Company secretarial & Companies House

Keep Companies House filings and statutory records up to date so your company stays in good standing without you worrying about the fine print.

Company Secretarial Services

Overview

Running a company isn’t just about the finances – there are important legal and administrative duties, often called “company secretarial” tasks, that keep your company in good standing with regulators.

Our Company Secretarial Services are designed to handle these compliance requirements for you. We act like your company’s secretary (even if you haven’t officially appointed one, which most small companies don’t these days) by taking care of filings and records required by Companies House and the Companies Act.

This includes:

Preparing and filing your annual Confirmation Statement (which confirms your company’s basic details each year).
Maintaining statutory records (like registers of directors, shareholders, and significant control).
Handling the paperwork when you have changes in the company (for example, appointing a new director, changing your registered office, or issuing new shares).

For many small business owners, these tasks can be confusing or easy to overlook – and mistakes can lead to penalties or even your company being struck off. With our approachable support, you won’t have to worry about the fine print. We’ll remind you of what’s needed and do it for you, ensuring your company stays compliant with UK company law while you concentrate on your business.

Benefits

Never Miss a Filing:
We keep track of all your company’s filing deadlines and event-driven requirements. Whether it’s the annual Confirmation Statement due date or notifying Companies House of a change in directors within 14 days, we’ve got it diarized.

This proactive approach means you won’t accidentally miss a legal requirement. By avoiding missed filings, you also avoid fines and warnings from Companies House. In the worst cases, companies that neglect filings can be struck off – our service ensures that’s not a risk for you.
Compliance and Peace of Mind:
UK company law requires businesses to maintain certain records and follow specific procedures (even for small private companies). We ensure you are fully compliant with the Companies Act without you having to become an expert in it.

From keeping your statutory registers up to date to making sure official documents (like share certificates or meeting minutes) are properly produced, we handle it all. This gives you peace of mind that if anyone (be it an investor, a bank, or an auditor) asks, your paperwork is in order. It’s like having a safety net – the boring but important stuff is covered.
Tailored Advice on Company Changes:
Thinking of adding a partner as a director? Need to change your company name or address? These are significant events, and we provide guidance on the steps and implications.

We’ll prepare the necessary board resolutions, forms, and filings to make it official and legal. Having us to consult means you’ll do things correctly the first time. For example, issuing new shares requires certain procedures – we’ll make sure new shares are issued with the right paperwork and that your cap table (share ownership record) is updated.

In short, when your company’s circumstances change, we advise you on the best practices and take care of the formalities.
Professional Registered Office (Optional):
As part of our secretarial service, you have the option to use our office as your company’s Registered Office address. This can be beneficial if you work from home and prefer that address not to be public, or if you simply want a prestigious London address for official mail.

We will handle all official correspondence that comes to the registered office – from Companies House letters to HMRC mail – and promptly forward it to you and advise if any action is needed. This ensures important mail is never missed and is dealt with appropriately.
Expert Support for Corporate Governance:
Beyond just filings, we support your company’s governance. Not sure if you need to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM)? Wondering how to record a decision formally?

We can provide template minutes, resolutions, and guidance on best practices for corporate governance at a level that’s appropriate for a small company. Essentially, you get the benefit of a knowledgeable company secretary without having to hire one in-house.

This can be reassuring when you’re faced with an unfamiliar requirement – you can just call us and get a clear answer and help with implementation.

Process

Onboarding & Health Check:
When you sign up for our company secretarial service, we first conduct a health check of your company’s compliance status. We’ll review the Companies House records for your company (directors, People with Significant Control (PSC), registered office, etc.) and cross-check if you have the corresponding internal records.

For instance, we’ll ask if you have statutory registers (we can recreate them if not). We also look at the last time you filed a Confirmation Statement and accounts to ensure you’re up to date. This initial review helps us identify any immediate gaps we need to fix (for example, if a director resigned but wasn’t filed, we’ll sort that out right away). We set up our systems with your company’s key data and dates.
Annual Compliance (Confirmation Statement):
One of our core tasks is preparing your Confirmation Statement each year. This statement essentially confirms or updates the basic information about your company – things like the names of directors, the registered office, the share capital and shareholders, and your SIC (business activity) codes.

