board which between 2011 and 2015 sought to improve public access to government data.[24]

Companies House is also responsible for dissolving companies.[25]

In 2020, there were approximately 4.3 million businesses on the Companies House register.[26] In the same year Companies House ceased to operate as a trading fund.[27]

Year ended
Size of Total Register at year end
31 March 2014[28] 3,250,300
31 March 2015[29] 3,464,155
31 March 2016[30] 3,678,860
31 March 2017[31] 3,896,755
31 March 2018[32] 4,033,355
31 March 2019[33] 4,202,044
31 March 2020[34] 4,350,913

Response to 2020 pandemic

In view of the coronavirus pandemic, from 25 March 2020 companies were able to apply for a three-month extension to the annual deadline for filing their accounts and reports. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 made this extension automatic for filing deadlines between 27 June 2020 and 5 April 2021; after the latter date, companies could again apply for a three-month extension.[35] There were also temporary extensions to the deadlines for filing confirmation statements and certain event-driven filings.[36]

Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, receiving royal assent on 26 October 2023 and coming into force on 4 March 2024, signifies a major legislative reform for Companies House. The Act aims to transform Companies House from a mere repository of documents into an entity that proactively supervises company registration procedures and plays a role in preventing economic crimes.[37] Central to the act is the requirement for identity verification of individuals wishing to incorporate a company, including directors, people with significant control (PSCs), and members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). This measure is set to apply to all new and existing directors and PSCs.

Registrars of Companies

The role of Registrar of Companies is not a political one, and the incumbent is a civil servant.

England and Wales

The Registrar of Companies for England and Wales is based at Companies House, Cardiff,[38] and is responsible for the registration of companies in England and Wales. Until 2011 there was another Companies House office in Nantgarw, Wales. The London office of Companies House, located at Petty France, is purely a facility to file and view documents, which are then processed in Cardiff.

The current registrar is Louise Smyth, who also serves as chief executive of Companies House.

Scotland

The Registrar of Companies for Scotland, is based at Companies House, Edinburgh, and is responsible for the registration of companies in Scotland. The current registrar is Lisa Davis.[4]

Northern Ireland

The Registrar of Companies for Northern Ireland is based at Companies House, Belfast, and is responsible for the registration of companies in Northern Ireland. The current registrar is Lynn Cooper.

Undertakings registered

Companies

See also: United Kingdom company law. Companies House acts as registrar for the following types of company:

Other undertakings

See also: United Kingdom partnership law. Despite its name, Companies House acts not only as registrar for companies, but also for the following undertakings:

Undertakings for which Companies House does not act as registrar

See also: Financial Conduct Authority. Companies House does not act as registrar for the following undertakings:

Register of Companies

The Register of Companies is the index of every undertaking registered with Companies House.[60]

Names

Uniqueness

Every undertaking registered with Companies House must have a unique name.[61] Whether a name is unique or not is determined by Companies House; certain terms and punctuation, and characters after the first 60, are completely disregarded when assessing the uniqueness of a name, and other characters, although strictly different, are deemed to be the same as each other.[62]

Restrictions

Companies may not have names which if used would constitute a criminal offence, or which are offensive.[63] Approval from the Secretary of State is required if a company wishes to use a name indicating a connection to government,[64] or other so-called 'sensitive' words or phrases.[65]

Indication of status

Generally, undertakings registered with Companies House are required to indicate their legal form in their names:

Notwithstanding the above, private limited companies need not indicate their legal form in their names if they are charities,[80] exempted by new regulations made by the Secretary of State,[81] or subject to a continuing exemption.[82]

Registered numbers

Every undertaking registered with Companies House is issued with a registered number.[83] Once issued, a registered number remains the same, even if the undertaking changes its name.

