Tanya Peake Companies House

Agenda

• Welcome

• Companies House – Who are we?

• The Limited Company and the Companies Act 2006

• Incorporating with Companies House

• How to file your information online

• Our information services

• Key conclusions

• Information & Demo Points

Who we are

All Company types

• Private Limited Companies

• Public Limited Companies (PLC’s)

• Dormant Companies

• Limited Liability Partnerships

• Community Interest Companies

• Micro-Entities

What we do

How we do it

Why we do it

‘the heart of company information in the UK, recording the life events of companies for ALL to see’

• A world class information exchange

• Accessible, easy to use

• Creating excellent customer experiences

• Providing trusted information

Why become a limited company?

• The company name is protected

• Limited liability status

Limited liability

• Is where the liability of the members is limited by shares or by guarantee

• In return the company must send certain information to Companies House for public viewing

Incorporation

Company name

• Unique • It is not offensive• Sensitive words• Company names adjudicator• Company Names Tribunal for ‘opportunistic registrations

Director & secretary responsibilities

Director’s responsibilities

• Accounts and Annual Returns are delivered

• Registered office and SAIL address is correct and operational

• Directors’ and secretaries’ details are kept up to date

• No under 16’s appointed (except for LLP’s)

• No upper age limit

• At least 1 “natural person” appointed (except for LLP’s)

WebFiling

Keep your code safe

• Make sure your code isn’t easily guessable

• Mix letters with numbers in your code

• Only share your code with trusted company personnel

• Change your code if company personnel changes

• Change your code if you think the code has been discovered

• Tell your agent before you change your code

• Use a different code for each company

• Don’t leave your code lying around

Single Alternative Inspection Location

Or known as “SAIL” applies if:-

• Your company records & registers are not kept for inspection at the registered office address

• Only one SAIL address allowed

• Address notification required

• Records & registers at the address required

• Also notified on annual return

Trading disclosures

Company name to be displayed at:

• All places of business• Registered office address

But does not apply to:

• Primarily residential addresses• Dormant companies

Trading disclosures

All items of business stationery & communications including emails and company website must show:

• Company name

• Place of registration

• Registered number

• Registered office address

• Director information

• If being wound up, that fact

Directors service addresses

• Based on privacy

• Any address (not P.O.) for the public register

• Usual residential address for protected register

• Change notice can be completed online

• Historic addresses can be “expunged” for at risk officers

Annual Return

• Not the financial return

• All companies have to file one each year

• Based on your Legal Return Date

• Snapshot of the company details at this date

• Must be filed within 28 days of this date

• £13 filing fee online (£40 for paper filing)

• Over 98% are now filed online

Accounts

• Some Account types can be filed online

• Companies have to file accounts each year

• Whether trading or not

• Strict filing times laid down by Parliament

• Based on your accounting reference date

• Automatic penalties for being late

• No filing fee

Government Gateway Credentials

HMRC TemplateDownload

CH WebFiling

Small Full or Abbreviated Accounts - Input

Once OnlySelect Box to Send to

Appropriate Organisation

HMRCAccounts Filed and

Corporation Tax Filed

Companies HouseAccounts Filed

Joint filing

Joint filing benefits

• Meet two legislative obligations in one go

• Both organisations using iXBRL

• Full accounts can be filed (extract abbreviated versions)

• Built in intelligence and calculations

• Templates can be worked offline

• Latest FRSSE statements

• Email confirmation

Accounts filing periods

Private Co - 9 months from the accounting reference date

Public Co - 6 months from the accounting reference date

Late Filing Penalties

• Accounts only

• Introduced 1 July 1992 and amended 1 February 2009

• Civil Penalty against the company

• Accounts must be received by Registrar by due date

• Penalties are doubled for filing late 2 years running

• Appeals procedure

• Registrar has very limited discretion not to collect a penalty

Late Filing Penalties

Don’t forget…

Penalties are doubled for filing late 2 years running

Length of Period

Public Company

Private Company

Not more than 1 month

£750

£150

More than 1 month but not more than 3 months

£1,500 £375

More than 3 months but not more than 6 months

£3,000

£750

More than 6 months £7,500

£1,500

Surprising Statistic

Don’t hide behind your advisors

Compliance

Prosecution

Dissolution and voluntary strike-off

• Straightforward procedure

• Company not traded or changed name in last 3 months

• Form DS01must be completed

• Majority of directors must authorise application

• £10 fee to pay

• Can take 6 months and is subject to third party objections

• DS02/LLDS02 withdrawal of application to strike off

• Reversible process via Restoration process

WebFiling and PROOF scheme

• PROtected Online Filing - PROOF

• Stops the filing of certain paper forms i.e. :- Company officers appointments / Terminations / Changes

Change of the registered officeAnnual Return

NOTE: Accounts are not included in the scheme

• Paper forms are rejected and sent to the registered office address

• 50-100 Corporate identity fraud cases per month

Join eReminders for:

• A timely email reminder of when your accounts and annual returns are due at Companies House.

• The option of a maximum of 4 email addresses per company.

• An alternative to paper reminder letters sent to your registered office address

WebFiling and eReminders

Searching

Mobile App

Mobile App

• Mobile app is FREE and available for Apple and Android

• Available to download from Apple App Store or Google Play

• Only free information is available on this service – no hidden costs

• Allows you to check company information ‘on the go’

• Stats and our latest Tweets can be viewed on the App

• Feedback is welcome

Mobile App

• Save most frequently viewed companies

in your ‘Favourites’ for Amber / Red Alerts

when AR and AA are due / overdue

• Variety of sort options in favourites –

including company name, number or when

accounts or returns are next due for filing

WebCHeck & Companies House Direct

WebCHeck

•No subscription•Pay as you go •Company name availability search•Detailed filing history•Free current appointments report•Disqualified director search•Document download area•Monitor service

Companies House Direct

•Monthly subscription•Monthly invoice•Company search•Officer enquiry•Disqualified directors search•Document packages•Insolvency history•Full filing history•Certified document ordering •Document download area•Monitor service

Monitor

• FREE Service available via CHD and WebCHeck• Part of the 3-point-plan to prevent corporate identity fraud• Email alert service for documents filed by ANY company

The Companies House Service

• Transforms our electronic services, with modern technology and a new web service

• Better and simpler for customers, making it easier to view and update company information

Companies House Service

Other products

• Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI)

• Free Company Data Product

• Free Accounts Data Product

• XML Gateway

• DVD Rom

• Bespoke Products

Coming soon

• Free digital data from Q2 2015

Key conclusions

• Think “e” – and enjoy the benefits now

• Filing online saves you time

• Meeting filing deadlines saves you penalties

• Up-to-date records create confidence in your company

• Our Information online can help you

• Companies House is here to help you

Web: www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Online user panel

• Help us understand how you use our online services

• Your Feedback and Your experiences

• Details on our website

Contact us

Telephone: 0303 1234 500

email: enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk

RSS feeds: www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Follow us: Facebook: facebook.com/CompaniesHouse

Twitter: @CompaniesHouse

LinkedIn

Companies House You Tube Channel

Thank you for listening!

Any feedback?

eventsteam@companieshouse.gov.uk