Changes In The Law For Registered Office Addresses

Ever since the introduction of the Companies Act 1989 all companies are required to have a UK registered office address.nThe address must be provided with your company formation details when registering your company.nIt is this address to which government organisations will always write to.nIt is this address that Companies House letters and reminders will be sent to.nHM Revenue and Customs, the UK tax authority, will also contact the company through this address.nThe registered office address will also determine which tax office you report to.nThe registered office address can be anywhere within the UK,however, Scottish registered companies have to be registered to a Scottish address.nEven if your business moves to England or Wales the company will need to maintain a Scottish address as the legal systems are slightly different.nThe address cannot be a post office and needs to be a genuine physical location.nnIt has always been a legal requirement to display the company name at the registered office address.nThis if often done using a traditional brass company name plate, but the name can displayed in any way as long as it is clear.nIn addition the companies details should also be displayed in full on company stationery and official paperwork.nThis should include the following documents-nnOfficial company business letters,nCompany notices and other official publications,nBills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the company nBills of parcels, invoices, receipts, letters of credit.nnFollowing the introduction of the Companies Act 2006 it is now also a legal requirement to display your company’s registered office address on any electronic communications and on your company websites.nIn addition to this if you have a separate trading address that is different to the registered office address then this should be made clear to avoid any confusion for your website visitors.nThe new laws also require that your registered office address and company details are recorded on your email correspondence.nnThe latest legislation requires that the following information is shown-nnThe company’s place of registration and the number with which it is registered,nThe address of its registered office,nIn the case of an investment company, the fact that it is such a company, andnIn the case of a limited company exempt from the obligation to use the word "limited" as part of its name, the fact that it is a limited company should be clearly stated.nnSimply having a registered office address now goes beyond just displaying your company name at your business location.nYou must meet the legal requirements, on stationery, on websites and within your emails.nFailure to comply may lead to warnings being issued, penalties made against your company and potentially a court appearance.nMake sure your company is up to date with the latest legislation to avoid being reported to Companies House. n