Continued from Using an Ampersand (&) in a Company Name (Part 1)
All is not lost however. The way to circumvent this popular glitch in many UK company formation systems, is to temporarily enter the name using the word “and” and not the “&”.
Once the registration system reports that the name is available you can proceed.
If the company name search still reports that the name is unavailable when using the “and”, then the name is really taken irrespective or whether the person uses the word “and” or the “&”.
"&" and "and" in a Company Name
Companies House does not view "&" and "and" as sufficiently distinctive from one another to avoid the rules on similar company names.
On the basis that “Incorporate and setup limited” receives the all clear from the name search, a person can then usually continue to register their company, making payment on so on.
Adding the Ampersand After the Initial Company Search
At the final stage before the company formation application is sent to Companies House, most UK registration agents have a facility which allows purchasers the opportunity to carry out a final review of their submission.
At this stage the name can be changed (for example, if a spelling mistake is detected) to include the ampersand.
Once this has been completed and the person has verified the name, the application can be submitted to Companies House with a better than fair chance of being formed.
Occasionally, it may be necessary to contact the company formation agent and have them rectify the issue themselves.
