Company formation and secretarial
Company formation and secretarial support
Forming a UK company involves more than submitting a name to Companies House. The choices made at incorporation, from share structure to registered office, shape the company's obligations for years.
See what incorporation involvesIncorporation
Name check, officers, share structure and the filing with Companies House.
Registered office
The public address for statutory post, separate from where you trade.
Secretarial upkeep
Confirmation statements, statutory registers and changes filed on time.
What incorporation actually involves
What we need from you
- A company name, checked against the register before we file
- At least one director and a service address for each officer
- A registered office address in the UK
- A statement of capital and details of people with significant control
- Identity documents and proof of address for verification
To register a company with Companies House you need a company name, at least one director, a registered office address in the UK, a service address for each officer, a statement of capital, and details of people with significant control. The memorandum and articles of association set out how the company is governed, and most incorporations use the standard model articles. We check the name against the register, prepare the documents, and file.
Memorandum and articles
The governing document for the company. Standard model articles suit most private companies limited by shares; we tell you when a bespoke set is worth the extra work.
People with significant control
Anyone holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights is recorded on the public register. Get the detail right at the start and later filings stay simple.
Statement of capital
Sets out the shares issued, their nominal value and the rights attached. It is the reference point for every later share transfer or new class.
Filing with Companies House
We assemble the incorporation documents, submit them, and confirm the certificate and company number once the register updates.
Registered office versus trading address
The registered office is the official address on the public register, and it's where statutory correspondence is sent. The trading address is wherever the business actually operates. They can be the same, but many directors keep them separate so a home address doesn't appear publicly. A service address for directors works on the same principle.
Directors often ask what actually arrives at the registered office. In practice it is Companies House and HMRC correspondence, statutory notices, and anything served formally on the company. Day-to-day trading post goes to the trading address. Keeping the two apart means your home address stays off the public record while nothing official goes missing.
Choosing where each address points
Registered office
Appears on the public register. Used for statutory correspondence and service of documents.
Trading address
Where the business operates day to day. Not published unless you choose to publish it.
Service address
One per officer and per person with significant control. Kept separate from a home address.
Officer details, share allocations and addresses are prepared as one pack before anything is filed.
Identity verification is now part of the process
Companies House requires directors, people with significant control and anyone filing on the company's behalf to be verified before or at the point of filing.
Identity verification and ACSPs
Companies House now requires identity verification for directors, people with significant control, and those filing on a company's behalf. Authorised Corporate Service Providers, known as ACSPs, can verify identities and file on behalf of clients. The practical effect for a director is that you'll be asked for identity documents and proof of address as part of the incorporation process, not as an afterthought.
What to have ready
A current passport or driving licence, plus a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your residential address. Documents need to be in date and legible.
Who gets verified
Every director, every person with significant control, and the person filing on the company's behalf. Verification is a one-off step per identity, not a repeat filing.
Confirmation statements and annual filings
Once a company exists, a confirmation statement is due at least once every 12 months. It confirms that the information on the register is still accurate: directors, shareholders, share capital, and the registered office. Changes between statements, such as appointing a director or issuing shares, have to be filed separately and often within a set number of days.
A confirmation statement is not an annual account, and treating the two as one filing is a common mistake. The statement confirms the register; the accounts report the numbers. Both have their own deadlines, and missing either one carries its own consequence.
Every 12 months
At least one confirmation statement per year, confirming directors, shareholders, share capital and registered office.
Changes filed separately
Appointments, resignations, share issues and address moves each have their own filing route and deadline.
Late filing matters
An inaccurate public record creates friction later, particularly during finance applications and due diligence.
Registers are internal records, kept accurate
Members, directors, secretaries where appointed, and charges. We set them up at incorporation and update them as the company changes.
Statutory registers and record keeping
A UK company is expected to maintain statutory registers covering members, directors, secretaries where appointed, and charges. These are internal records rather than filings, but they need to be accurate and available for inspection. We set them up at incorporation and keep them updated as the company changes.
Because they are not filed, statutory registers are easy to forget until someone asks to see them. Share transfers, new share classes and officer changes all need to be reflected in the register as well as notified to Companies House, and the two records should never drift apart.
Registers we maintain
- Register of members and share transfers
- Register of directors and secretaries
- Register of people with significant control
- Register of charges and mortgages
Each structural change has its own filing route and its own deadline on the register.
Changing structure after incorporation
Companies evolve. Directors resign, shares are transferred, new share classes are created, the registered office moves, or the company name changes. Each of these has a filing route and a deadline. Handling them late can lead to penalties or an inaccurate public record, which matters if you're applying for finance or going through due diligence.
Officer changes
Appointments and resignations are notified to Companies House and reflected in the statutory registers at the same time.
Share transfers and new classes
Transfers, allotments and new share classes need a stock transfer form, board minutes and a register update.
Registered office moves
A change of registered office is filed with Companies House and takes effect once the register is updated.
Company name changes
A new name needs a check against the register, a members' resolution, and the filing to make it official.
Forming more than one company
Some clients incorporate a holding company alongside a trading company, or set up separate entities for different activities. That structure has advantages for tax planning and risk separation, but it also multiplies the filing obligations. We'll explain what each additional company adds to the compliance workload before you commit to it.
What it can help with
Separating trading risk from assets, and keeping different activities under their own accounts.
What it adds
A second confirmation statement, a second set of accounts, and its own statutory registers.
Working with your existing advisers
If you already have an accountant or solicitor, we can handle the formation and secretarial work while they continue with what they do. Nothing about our process requires you to move other services across. Where there's overlap, we'll coordinate directly so you're not relaying information between firms.
That matters most in the first weeks, when the incorporation documents, the opening share structure and the first accounting period all have to line up. We work to the same deadlines your existing advisers are already watching.
Where Crownfield fits in
- We prepare and file the incorporation, then keep the secretarial side current.
- Your accountant or solicitor stays in place on the work they already handle.
- Overlapping points are coordinated directly between firms, not through you.
Questions directors ask before they incorporate
How long does it take to register a company with Companies House?
Once the name is checked, the documents are prepared and identities are verified, the filing itself is usually the quick part. The time that matters is spent before submission, making sure the share structure, addresses and officer details are right the first time.
Can I use my home address as the registered office?
You can, but it becomes part of the public record and stays there for as long as it is the registered office. Many directors use a separate registered office address so a home address does not appear on the register, and a service address for the same reason.
What is a confirmation statement and how often is it due?
A confirmation statement confirms that the register is still accurate. It is due at least once every 12 months, and it is separate from your annual accounts. Changes between statements, such as a director appointment or a share issue, are filed on their own.
Do I need to keep statutory registers if they are not filed?
Yes. Statutory registers are internal records rather than filings, but a UK company is expected to maintain them and make them available for inspection. We set them up at incorporation and update them as directors, shares and charges change.
What changes need to be filed after the company is formed?
Director appointments and resignations, share transfers and allotments, new share classes, a change of registered office and a change of company name. Each has its own filing route and deadline, and several are easy to miss because they are not part of the annual cycle.
Next step
Tell us about the company you want to form
Bring the name you have in mind, the people who will be directors, and how you want the shares held. We will confirm what is needed, what the register will show, and which ongoing filings apply to your structure. If you are still deciding between a trading company and a holding company, that conversation comes first.
Crownfield Limited is registered in England and Wales (No. 16239480). We work with businesses across Reading and the wider UK, and you can reach us Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Reach the team
50 Victoria Avenue, Caversham, Reading, England
756905136 [email protected]Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM