Apply for a repayment after restoration of a company (RA15)
How to reclaim bona vacantia after a dissolved company is restored to the register.
Applies to England and Wales
Overview
When a company has been restored to the register, an application can be made to release any cash assets that were passed to or collected by the Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) of the Treasury Solicitor at the date of dissolution.
The RA15 application allows the relevant person(s) to apply for repayment to be made to the restored company or a third party.
Please note that BVD cannot advise on the process of restoring the company to the Register. For more information on how to restore a company to the register, you can consult the Companies House guidance on restoring a dissolved company. https://www.gov.uk/restore-dissolved-company
The processing time for an application is up to 20 working days from the date of receipt of a complete and correct application.
Who can apply
You must be one of the following in order to be eligible to apply for a repayment:
- Company Director
- Company Secretary
- Creditor
- Insolvency Practitioner
- Liquidator
When to apply
You can only apply for a repayment once the company has been restored to the Register of Companies. If you want to find out more about company restorations, you can refer to the Companies House guidance https://www.gov.uk/restore-dissolved-company.
A repayment can only take place once a third party, such as a bank, has referred the assets of the dissolved company to BVD.
If you are unsure, please check that a referral has taken place prior to starting an application.
What it will cost
There are no charges or fee deductions for this application.
How to apply
You will need to submit the following documents as part of your application:
- A completed RA15 application
- A copy of the court order restoring the company or in case of an administrative restoration, an RT01 confirmation letter from Companies House
- A completed Payment Authority form, only required where a repayment is being made to a third party, for example a personal account or an entity other than the restored company
- If applicable, proofs of identity as per the requirements detailed below
Identification Requirements
Where the amount being repaid is less than £10,000
Generally BVD will not require proof of identity unless a third party payment is required.
In circumstances where a repayment to an account other than that of the restored company is requested, you will need to provide two proofs of identity to support your application:
- A certified copy of ID proving your name (e.g. Passport)
- A certified copy of ID proving your residential address (e.g. Utilities bill or bank statement no more than 3 months old)
If there is more than 1 officer of the company, each officer must complete and sign the payment authority and submit certified copies of their proof of identity documents. For instance, if a company has 2 officers, both are required to sign the Payment Authority form. Please do NOT send original identity documents to this office.
In circumstances where the Payment Authority is being signed by a separate company, the proof of identity requirement will apply. Please consult the “Companies and other Legal Structures” section in the Proof of Identity Checklist. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proof-of-identity-checklist
Where the amount being repaid is more than £10,000
Your application will automatically be subject to anti-money laundering checks. The identity requirements will therefore apply for:
- The person who signs the RA15
- The majority of company officers
- Shareholders who hold 25% of or more of the shares in the restored company
If one of the Shareholders holding 25% or more is a company, proof of identity will be required for that company. Please consult the “Companies and other Legal Structures” section in the Proof of Identity Checklist. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proof-of-identity-checklist
Please note that anti-money laundering checks will apply regardless of whether the repayment is to be made payable to the company or a third party.
Certification
Prior to submitting your proofs of ID, they will need to be certified as being true copies.
If you live in the UK, this can be done either by:
- Document Certification Service provided by the Post Office
- A practising Solicitor
The person certifying the documents must sign and date them and must state their full name, business name, business address, and their status.
If you live outside of the UK:
- A Notary Public registered in your country of residence
- A British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission
- Courts or Justice Ministry services in your country of residence
Translation
If you are supplying certificates and identity documents in languages other than English please note that BVD reserve the right to request a certified English translation of each document.
RA15 Application & Payment Authority Forms
The RA15 application comprises of two parts, an application form (RA15) along with a Payment Authority (PA). Please note that the Payment Authority must be completed if the repayment is to be made to a third party, which is an account other than the restored company. In circumstances where the majority of company officers are required, Payment Authority forms will have to be completed and signed respectively.
Submit
Applications should be submitted to BVD electronically. Please send your applications together with the certified copies of identity documents as PDF or JPG attachments by email to the following address: submit.ra15@governmentlegal.gov.uk
Contact and Enquires
Bona Vacantia - Cash Balance
Government Legal Department (BVD)
1 Ruskin Square
Croydon
CR0 2WF
Email bvcbt@governmentlegal.gov.uk
Switchboard 020 7210 4700
Please use this email address for all enquiries relating to the cash assets of dissolved companies.
Select option 1 for Cash Balance Team
Last updated 22 March 2024 + show all updates
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Updated department address.
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Updated document certification requirements.
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Clarification of the acceptable formats for ID documents.
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Clarification of required (certified) documentation.
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Minor adjustment to the application criteria.
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Amendment to submission content.
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Minor amendment to application form
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Update to the RA15 + Payment Authority application form
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Essential amendments to current guidance and associated forms
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Amendment to the application of a repayment after restoration of a company (CB4) process.
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Change to format on payment authority form.
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Update to RA15 repaying funds to restored companies form and payment authority form.
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Change to contact details for submitting form.
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Revision to the wording about requirements for identity documents where the repayment exceeds £10,000.
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First published.