We Live in Interesting Times
An interesting fact came to light recently, of which I was not previously aware, whilst I was carrying out my UK company formation. Namely, the nationality of the company secretary and the way in which Companies House defaults any value entered to British.
There I was having made payment and happily continuing the company registration process, appointing my directors and secretary and subscribers. When I came to enter my secretary’s details the system insisted that I enter the occupation and nationality of the person I had chosen.
Not My First Time Registering a Company
This was not my first time registering a UK company, so I was a little surprised that these fields were mandatory when, in my previous endeavours with other UK company formation agents, the option of entering these details for a company secretary were never offered.
Anyway, I did what I was told and complied with the system’s request to specify that my company secretary was a senior manager of a domain registration agent and that her nationality was Portuguese.
Reasonably confident that my company formation application was now completed; I clicked on the “send” button and watched as the screen changed and then state that my company registration application was on its way to Companies House.
The company set-up was completed within four hours and I received the expected conformations back both from the company formation agent and from Companies House.
Surprise at the Bank
A week later we went to open a bank account (a process I always find laborious at the best of times) and after being in the bank for 15 minutes, waiting with our completed application forms and identification, were told that there was an inconsistency in our banking forms.
Believing that we had made a “typo”, we enquired what that was. To our surprise we were told that the company secretary’s passport showed that she was a Portuguese citizen whilst her information at Companies House stated that she was British.
I tried to explain to the banking clerk but you can guess how that went.
Find Another Company Formation Agent
The moral of the story, when completing an incorporation application and you see boxes for secretary’s occupation and nationality, ignore these items. If the company registration system insists that you put this information in, find another formation agent.
Chris Pullman. UK
