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Companies House lookup -introduction
As a UK contracting professional, there may be certain times when you will perform a Companies House lookup or UK Companies House search. Basically, one can perform a UK company lookup or UK company search at any time one chooses. Basically, the UK Companies House register is a list of all UK companies, and within each company’s profile, there’s various Companies House data which is available. Indeed, the Companies House list of companies is a UK business register and is available online on the UK Public Register of Companies. Companies House maintain this limited companies register (UK) and the official CH body is one of the UK public authorities.
There are various reasons why someone may have to do a search and find company information (UK) for a particular business. Therefore, the Companies House service is very useful for a company look up in this respect. In addition, although only basic details are available, you can see who the directors are and who controls the company, along with other formal information.
Initial thoughts
What to think about first
When you set up a new contracting company you may ask, do I need to register my company with Companies House.? Yes, is answer as Companies House will perform this process for you. What’s more, if you are looking to register my business name with Companies House you’ll do this via their online service. Thousands of people in the UK use the official UK Companies House to register companies each day.
Nowadays, you can register a company with Companies House online via their website. In fact, today, most new companies register with Companies House online. However, when you register a company in the UK, the new limited company can still be set up through the post, although this is more expensive. Indeed, when you use the online service for new Companies House registrations the turnaround time when you register a company (UK) is much quicker.
Companies House bodies & the official UK company register
As a UK contractor, when you set up your new contractor limited company, its registered office address must be in the same part of the country where it’s incorporated. Therefore, there’s different UK bodies with different official addresses for:
- Companies House England and Wales.
- Companies House Scotland.
- Companies House Northern Ireland.
However, the main UK Companies House register contains company information from all these parts of the UK.
There are hundreds of thousands of companies on the Companies House list of companies. Indeed, this includes tens of thousands of UK contractors with their own company. Basically, if you need to find some information on a company, you can perform a Companies House lookup and view the public register of companies’ information index on the Companies House (ROC) official website.
Companies House filings
All UK companies have basic data on the official website and they can use the Companies House online filing service to make any necessary changes. Indeed, you can use the official CH website to register a new company (UK) and to close a company too. Therefore, in terms of the CH website and the official filing and updates, the service is generally used for:
- UK public company filings.
- UK private company filings. This includes any filings for limited company contractors.
When official filings are made, the public business register (UK) is updated for each individual company. Therefore, the company register (UK) is always as up to date as possible. Members of the public can access this online at any time and perform a Companies House search (UK).
Common questions
Here are a few common questions from business owners with regard to the Companies House website:
- How do you register for Companies House?
- How to register with Companies House (UK)?
- What information can you see on Companies House?
- How to search for a company?
- Can people see my details on Companies House?
- Can you see who has searched you on Companies House?
In this guide, we’ll look at the above and investigate how to view the public register of businesses online to view registered companies in the UK.
Use the Companies House search online service
Check company details
UK companies and individuals can use the service for a Companies House lookup. Indeed, there could be various reasons for a Companies House company search. When you do a Companies House company lookup (UK), the Companies House search by name is the main option. Consequently, below are examples of types of searches that one may perform as part of either a Companies House company check (UK) or a Companies House find a person check:
- Perform a Companies House name check or Companies House name search. When you do a registered company check (UK), you can search for words to see if they exist in another company’s name. When you register a new company, a Companies House business name check is essential as you cannot have the same or similar name as another UK company.
- Search company names (UK). Effectively, you can do a business lookup (UK) and search certain words when you do a Companies House check to see which names are already taken.
- Perform a search to find a company (Companies House). Indeed, you may look up company details for a particular business for an array of reasons. The search facility is very handy for this.
- Check Companies House for available company names. Again, when you search Companies House as part of a check company name (Companies House) search, you can check to see if a name is already taken.
- Perform a Companies House person search. Basically, from this Companies House people search, you can search and view Companies House people when searching for a particular name.
- Do a Companies House director search. You can search for a name for an existing director and view basic details.