Registered numbers consist of eight digits, and in certain circumstances a two letter prefix, including:[84]

Certificates of incorporation or registration

Certificates of incorporation

The Register of Companies contains certificates of incorporation for all undertakings incorporated by registration with Companies House. Incorporation takes place on the issuance of a certificate of incorporation by the registrar.[85] Private limited companies can be issued with a certificate of incorporation within 24 hours of an application being submitted.[86]

Certificates of incorporation for companies include the following information:[87]

Registration of companies is complete once the certificate of incorporation is signed or sealed by the registrar.[88]

Certificates of incorporation for limited liability partnerships include the following information:[89]

Incorporation of a limited liability partnerships is complete once the certificate of incorporation is signed or sealed by the registrar.[90]

Certificates of registration

Limited partnerships are not issued with certificate of incorporation upon registration with Companies House, but instead with certificates of registration.[91] This is because limited partnerships are not legal persons and therefore are not created by incorporation.[92]

Certificates of registration include the following information:[93]

A limited partnership comes into existence once its certificate of registration has been signed or sealed by the registrar.[94]

Accuracy

Companies House does not verify the accuracy of information filed.[95] The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced in 2020 that Companies House would be given powers to verify the identities of company directors,[96] but did not set a timetable for their introduction.[97]

Other public registers

Since June 2016, private companies can elect to keep certain statutory records on the central register which is held and published by Companies House, instead of maintaining their own registers.[98] These records include:[99]

Controversy

In February 2008, The Times[100] and Computer Weekly[101] broke a story that almost 4,000 of the names on the Companies House register of directors were on international watchlists of alleged fraudsters, money launderers, terror financiers and corrupt officials. The results came from Datanomic who had screened the 6.8 million names on the register against a World-Check database of high risk individuals and businesses. The exercise also revealed more than 1,500 disqualified company directors were being allowed to run other UK companies as Companies House was not checking names against its register of disqualified persons.[100]

In July 2023, the Companies House independent adjudicators' report 2022-2023 was published. This revealed that Companies House had given false information to an MP to try to make themselves look better.

"A letter to the complainant’s Member of Parliament was riddled with wrong information, which showed Companies House in a better light."

