Company Formation FAQ

Company Formation Help
Questions and Answers
Company Formation Help

The FAQ is divided into 4 sections:

  1. Questions before you have made your application to form a company
  2. Question about the formation process and your application
  3. Question after your company has been incorporated
  4. Making changes after incorporation
Please Note
We are a commercial company formation agency. All the questions we can answer are shown here. For all other questions you should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.  

 

A
Before you form your company and requirements for a UK company

B
About the formation process and when your application is in progress

C
After your company has been incorporated
Answers to questions are below. Answers to questions are below. Answers to questions are below.
  1. Should my business be a Limited company or a non-incorporated business?

  2. Choosing a name for your company

  3. How many people are needed to start a Limited company?

  4. Who can be a company director and Company Secretary?

  5. Can directors and shareholders be any nationality or be outside the UK?

  6. What is a Registered Office?

  7. Can you guarantee the day my company will be incorporated?
  1. How long will it take to form my company?

  2. Can you guarantee the day my company will be incorporated?

  3. How do the documents get sent to me?

  4. What is the status of my application?

  5. I have a problem or question about making my payment with PayPal

  6. What should I do if my application has been rejected?

  7. How do I change any information in my application?

  8. Can I cancel my application and can fees be refunded?

  9. I have not received an emailed (Digital) Certificate of Incorporation or other documents

  10. I have not received documents by post

  11. How do I login to my account?

  12. I've forgotten my login details

  13. I can login but I cannot amend my application

  14. I know my login details but I still can't login
  1. I'm using your London Registered Office address service - how do I contact it?

  2. What should I do with the Share Certificate?

  3. How do I contact Companies House the UK Registrar of Companies?

  4. Companies House name check does not show my new company listed

  5. I need an original Certificate of Incorporation

  6. My bank wants original documents

D
Making changes after incorporation
We are a commercial company formation agency. We cannot advise on making changes after your company is formed or any other matters of corporate administration.

If your question is not answered below you should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.
  1. How can I change the company name after incorporation?

  2. How can I change the Registered Office address after incorporation?

  3. How do I change Directors or Company Secretary or change their address or other details after incorporation?

  4. How do I convert a Limited company to a PLC?

  5. I don't want a Limited company any more, what should I do?

  6. Taxation and registering for VAT

If your question is not answered above you should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.

 

 

 

A
Before you form your company and requirements for a UK company
  1. Should my business be a Limited company or a non-incorporated business?
    The owners of a Limited company can pay themselves dividends from the profits, which is more tax efficient than income drawn as a salary. This option is not open to a non-incorporated business. A Limited company can be perceived as having a more official business status. If a Limited company fails, the assets of the owners are more protected through limited liability. A Limited company has the responsibility to file documents and accounts with the official companies registry, Companies House. A non-incorporated business does not have this responsibility. A Limited company may require annual audited accounts to be prepared for Companies House, whereas a non-incorporated business does not, however a non-incorporated business may still require the services of an accountant in order to prepare accounts for personal tax purposes. We cannot provide any further specific advise on these matters and you should consult a qualified accountant and solicitor with any questions relevant to your specific circumstances and objectives.

  2. Choosing a name for your company
    You can choose a company name that is not already being used by another live company. The name cannot breach Companies House guidelines and cannot be sensitive or likely to cause offence. There are some words that are not allowed in a company name without approval from Companies House, if you include any of these words your application may be rejected. Please click here for information on these words Companies House. If you choose a company name which is very close to a name already on the register with a live company, then you may find yourself being forced to change the name of your company. An existing company can appeal within the first 12 months of your incorporation, if they feel that your company name is too similar to their company name and could cause confusion or infringe on their business. Please click here if you want to check if a name is already being used by a live company at Companies House name check.

  3. How many people are needed to start a Limited company?
    A minimum of 1 person is required to form a Limited company. It is no longer required for a Limited company to have a Company Secretary and this position is optional.

