Companies House Cardiff
Companies House UK is the government body responsible for approving all company formation applications in England, Wales and Scotland. In addition to this incorporation role, it also oversees the administration and compliance of all UK companies as far as their statutory filing and disclosure requirements are concerned.
Companies House has its main headquarters in Cardiff, Wales and has two other provincial branches in London and Edinburgh. Companies House liaise both directly with the public and with company formation agents. They have an extensive telephone support centre as well as specific departments which handle everything from accounts to technical integration enquiries.
Companies House UK Name Search (webcheck).
The Companies House database provides the definitive name search and checking facility in the UK. All formation agents use the name search function to verify that a customer chosen company name is available to be registered.
Companies House offers its own name search and checking services called webcheck. There are four searches available through this facility:
- Names held by current companies and those which have been dissolved in the recent past
- List of dissolved company names
- Name which companies have held previously
- List of company names which are in the process of being allocated
The names which exist on the first three lists are available. Those on the last list are not.
Companies House Forms
Companies House forms provide the means for the submission of information to the Registrar. Some forms such as the Form AP01 and AP02, TM01 and TM02 and AD01 (formerly Form 288a, 288b and 287 respectively) are only required when changes within an individual company are made. Others like the annual return (Form 363s) are mandatory at the end of each year whether or not changes have occurred with the company.
Company Information Service
Companies House provide an incorporation service whereby members of the general public, businesses and formation agents can purchase information about a company and its officers for a small fee. The document can then be posted or downloaded directly from the website. There is some company information which is available free of charge.
Companies House Web Filing
Companies House web filing allows businesses to submit documents electronically to the Registrar. Not all forms can be filed electronically at the time of writing.