We will reach out before it’s due (you must file it at least once every 12 months) and ask if there have been any changes not yet reported. If, say, you issued new shares or changed an address during the year and we handled it, we’ll already know. If nothing changed, we still need to file a confirmation to say all is up to date.

We prepare the statement and send it for your sign-off. Then we file it electronically with Companies House and confirm once it’s accepted. This keeps your public record correct and timely.
Maintaining Statutory Registers:
We create and maintain your company’s statutory registers in our secure system. These include the register of directors, register of directors’ addresses, register of secretaries (if any), register of members (shareholders), register of PSCs (persons with significant control), and others as applicable.

Whenever there’s a change (e.g., a new shareholder joins, or a director’s address updates), we update these registers immediately. We can provide you with an updated copy of any register upon request (for example, some banks ask for a current shareholder list – we can furnish that).

Keeping these records is a legal requirement, and while many small companies overlook it, we ensure yours are always accurate and up to date. Think of it as keeping the “internal book” of your company in perfect order.
Handling Company Changes:
If any event occurs that requires a Companies House filing, we take care of it. Some common ones include:
- Director or Secretary changes:
  If you appoint a new director, or if a director resigns, or even if a director changes their home address, we prepare the appropriate form (usually form AP01 for appointment, TM01 for termination, CH01 for change of details) and file it within the required timeframe (usually 14 days). We’ll also update the relevant register and can draft any necessary board resolution for the change.
- Change of Registered Office or SAIL address:
  If you want to change your official address, we file the AD01 form. We often do this if clients choose to use our address as their new registered office.
- Allotment of shares:
  If your company issues new shares, we handle the paperwork – board resolutions approving the allotment, SH01 form filing to update Companies House on new shares, updating the register of members and share certificates for the new shares. We ensure the correct procedure is followed so the new shares are legally valid and properly documented.
- Transfer of shares:
  When an existing shareholder sells or transfers shares to someone else, we update the register of members, issue new share certificates, record stock transfer forms (and make sure any stamp duty is handled if applicable), and record the change in PSC if it triggers a new person crossing ownership thresholds. (Note: share transfers themselves usually don’t require a direct Companies House filing except indirectly via confirmation statement, but we manage the records and advise on any needed steps).
- Change of company name:
  If you decide to rebrand and need a new company name, we will check your proposed name, prepare the special resolution for you to sign, and file the NM01 form. Once Companies House issues the new Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name, we update all relevant details and notify you (and others like your bank or insurer if needed).
Basically, any time you need to make a formal change, we guide you through it and do the filing – making it hassle-free and ensuring legality.
Registered Office Service (Optional):
If you opt to use our address, we will immediately file a change of registered office form to move your registered address to ours. From then on, we monitor all incoming mail to that address.

Important government letters (like those from HMRC or Companies House) are scanned and sent to you, with our notes on what they are and if any action is required. For instance, if HMRC sends a Corporation Tax notice, we’ll forward it and perhaps say “This is just your tax installment notice, no action needed as we’ve scheduled payment” or similar.

If any official documents arrive that require safekeeping (perhaps a certificate or PIN), we keep them secure or forward as per your instructions. This service ensures you don’t miss official correspondence and also keeps your personal address off the public record, helping to reduce junk mail or unwanted visitors.
Ongoing Support & Advisory:
Throughout the year, if you have questions like “Can I remove a director?” or “How do I record a loan from a shareholder?” or “Do I need to hold any meetings?”, we’re here to advise.

We can draft minutes or resolutions for significant decisions (even if they don’t require filing). For example, if the company is approving year-end accounts, we can provide a board resolution template for the directors to sign off.

If you need to grant someone a power of attorney or authorize somebody to sign documents on behalf of the company, we ensure the paperwork is correct. Essentially, we act as your on-call company law helper.

We also keep you informed of any regulatory changes that might affect your duties (for instance, if the confirmation statement rules change or if Companies House introduces a new requirement, we’ll implement it for your company and let you know). Our goal is to simplify the “red tape” so you can focus on the actual business.

FAQs

What is a Confirmation Statement, and do I need to file one every year?

A: A Confirmation Statement is an annual filing to Companies House that confirms the key information about your company is up to date. This replaced the old “annual return” a few years back.

Yes, every active company needs to file one at least once every 12 months (you can file more often if details change, but usually once a year is fine if we’re also filing changes as they happen).