  4. Who can be a company director and Company Secretary?
    There is no minimum age limit in the Companies Act for a director to be appointed in England and Wales. However, he or she must be able to consent to their own appointment. In Scotland the director must be over 16. You do not have to be a British national or resident in the United Kingdom. The main restrictions which would prevent someone becoming a director are disqualification by a Court from acting as a company director except where the person has been granted specific permission to act for a particular company by a Court. A person who is currently a Bankrupt cannot be a director, again except with permission of a Court. A Company Secretary is no longer required for a Limited company. Appointing a Company Secretary is now optional. The Company Secretary does not need any special qualifications and can be anyone who is able and willing to accept official correspondence addressed to them at the Registered Office address and deal with it as appropriate.

  5. Can directors and shareholders be any nationality or be outside the UK?
    Yes, directors and shareholders do not have to be British or living in the United Kingdom.

  6. What is a Registered Office?
    Every company within England & Wales requires a Registered Office in either of these countries. A limited company in Scotland or Northern Ireland must have a Registered office in these respective countries. You can use your home address as a Registered Office but you should check any tax implications with an accountant in case the Inland Revenue may deem your home to have contributed to the business and could therefore apply a capital gains charge.

    7.
  7. Can you guarantee the day my company will be incorporated?
    Your application to form a Limited company will be processed automatically as soon as you have made your online payment. After that our system instantly transmits the full application electronically to Companies House. Companies House then process the request, and in most cases the company will be incorporated in around 4 working hours. No company formation service can make guarantees on behalf of Companies House, but there is no reason to anticipate any significant delay providing you have completed all the information on your application correctly. The most common reason for a delay is Companies House rejecting an application because the company name chosen is already in use by another company. If you check that the name you want to use is available before you submit your application, you will remove the most common reason for company formations being delayed. Please see the FAQ about choosing a name for your company.

B
About our company formation process
  1. How long will it take to form a company?
    Once you have paid for and submitted your application, it is automatically transmitted to Companies House. The time taken will then depend upon the number of applications Companies House are handling on that day. Typically 4-5 working hours is normal. Please note that working hours are normal office hours and if your application is submitted in the afternoon it may be the next working day before it is completed. The most common reason for delay is when you have failed to use the Companies House name check before choosing the name of your company and the company name is not available.

  2. Can you guarantee the day my company will be incorporated?
    Your application to form a Limited company will be processed automatically as soon as you have made your online payment. After that our system instantly transmits the full application electronically to Companies House. Companies House then process the request, and in most cases the company will be incorporated in around 4 working hours. No company formation service can make guarantees on behalf of Companies House, but there is no reason to anticipate any significant delay providing you have completed all the information on your application correctly. The most common reason for a delay is Companies House rejecting an application because the company name chosen is already in use by another company. If you check that the name you want to use is available before you submit your application, you will remove the most common reason for company formations being delayed. Please see the FAQ about choosing a name for your company.

  3. How do the documents get sent to me?
    This will depend on which service you have ordered. Please go to the page on this website where you would start your formation process or login, and you will see a list of the services offered and details of how the documents will be sent. Documents are emailed to the email address you give when setting up the account, and posted documents go to the address you provide for your new company.

  4. What is the status of my application?
    When you start your application you are asked to enter an email address and a password. To check the status of your application please use them by clicking here to Login.

    ACTIVE
    You are still entering information and completing the the application process.
    Please Note: If you have paid and received confirmation from PayPal that your payment was successful, then this status will change to PAID within 1 hour of payment during business hours (Monday-Friday 09.00 - 17:00 excluding Public Holidays). If your application continues to show as ACTIVE more than 1 hour after payment during business hours then please click here.

    PAID
    You have entered all the information and have paid. Your application will automatically be submitted to Companies House and the status will shortly change to PENDING.

    PENDING
    Your application has been submitted to Companies House and is now being processed by them. Companies House operate during normal UK working hours.

    PARKED
    Companies House have rejected your application because the name you have chosen has not been accepted or other information you have entered is incomplete. The most common reason for rejection is when you have failed to use the Companies House name check before choosing the name of your company and the company name is not available, or your name included a word which can only be included in a company name subject to certain conditions being met, for a list of such words please click here to see information provided by Companies House. You should use the name check facility and choose another name. If your application is PARKED we will have emailed you to tell you the problem. You should Login to your account and amend your application. After amending your application please click here to resubmit it.

