From 4 March 2024, Companies House will be implementing changes to the information that a company must keep on the register.
Companies need to confirm an active email address, PO boxes will no longer be acknowledged as registered office addresses and affirm lawful activities.
Michael Lea in Wake Smith’s company commercial team looks at the changes.
Email address
Companies will be required to file an email address with Companies House. The email address must be monitored and will only be considered appropriate if emails sent to that address come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company. One email address may be used for multiple companies and there is no prescribed format in which it must appear.
Newly incorporated companies will have to file an email address on incorporation, and existing companies must file one with their next confirmation statement.
Registered address
PO Box addresses will no longer be acceptable as registered office addresses. The new rules require that any documents being sent to a registered office must come to a person acting on behalf of the company and that the delivery can be recorded.
Any inappropriate registered office addresses will need to be changed immediately and if Companies House considers that a registered office address is inappropriate, they can change the address to a default address at Companies House. Companies will then have 28 days to supply an appropriate address or Companies House may begin the process to strike the company from the register.
Lawful Purpose Statement
Companies will be required to file Lawful Purpose Statements to state that the company’s intended future activities will be lawful.
For companies incorporated after 4 March 2024 the shareholders will be required to submit a Lawful Purpose Statement on incorporation, and for existing companies the Lawful Purpose Statement will be part of their next confirmation statement.
Your next move?
For further information on complying with business regulations please contact Michael Lea at [email protected], or call 0114 224 2073. Alternatively click the 'contact us' button to submit an online enquiry.