See also

External links

51.4994°N -3.1895°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joint Stock Companies Act 1844 c. 110 Preamble . Westlaw . Thomson Reuters . 2021-02-01.
  2. Web site: Louise Smyth . 2022-12-04 . GOV.UK . en.
  3. Book: A Dictionary of Law. Oxford University Press. 2018. 978-0-19-184080-7. Law. Jonathan. Ninth. Oxford, United Kingdom. 137. Companies House. 1043882876.
  4. Web site: About us . 2022-12-26 . GOV.UK . en.
  5. Web site: Search results – Advanced company search – Find and update company information – GOV.UK . 2023-08-23 . Companies House.
  6. Web site: Companies and businesses. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200919030649/https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/companies-and-businesses/ . 19 September 2020 . 2021-01-30. The National Archives. en-GB.
  7. Todd. Geoffrey. 1932. Some Aspects of Joint Stock Companies, 1844-1900. The Economic History Review. 4. 1. 46–71. 10.2307/2590494. 2590494. 0013-0117.
  8. Web site: Chia. Hui. 2018-10-15. Key Documents in the History of Australian Corporate Law. 2021-01-30. Melbourne Law School. en.
  9. Joint Stock Companies Act 1844, section XIX
  10. Joint Stock Companies Act 1844, section XVIII
  11. Levi. Leone. 1870. On Joint Stock Companies. Journal of the Statistical Society of London. 33. 1. 1–41. 10.2307/2338865. 2338865. 0959-5341.
  12. Joint Stock Companies Act 1844, section IV
  13. Joint Stock Companies Act 1844, section VII
  14. Rix. M. S.. 1945. Company Law: 1844 and To-Day. The Economic Journal. 55. 218/219. 242–260. 10.2307/2226083. 2226083. 0013-0133.
  15. Joint Stock Companies Act 1844, section II
  16. Miller. Andrew H.. 1994. Subjectivity Ltd: The Discourse of Liability in the Joint Stock Companies Act of 1856 and Gaskell's Cranford. ELH. 61. 1. 139–157. 10.1353/elh.1994.0006. 2873436. 159696182. 0013-8304.
  17. Halpern. Paul. Trebilcock. Michael. Turnbull. Stuart. 1980. An Economic Analysis of Limited Liability in Corporation Law. The University of Toronto Law Journal. 30. 2. 117–150. 10.2307/825483. 825483. 0042-0220.
  18. Ireland. Paddy. 2010. Limited liability, shareholder rights and the problem of corporate irresponsibility. Cambridge Journal of Economics. 34. 5. 837–856. 10.1093/cje/ben040. 24231944. 0309-166X. free.
  19. Bryer. R. A.. 1997. The Mercantile Laws Commission of 1854 and the Political Economy of Limited Liability. The Economic History Review. 50. 1. 37–56. 10.1111/1468-0289.00044. 2600010. 0013-0117.
  20. Limited Liability Act 1855, sections 1, 2, and 3
  21. Joint Stock Companies Act 1856, section CVI(3)
  22. Companies Act 2006, section 1060(1)
  23. Web site: 2013-05-31. Company Registration Records. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20141014221411/http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk:80/research/guides/company-registration-records . 14 October 2014 . 2021-02-01. National Records of Scotland.
  24. Web site: 2015. Public Data Group. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725070646/https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/public-data-group . 25 July 2015 . 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. en.
  25. Web site: Glossary of Useful Terms. Bailey Ahmad. 18 November 2014.
  26. Web site: Companies to receive 3-month extension period to file accounts during COVID-19. 25 March 2020. GOV.UK. en. 2020-03-25.
  27. Web site: Companies House business plan 2020 to 2021. 29 September 2020. GOV.UK. en. 2022-06-24.
  28. Web site: July 2014. Statistical release: Companies Register Activities 2013 - 2014.. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190724200607/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/380779/CompaniesRegisterActivities2013-2014.pdf . 24 July 2019 . 2021-01-30. Companies House. 4.
  29. Web site: August 2015. Statistical release: Companies Register Activities 2014/15. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190602093156/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456824/Incorporated_Companies_in_the_UK_2014_15_P1-7.pdf . 2 June 2019 . 2021-01-30. Companies House. 4.
  30. Web site: Companies register activities 2015-16. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  31. Web site: Companies register activities 2016 / 2017. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  32. Web site: Companies register activities 2017 to 2018. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  33. Web site: Companies register activities: 2018 to 2019. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  34. Web site: Companies register activities: 2019 to 2020. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  35. Web site: 25 March 2021 . Automatic filing extensions granted by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act due to come to an end . 2022-06-24 . Companies House . en.
  36. Web site: 30 September 2020 . UK: Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 - company meetings and filings . 2022-06-24 . Bird & Bird . en.
  37. Web site: 15 November 2023 . UK Company Law Reform: New Objectives and Powers of Companies House . 2024-04-15 . uniwide.co.uk.
  38. Web site: Company Formation GBF1. 10 October 2008. Companies House. 2003. Companies House website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081012111500/http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gbf1.shtml. 12 October 2008.
  39. Companies Act 2006, sections 9(2)(c) and 9(2)(d)
  40. Companies Act 2006, section 9(6)
  41. The European Public Limited-Liability Company Regulations 2004 (SI 2004 No. 2326), regulations 3(2) and 4
  42. Web site: Changing your company registration from 1 January 2021. 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. en.
  43. The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018 No. 1298), regulation 97
  44. Web site: Unlimited Companies. 2021-01-30. Practical Law. Thomson Reuters.
  45. Web site: Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, section 36(1). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20101229093021/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/27/part/2/crossheading/becoming-a-community-interest-company . 29 December 2010 . 31 January 2021. legislation.gov.uk.