- Perform a UK company check (Companies House). When performing a company search (UK), you can check their latest updates and filings.
Make official changes
In respect of any actions or changes, you may find-and-update Companies House for:
- To register a business name (UK).
- Update the company or director’s details.
- Change the company name (UK).
- Change the company year-end.
- Issue new shares.
- Close the company.
The official website shows the Companies House list of companies and within each company there is various company information. As mentioned, this is also known as the Companies House public register or Companies House list. In addition, this index of public register information is updated throughout the year whenever each UK company makes an update. Furthermore, Companies House adds new companies to the UK company register and periodically removes those that no longer exist.
Company updates and the information which is held on public record
The information that’ll need updating
Every limited company needs to send ROC information about:
- What it does in terms of trading activities.
- The annual filing of company accounts.
- The annual filing of the Confirmation Statement.
- Who controls the company -Persons with Significant Control (PSC).
- Personal information about the directors in charge and who runs the company.
A good accountant will take care of filing official documents for you as a limited company contractor, although this is officially part of a director’s duties.
What to consider with regard to the UK Companies House register
The first thing to consider before you set up a new company is which address you would like to use for your new business.
What’s more, when you incorporate a new business, company law, as stated in the Companies Act 2006, will require you to provide an address for each of these:
- The registered office address. Basically, this is the formal registered address is where the business will receive its official post.
- A service address for company officers. This address is where company officers (directors and secretary) are officially contactable.
- The usual residential address for the directors.
- A service address for PSCs. This stands for Person with Significant Control. Once again, this address is where PSCs are officially contactable.
- The usual residential address’ for PSCs.
- The usual residential address of the initial subscribers (shareholders).
As mentioned above, the Companies Act requires a company officer and PSCs to provide their residential address. In most cases, this’ll be their home address. However, they do not show the residential address on the public register.
Choose your registered office and service addresses
When you set up your company, if you choose to use your home address as either:
- Your service address; or
- Registered office.
…then it’ll always show as a part of UK Companies House search on the Companies House register. Importantly, this is also the case, even if you change it later. To sum up, you should carefully think about this before setting up your new company.
Most company formation agents, solicitors, and accountants often offer an address hosting service for a small fee or no fee in the case of a lot of accountants.
UK companies also need to keep and maintain statutory records. In most cases, your contractor accountant will do this for you.
Companies House lookup -further thoughts
What is the Companies House public register?
ROC’s public record is a list of all UK companies. For the benefit of limited liability status, a company must be open and transparent regarding certain aspects of its affairs. As a result, various details appear as part of the Companies House list of company names and the details are shown within each company profile.
Therefore, when you set up a new company, ROC will review and register specific information about the company. Consequently, this data is then made available to the public on Companies House records.
The collection of Companies House information is often known as the public record or public register (Companies House). Moreover, the Companies House details for each company are available online for the public and businesses to look up a company or do a Companies House person search. A person using this may need to do a quick Companies House lookup for some data or be looking to do some business with a company.
More details on the Companies House public register
During a company’s lifetime, Companies House expects you to always keep these details up to date. A company can make a change should this be required via the Companies House online filing service. Such a change could include a change of address or company official.
To sum up, a person who becomes a director or officer of a company must be ready to have some of their personal details show up on the public record.
Companies House retains all records of companies as long as they are active. The records of dissolved companies are also retained for 20 years before they are transferred to the Public Records Office at The National Archives (TNA). Notably, this includes all the information related to company directors or its officers. Therefore, once you have closed your company, Companies House will keep the details of your dissolved company for 20 years.
Why is a company not showing under Companies House?
All UK companies are required to register on Companies House. This means they’ll display on their official index. A company may not show up if it has only just been set up therefore give it a few hours or even a day. In addition, UK sole traders are not required to register with Companies House therefore you’ll not find their details on there.
The director’s details which show up on the Companies House public register
If you do a director check (Companies House), the five pieces of information that show up on the public record for all UK directors are:
- The name of the director.
