Companies House is an official government agency that belongs to the Department for Business and Trade. Its main job is to keep a giant, public list of every limited company in the UK—which currently includes more than 5 million businesses.
What Do They Actually Do?
Think of Companies House as the "Registrar" for businesses. Their daily work includes:
- Starting and Closing Companies: They are responsible for incorporating (starting) new companies and dissolving (closing) them when they stop trading.
- The Public Library of Business: They collect information about companies and make it available for anyone to see for free online. This includes searching for a company’s history or seeing who is in charge.
- Checking the "Homework": Every year, companies must send in reports like annual accounts (financial details) and a confirmation statement (an update on company details).
- Identity Checks: They have a new system to verify the identity of people running businesses to make sure they are who they say they are.
Why Does It Exist?
The big goal is transparency. By making company information public, Companies House helps:
- Build Trust: It gives people and other businesses the confidence to trade or invest because they can check if a company is real and honest.
- Stop Crime: It makes it much harder for criminals to use fake companies to hide money or commit fraud, which helps disrupt economic crime.
Who Needs to Register?
Registration isn't just for everyone; it’s specifically for:
- Limited Companies: Any business set up as a "limited" entity in the UK must register.
- Overseas Entities: If a company from another country wants to buy, sell, or transfer land in the UK, they must join the Register of Overseas Entities.
- The Bosses (Directors and PSCs): Anyone who is a company director or a Person with Significant Control (PSC)—someone who owns more than 25% of the shares or voting rights—must be listed.
Important Rules to Know
Running a company comes with serious responsibilities:
- Identity Verification: Starting November 18, 2025, all directors and PSCs must verify their identity using a biometric passport, UK driving licence, or other official ID.
- Real Addresses Only: A company must have an appropriate registered office address that is a physical location in the UK; you can no longer use a simple PO Box.
- Email Access: You must provide a registered email address so Companies House can contact you officially.
- The Cost of Doing Business: There are statutory fees for many services; for example, it generally costs £100 to incorporate a company online.
- Consequences: If directors don’t follow the rules or fail to file their accounts on time, they can be fined, prosecuted, or even banned from running a company.
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