Running a limited company: your responsibilities
Company information you must report
You must report certain information to Companies House.
Reporting directors and company secretaries
You must tell Companies House who the directors and company secretaries are within your company.
You must tell Companies House within 14 days if there are changes to:
- directors or their personal details, like their address
- company secretaries (appointing a new one or ending an existing one’s appointment)
Reporting ‘people with significant control’
You must identify the ‘people with significant control’ (PSC) within your company and tell Companies House who they are.
A PSC is anyone who:
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has more than 25% shares or voting rights in your company
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can appoint or remove a majority of directors
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can influence or control your company or trust
You still need to tell Companies House if there are no PSCs or if you cannot identify who they are.
Read more guidance about ‘people with significant control’ if your company’s ownership and control is not simple.
If there are changes
You must tell Companies House within 14 days if there are changes to:
- ‘people with significant control’
- their personal details like a new address
Changing your company’s registered office address
You must tell Companies House if you want to change your company’s registered office address. If the change is approved, they will tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Your company’s new registered office address must be in the same part of the UK that the company was registered (incorporated).
For example, if your company was registered in England and Wales, the new registered office address must be in England or Wales.
Your address will not officially change until Companies House has registered it.
Changing your company’s registered email address
There’s a different process if you need to change your company’s registered email address.
Other changes you must report
You must tell HMRC if:
- your business’ contact details change - for example, your name, gender, business name or your personal or trading address
- you appoint an accountant or tax adviser
You must tell Companies House:
- within 14 days if you make changes to the address where you keep your records, and which records you keep there
- within a month if you issue more shares in your company
How to report changes to Companies House
You can:
- use the Companies House online service
- fill in and send paper forms
You must update your registered email address separately.
Changes that shareholders must approve
You may need to get shareholders to vote on the decision if you want to:
- change the company name
- remove a director
- change the company’s articles of association
This is called ‘passing a resolution’. Most resolutions will need a majority to agree (called an ‘ordinary resolution’). Some might require a 75% majority (called a ‘special resolution’).
Companies House has more details about the types of changes and resolutions you must report to them.
Your new company name will not take effect until it’s registered by Companies House - they’ll tell you when this happens.
Shareholder voting
When you’re working out whether you have a majority, count the number of shares that give the owner the right to vote, rather than the number of shareholders.
You do not necessarily need to have a meeting of shareholders to pass a resolution. If the right amount of shareholders have told you they agree, you can confirm the resolution in writing. But you must write to all shareholders letting them know about the decision.