- Their service address.
- One’s nationality.
- Their occupation.
- The month and year of your date of birth.
The details above are also shown online for PSCs, except for their nationality and occupation.
The director’s address and what you need to bear in mind
As we mentioned earlier, a director needs to provide two addresses, a service address and a residential address.
A service address is one that a director will receive official mail for the business. Moreover, this address can be the same as the registered office address or elsewhere.
The residential address is a director’s usual home address, and a director will need to inform ROC of this. However, this’ll not appear on the public record for all to see, as Companies House keeps this on a private register.
However, ROC may provide home address details to credit reference agencies and certain public bodies if there is a requirement to do so.
Therefore, if a director or PSC use their home address as their service address or the registered office address, it’ll appear on the UK company register.
To sum up, if you do not want your home address to show on the public record, you should show a different address from the outset. Indeed, your chosen address will then show your registered office and your director’s service address. The address you select could be that of your accountant, a service provider, or perhaps somewhere else.
An overall summary of the details on the UK public record
Companies House lookup -the main data which is shown
The types of Companies House data that the official ROC website displays online within each UK limited company on the Companies House list are as follows:
- The company’s name -please see here for how to change your company name.
- The date of incorporation.
- The address of the registered office.
- Names of the directors.
- Service address (s) of the directors.
- The month and year of birth of the directors.
- The nationality of the directors.
- Line of work of the directors.
All of the above Companies House data is available for members of the public and business people to view at any time they choose.
Further data
Some further data that is shown is:
- The name of the secretary.
- Service address of the secretary.
- The name of PSCs.
- Service address (s) of PSCs.
- The month and year of birth of the PSCs.
- The details of how the PSC controls the company.
- The nature of the business, i.e., the trading activity (s) (the SIC code signifies this).
- The details of any official documents filed. The Companies House records will include any annual accounts and Confirmation Statements. It’ll also include any changes to the company’s details. These details include the changes in directors, secretary, registered office, year-end, issue of new share capital, etc.
How can you change the details on the Companies House register?
The methods available to change or update the Companies House data
When a change needs filing with Companies House you can either:
- Submit a paper form.
- Make the change via the Companies House online filing service (this is by far the most popular option). This is also known as `WebFiling’. To access this, you’ll need to visit the Companies House website and complete the WebFiling registration.
What’ll you need to make the change?
If you use the Companies House online filing service you’ll need:
- An account with Companies House. When you register and create a new account with them, they’ll send you a code through the post to activate this.
- The company number and Companies House authentication code. When you first set up a new company, Companies House will post the authentication code to the company’s registered office.
How can you make the change?
When you need to find and update company information (UK) via the Companies House online filing service, such as your company registered office address or director or PSC address, or indeed any other changes, you can do so by these two methods:
- File a change via the Companies House online service.
- Update the change when you or your accountant file the annual Confirmation Statement. You can file most changes via this service, however, there are certain changes which may need filing separately.
What if you have a question that you cannot resolve
It could be the case that you need to make a change that you cannot find how to update on the official website. If this is so or you need Companies House advice for any other reason you can contact them. Therefore, the Companies House contact details are:
- WebFiling Service Desk: 0303 1234 500 or from outside the UK +44 (0)303 1234 500.
- Email: [email protected].
Final thoughts
It’s good to know that the UK Companies House Public Register is open and at hand for anyone to who wants to do a Companies House search (UK). The official register and list of limited companies (UK) is available for you to do a quick Companies House lookup, whenever the need arises. Basically, ROC cannot prevent any third parties from being able to find specific details on the UK company register. What’s more, the online website is also available for you register a company at Companies House online and this is a quick and fairly straightforward process. However, as we explain earlier, certain information for all UK companies is part of the public record. Therefore, if you want to hide your home address, please consider our advice above.
Finally, ROC does not actively index information from its search services. Furthermore, it’s also good to know that they do not have any features that make it easier for search engines to collect or save the Companies House data.
Link to Contractor Advice UK group on