The Confirmation Statement includes details like your company’s registered address, directors, nature of business (SIC codes), shareholders and share capital, and Persons with Significant Control. If nothing has changed in those since the last statement, it’s basically a confirmation of “no changes.” If something has changed and we haven’t already notified Companies House, the Confirmation Statement is the place to update it.

There is a filing fee payable to Companies House (currently £34 if filed online, which we’d do on your behalf). We will prepare the Confirmation Statement for you when due and send it to you to review before we file it. This way, you remain fully compliant and the public record stays accurate each year.

What are statutory registers, and do I really need them for a small company?

A: Statutory registers are official records that every company is required by law to keep. They include: the register of members (a list of who owns the shares), register of directors, register of directors’ residential addresses, register of secretaries (if you have one), register of PSCs (people with significant control, typically those owning 25%+ of shares or voting rights), and a few others depending on the company (like a register of charges if the company has secured loans).

Even if you’re a small company with, say, just one or two shareholders/directors, you still need to maintain these. In practice, many small businesses aren’t great at updating them – but that could be an issue if, for example, you ever need to prove ownership or if an investor/legal due diligence happens.

We maintain these registers for you in an up-to-date manner. Think of it as keeping the company’s internal paperwork organized. If someone asks “Who are the current shareholders?” we can produce the register of members that answers that definitively. It’s also handy if you ever sell the company or bring on new investors – having clear records avoids disputes.

In short, yes you need them, and we ensure you have them without you having to worry about it.

I’m the only owner and director of my company. Do I need company secretarial services?

A: Even as a one-person company, there are still filings and records you must keep. You’ll still have to file a confirmation statement each year, maintain statutory registers (even if they show you’re 100% shareholder and sole director), and file any changes (like if you move address or change the company name).

While the requirements might seem simpler when you’re the only person, they’re essentially the same in the eyes of the law.

Our service can be very beneficial because we take care of these formalities for you – which lets you focus on running the business. You also get an advisor to turn to when you have questions. For example, as the sole director, you might wonder if you need to hold meetings or how to record decisions. We can guide you on the formalities (typically, sole directors don’t need to hold meetings with themselves, but you might need to document certain decisions in writing).

And if in the future your company grows – say you bring in a partner or investor – you’ll already have good governance practices in place, which sets a solid foundation. So yes, even one-person companies benefit from company secretarial support by staying perfectly compliant with minimal effort on your part.

What happens if I don’t keep up with Companies House filings or my company records?

A: If filings like the Confirmation Statement or annual accounts are not submitted, Companies House will eventually mark the company as overdue and will send warning letters (which, if we’re your agent or registered office, we’ll see and act on).

If non-compliance continues, the company could be struck off (dissolved) – essentially removed from the Companies House register. This is obviously something to avoid if you want to continue your business, because it can have serious consequences (bank accounts can be frozen, assets of the company become crown property until restored, etc.).

Additionally, directors can face personal fines for failing to deliver certain documents. As for not maintaining records: if it came to light (say in a legal dispute or HMRC inspection) that you haven’t kept required records, you could be subject to penalties or at least complications in resolving the matter.

The bottom line is that neglecting these obligations can lead to administrative headaches or worse. That’s why our service is valuable – we act as a safety net to ensure none of those “small” but critical tasks fall through the cracks. With us handling it, you won’t face those scary outcomes because we’ll keep your company in good standing.

Can you assist with other changes, like adding/removing a director or transferring shares?

A: Yes, absolutely. Our company secretarial service covers all common company changes.

If you want to appoint a new director, we’ll prepare the necessary consent form for the person to become a director, update the registers, and file the appointment with Companies House. If a director is stepping down, we’ll handle the resignation letter (if needed), board minute, and file the termination form.

For share transfers, we can guide you through the process (the outgoing shareholder usually signs a stock transfer form). We update the register of members to reflect the new ownership and can issue a new share certificate to the incoming owner. If there’s any stamp duty to pay (stamp duty 0.5% applies if the share transfer is for more than £1,000 consideration), we’ll advise on how to handle that as well.

In essence, any time something changes in the structure or details of your company, we’re here to manage the official process. We aim to make these changes straightforward for you: you tell us what you want to do, and we’ll tell you what’s needed and take care of the filings and documentation. This ensures the change is legally effective and properly recorded.