Guidance for limited companies, partnerships and other company types
Guidance about registering, filing and disclosing information with Companies House.
Online services
Find out about the benefits of our online filing services, and how to:
- send your information to Companies House online
- upload a document to Companies House
- sign up for email reminders
- send your information online using software
- get an authentication code to file online
Request to have your authentication code sent to your home address if you cannot access your company’s registered office.
Starting a company
Information and advice about:
- how to incorporate a limited company
- the type of company you wish to incorporate
- the company’s officers
- choosing a company name including controls and restrictions
- disclosure of company name and other information
Running a company
Information that UK companies need to file, including guidance on:
- directors and secretaries
- resolutions
- change of constitution
- share capital
- re-registration
- company records
Annual filings
Guidance about:
- the confirmation statement
- accounting reference dates
- accounting records
- types of accounts
People with significant control (PSCs)
Mortgage charges
How to:
- register a new charge at Companies House
- tell us about any you’ve paid off
- register as a lender to file charges online
- make an application to rectify a charge
Company strike off, dissolution and restoration
Information on:
- how a company can apply to be struck off
- when the registrar may strike off a company
- withdrawing a strike off application
- objecting to a company’s dissolution
- how to restore a company to the register
- how strike off and restoration notices are published in the Gazette
Protecting your personal information
Guidance about the public register, including:
- what the public record is
- what information we make available to the public for free
- how the public can access information
- how long your information remains publicly available
- how to restrict access to your information
This guidance will apply if you:
- are a director or LLP member that wants to restrict disclosure of your residential address
- are a person with significant control (PSC) that wants to restrict disclosure of your residential address
- are a PSC that wants to restrict disclosure of all your PSC information on the public register
- act as an adviser to a company, LLP, unlimited company or SE
- are seeking to suppress specified addresses from continuing to be published on the public register
Identity verification
Companies House is introducing a new identity verification process to help deter those wishing to use companies for illegal purposes.
Anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK will need to verify their identity to prove they are who they claim to be.
Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs)
Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a new requirement that will help us to know who’s filing information on the public register. ACSPs are also known as Companies House authorised agents.
An authorised agent can be a business (for example, a limited company or partnership), or a person who files on behalf of others (sole trader).
Registrar’s rules and powers
This guide outlines the powers of the registrar of companies as per Part 35 of the Companies Act 2006, which also applies to limited liability partnerships.
The guidance explains:
- the registrar’s powers which relate to the delivery of information
- the registrar’s powers to amend the register
- other registrar powers
Enforcement
How Companies House will take action to enforce the law when we identify non-compliance or breaches of the law.
We support business to comply with the law in a variety of ways. If businesses do not comply, we will consider enforcement options in line with our policy.
Where our guidance and support are not enough to encourage users to comply with the law or discourage misuse of our registers, we’ll use our enforcement powers:
- predictably
- consistently
- judiciously
- in line with our strategic objectives
Late filing penalties (LFP)
How an LFP will be imposed if your company accounts are not filed on time and how to appeal against an LFP.
The guidance explains:
- LFPs
- how to avoid an LFP
- what to do when an LFP has been imposed
- how to appeal an LFP
Liquidation and insolvency
This guidance provides a basic overview of insolvency and liquidation proceedings and summarises some of the rules that apply to:
- company voluntary arrangements
- moratoria
- administrations
- receivers
- voluntary liquidations
- compulsory liquidations
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
Limited partnerships (LPs)
This guide explains what you need to do if you’re:
- intending to register a limited partnership
- intending to be designated as a private fund limited partnership
- a limited or general partner of a limited partnership
- acting as an adviser to a limited partnership
It also contains guidance on PSCs for Scottish limited partnerships.
European and overseas companies
Some European entities formed under EU law can no longer be registered in the UK.
The filing requirements for a UK company or LLP with EEA corporate officers have changed. You must now provide the corporate officer’s:
- name
- registered (or principal) office address
- legal form and its governing law
- register and registration number (if applicable)
You can also file a paper form to:
Register of Overseas Entities
The Register of Overseas Entities came into force in the UK on 1 August 2022 through the new Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022.
Overseas entities who want to buy, sell or transfer property or land in the UK, must register with Companies House and tell us who their registrable beneficial owners or managing officers are.
Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
Inconsistencies
Guide to our official statistics
This guidance provides definitions for the main terms used in Companies House official statistics publications.
Webinars
Our live webinars are designed to provide you with quick and useful guidance on a range of topics, at a time and place of your choosing.
During the webinar, you can ask us questions using the on-screen text box. Our online team of experts will do their best to answer all your queries, or direct you to helpful guidance.
Updates to this page
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ACSPs can now tell Companies House they've verified someone's identity. Individuals can now verify their identity voluntarily.
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Guidance added for identity verification. New guidance for strike off, dissolution and restoration.
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You can apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent from Tuesday 18 March 2025.
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Enforcement policy and financial penalties guidance added to collection.
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Added video about changes to UK company law.
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File an overseas entity update statement added to ROE collection.
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Added ROE approach to enforcement.
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Find a UK-regulated agent added to the ROE group.
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New group created - Register of Overseas Entities
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The government has removed coronavirus (COVID‑19) domestic restrictions - guidance has been updated with any measures that remain in place.
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Users can contact Companies House using our British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service.
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Added section on accessibility support.
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Removed section on 'Brexit' and added information to section on 'European and overseas companies'.
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Updated following the end of Brexit transition. Removed cross border mergers, SE and EEIG guidance. Added UK societas and UKEIG guidance.
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Guidance added for changes from 1 January 2021.
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Collection of webinars added.
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Latest confirmation statement guidance added to collection.
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LLP accounts guidance added to collection.
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Collection title has changed.
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Nationalities added to guidance collection.
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Reference to PSC guidance for Scottish LPs added.
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Scottish partnerships PSC guidance and restricting disclosure of information added to the guidance collection.
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New confirmation statement video added.
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Link to confirmation statement video added to the page.
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Definitions to accompany our statistical releases guidance added to the guidance collection.
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Reordered titles and names following the implementation of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act
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Limited liability partnership registers added to LLP guidance collection
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Company registers guidance added to the company guidance collection
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LLP guidance for the confirmation statement added to the page
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Confirmation statement guidance added to the collection of guidance
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Rectification of charges added to the guidance
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Draft PSC guidance added to the collection
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New guidance added to collection: Company details on paper documents.
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Inconsistencies guidance added to collection
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First published.