  46. Web site: Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  47. Web site: Royal Charters. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20111014014134/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/royal-charters/ . 14 October 2011 . 2021-01-30. The Privy Council Office.
  48. Web site: Overseas companies registered in the UK. 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. en.
  49. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 15(1)
  50. The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 1804), regulation 60
  51. Web site: October 2014. European economic interest groupings. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200812031857/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/834544/eeig-gpo4__1_.pdf . 12 August 2020 . 2021-01-30. Companies House. 10–11.
  52. Web site: UK economic interest groupings (UKEIG) and European economic interest groupings (EEIG). 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. en.
  53. Web site: Mutuals Public Register. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190709160345/https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/ . 9 July 2019 . 2021-01-30. Financial Conduct Authority.
  54. Charities Act 2011, section 204
  55. Charities Act 2011, section 13(1)
  56. Charities Act 2011, section 30(1)
  57. Charities Act 2011, sections 207(1), 209, and 210
  58. Web site: Practice guide 14A: charitable incorporated organisations. 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. en.
  59. Web site: Set up a business partnership. 2021-01-30. GOV.UK. en.
  60. Companies Act 2006, section 1099
  61. Web site: 18 December 2015. Company registration. 2021-01-31. Westlaw. Thomson Reuters.
  62. Web site: Incorporation and names. 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. en.
  63. Companies Act 2006, section 53
  64. Companies Act 2006, section 54
  65. Companies Act 2006, section 55
  66. Companies Act 2006, section 58(1)
  67. Companies Act 2006, section 58(2)
  68. Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 of 8 October 2001 on the Statute for a European company (SE), Article 11(1)
  69. The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018 No. 1298), regulation 106
  70. Companies Act 2006, section 59(1)
  71. Companies Act 2006, section 59(2)
  72. Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, section 33(1)
  73. Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, section 33(3)
  74. Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, section 33(2)
  75. Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, section 33(4)
  76. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 8B(2)
  77. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 8B(3)
  78. Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000, Schedule Part I, paragraph 2(1)
  79. Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000, Schedule Part I, paragraph 2(2)
  80. Companies Act 2006, section 60(1)(a)
  81. Companies Act 2006, section 60(1)(b)
  82. Companies Act 2006, section 60(1)(c)
  83. Companies Act 2006, section 1066(1)
  84. Web site: WIT permanent guidance. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180713001134/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk:80/gds/com/attachments/coy_reg_no_formats.doc . 13 July 2018 . 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. HM Revenue and Customs.
  85. Web site: Certificate of incorporation. 2021-02-01. Practical Law. Thomson Reuters.
  86. Web site: 31 December 2020. Register a company in the UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809113236/https://www.great.gov.uk/international/content/invest/how-to-setup-in-the-uk/register-a-company-in-the-uk/ . 9 August 2020 . 2021-02-01. www.great.gov.uk. Department for International Trade.
  87. Companies Act 2006, section 15(2)
  88. Companies Act 2006, sections 15(3)and 15(4)
  89. Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000, section 3(1A)
  90. Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000, sections 3(3) and 3(4)
  91. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 8C(1)
  92. Book: A Dictionary of Law. Oxford University Press. 2018. 978-0-19-184080-7. Law. Jonathan. Ninth. Oxford, United Kingdom. 492. Partnership. 1043882876.
  93. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 8C(3)
  94. Limited Partnerships Act 1907, section 8C(2) and 8C(4)
  95. Web site: Service information. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150419124547/http://resources.companieshouse.gov.uk/serviceInformation.shtml . 19 April 2015 . 2021-01-31. Companies House.
  96. Web site: Vincent. Matthew. Beioley. Kate. 18 September 2020. Directors to face ID checks in anti-fraud crackdown. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200920134826/https://www.ft.com/content/7a5e51c0-d04e-4a35-8ccb-7733556e46c3 . 20 September 2020 . 2021-02-01. Financial Times.
  97. Web site: Cross. Michael. 18 September 2020. ID checks on directors in Companies House reforms. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926001841/https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/id-checks-on-directors-in-companies-house-reforms/5105695.article . 26 September 2020 . 2021-02-01. Law Gazette. The Law Society.
  98. Web site: Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150709165510/http://www.legislation.gov.uk:80/ukpga/2015/26/contents . 9 July 2015 . 31 January 2021. legislation.gov.uk. Part 8 s.94 and Schedule 5.
  99. Web site: 31 December 2020. Guidance: Company registers. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190724181820/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/company-registers/company-registers . 24 July 2019 . 2021-01-31. GOV.UK. Companies House. en.
  100. Web site: The Times: 4,000 company directors listed as global terror suspects and fraudsters . O'Neill . Sean.
  101. Web site: UK Companies House register contains 3,994 high-risk individuals, Datanomic finds.