    COMPLETED
    Your company has been formed and you have been emailed your Certificate of Incorporation. If you have ordered other services these will now be processed and will be sent to you by post in around 5-7 working days.

  5. I have a problem or question about making my payment with PayPal
    If you have had a problem or query making your payment online using PayPal please click here.

  6. What should I do if my application has been rejected?
    If your application is PARKED we will have emailed you to tell you the problem. If the name you have chosen for your company has been rejected you should choose another name and use the Companies House name check to make sure it is available. An application can also be rejected if your company name had a word which can only be included in a company name subject to certain conditions being met, for a list of such words please click here to see information provided by Companies House.
    To resubmit your application you should Login to your account and amend your application. After amending your application please click here to resubmit it.

  7. How do I change any information in my application?
    You can only make changes to your application if the status of your application shows as ACTIVE or PARKED. Please see the question about application status for more information about this. If the application status shows as PAID or PENDING the process has already started and information cannot be changed. To check the status of your application and if possible amend any information in your application you need to Login to your account. If you receive an email telling you that your application has been rejected and asking you to make changes your application will show as PARKED and you can Login to your account to make the changes necessary.

  8. Can I cancel my application and can fees be refunded?
    Unfortunately not. Once you have paid your application is automatically submitted. The only possibility of cancelling your application to form a company once you have submitted it, is if Companies House finds a problem with your application and rejects it. You can then decide whether you wish to resubmit the application or not. However we cannot refund fees as we have already made the application regardless of whether or not Companies House rejects it. Please see our Terms of Use for more information on this point.

  9. I have not received an emailed (Digital) Certificate of Incorporation or other documents
    Depending upon the service you ordered, some documents are sent by email (Digital) and some are sent by 1st class post.
    To remind yourself of the package types and which one you ordered click here to see the service options.
    Email documents (Digital) should arrive as soon as the Status of your application shows as COMPLETED - to check the Status of your application please click here to Login.
    At the start of your application you entered an email address and a password. Our system automatically emails the Digital documents to that email address. To confirm which email address you entered, try logging in to your account Login. Also check your Junk email folders as emails are sometimes sent to spam folders. You may need to ask your email system administrators to check that the email has not been filtered out before reaching your email Inbox. If you definitely have not received the emailed (Digital) documents, please click here.

  10. I have not received documents by post
    Depending upon the service you ordered, some documents are sent by email (Digital) and some are sent by 1st class post. To remind yourself of the package types and which one you ordered click here to see the service options. Documents by post should arrive within 7 days. If your package includes documents by 1st class post and you have not received them, please click here.

  11. How do I login to my account?
    At the start of your application we ask you to enter an email address and a password. Click here to use them to Login.

  12. I've forgotten my login details
    Please click here if you have forgotten your login details.

  13. I can login but I cannot amend my application
    If you can login and your application Status shows PENDING this means the Registry of Companies has already started the incorporation process. We cannot stop this process once you have submitted. If your application is successful your incorporation documents will be emailed in a few hours. If your application is rejected, then you will be emailed and you will be able to login to your account again to make any changes required. To see which stage your application has reached please click here to Login.

  14. I know my login details but I still can't login
    If you have already asked us to email you your login details and you have tried again and still cannot login then please click here.

  15. Companies House name check does not show my new company
    If your date of incorporation is today, it will not be until the next working day that your new company will show on the online name search. Companies House update their public records overnight.

  16. I need an original Certificate of Incorporation
    The majority of all new company incorporations are now done online using E-Filing. Unfortunately some bank staff do not yet understand the process properly. With the new E-Filing Companies House do not issue a hard copy Certificate of Incorporation, instead the new method is to issue an encrypted PDF Certificate of Incorporation. This PDF is emailed to you after your company is formed. This PDF document is the original certificate. If you need to have a hard copy Companies House state that the PDF certificate should be printed on to 160gram Ivory card paper. This card can be purchased from most good stationery stores. You can print the Certificate yourself using a normal desk top printer connected to your PC.

