Company Statutory Residence
A registered office is the statutory residence of a company. It is the address to which all official documents from Companies House, Revenue and Customs and the judicial system relating to the business will be sent.
Having a registered office is a legal requirement for all UK limited and unlimited companies. Sole traders and partnerships which are not governed by the Companies Act are not required to have registered office addresses.
A UK Company's Registered Office Address
A UK company can only have one registered office address at any one time. This is irrespective of how many business outlets it may operate and the number of countries it might have trading operations in.
A company's registered office has a completely separate and distinct meaning from any trading or business addresses it might have. These latter locations are places from which it carries on its operations.
It is permissible for a company to have its registered office address situated at the same location of one of its trading locations.
The situation of the registered office address is never assumed however and the company is required to specify to Companies House the exact postal address. This is initially done during the formation of the company and later on Form 287 in situations where the location is changed.
Registered Office in England, Wales or Scotland
To be a UK company, the registered office address must be situated in England, Wales or Scotland. In the case it being in the latter two countries, the entity will immediately be deemed to be a Scottish or Welsh company respectively. The location can be either residential or business premises but it can not be a PO Box unless the street name is also supplied.
Changing a Registered Office Address of a Company - Form 287
Changing a company's registered office address requires the completion of the Form 287. The form requires the following information to be completed:
- Company name
- Its official number
- The address of the new registered office
- A signature of a company director or secretary
Even after Form 287 has been received by Companies House and actioned by them, the old register office will still be a valid address for a short period after during which time statutory documents may still be sent.
Companies House accept electronic submissions for a change of registered office address. The details required as the same as with the paper Form 287 except that an online signature is given by the director or secretary.