  17. My bank wants original documents
    We do not provide 288 forms. If you are asked for 228 forms please advise your bank as follows. Form 288A is to appoint a new director/secretary, 288B is for resignation of previous director/secretary, and 288C is to change particulars of a director/secretary. These forms are effectively redundant for an electronic incorporation. These forms would only be used if you were to buy a company off the shelf and then needed to change the company officers. But with our service you are incorporating a totally new company, and you have appointed the directors/secretary at the time of incorporation so no changes using any 288 forms are needed. For information about the Certificate of Incorporation please refer to the question about the Certificate of Incorporation.

  18. I'm using your London Registered Office address service - how do I contact it?
    We offer the choice to use a prestigious London address as your Registered Office. If you choose this option, after you form your company they will email you to ask where you would like your mail forwarded to. If you have any questions you can contact the office directly on telephone number +44 (0)207 887 4566. This office does not handle company formations so please do not telephone this number with enquiries about your company formation, they will not be able to help.

C
After your company has been incorporated
  1. I'm using your London Registered Office address service - how do I contact it?
    We offer the choice to use a prestigious London address as your Registered Office. If you choose this option, after you form your company they will email you to ask where you would like your mail forwarded to. If you have any questions you can contact the office directly on telephone number +44 (0)207 887 4566. This office does not handle company formations so please do not telephone this number with enquiries about your company formation, they will not be able to help.

  2. What should I do with the Share Certificate?
    Do not send the Share Certificate to us or to Companies House. A Share Certificate should be signed by the Company Secretary if the company has one, and a Director. Enter the amount paid per share for any money actually paid to the company for shares by the shareholders. The Share Certificate can then be given to the person that paid the money and owns the shares. In many companies the Directors are also the shareholders.

  3. How do I contact Companies House the UK Registrar of Companies?
    The address for the official registry of companies is as follows:
    Companies House
    Crown Way
    Maindy
    Cardiff
    CF14 3UZ
    The telephone number is: +44 (0)870 333 3636
    The web site is: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk

  4. Companies House name check does not show my new company
    If your date of incorporation is today, it will not be until the next working day that your new company will show on the online name search. Companies House update their public records overnight.

  5. I need an original Certificate of Incorporation
    The majority of all new company incorporations are now done online using E-Filing. Unfortunately some bank staff do not yet understand the process properly. With the new E-Filing Companies House do not issue a hard copy Certificate of Incorporation, instead the new method is to issue an encrypted PDF Certificate of Incorporation. This PDF is emailed to you after your company is formed. This PDF document is the original certificate. If you need to have a hard copy Companies House state that the PDF certificate should be printed on to 160gram Ivory card paper. This card can be purchased from most good stationery stores. You can print the Certificate yourself using a normal desk top printer connected to your PC.

  6. My bank wants original documents
    We do not provide 288 forms. If you are asked for 228 forms please advise your bank as follows. Form 288A is to appoint a new director/secretary, 288B is for resignation of previous director/secretary, and 288C is to change particulars of a director/secretary. These forms are effectively redundant for an electronic incorporation. These forms would only be used if you were to buy a company off the shelf and then needed to change the company officers. But with our service you are incorporating a totally new company, and you have appointed the directors/secretary at the time of incorporation so no changes using any 288 forms are needed. For information about the Certificate of Incorporation please refer to the question about the Certificate of Incorporation.

D
Making changes after incorporation
We are a commercial company formation agency. We cannot advise on making changes after your company is formed or any other matters of corporate administration.

If your question is not answered below you should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.
  1. How can I change the company name after incorporation?
    You should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.

  2. How can I change the Registered Office address after incorporation?
    You should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.

  3. How do I change Directors or Company Secretary or change their address or other details after incorporation?
    You should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.

  4. How do I convert a Limited company to a PLC?
    We cannot assist with this process as we only handle formations. In order to change from a Limited company to a PLC you should consult an accountant who can explain the requirements and discuss the implications for your company.

  5. I don't want a Limited company any more, what should I do?
    We cannot advise on this. You should seek the advice of a UK accountant and ask how your company can be Dissolved or otherwise ceased.

  6. Taxation and registering for VAT
    We cannot advise on VAT or taxation. Please consult a qualified accountant.

If your question is not answered above you should visit the web site of the official UK Registry of Companies Companies House.

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