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First Time Directors Presentation - January 2015
- 2. First Time Directors Seminar Heather Gopsill Denise White Susan Thomas
- 3. Agenda Introduction to Companies House Incorporation and Registering for WebFiling Making Changes and Responsibilities Late Filing Penalties And Voluntary Strike Off Benefits of Compliance verses Non Compliance 25 Minute Break and Networking Time PROtected On line Filing Companies House Products and Services Intellectual Property Office
- 4. Companies House Who we are? Why we do this?
- 5. All company Types Private limited (LTD) Limited by Guarantee Dormant Micro Entities Public Limited Company (PLC) Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Limited Partnerships (LP) Community Interest Companies (CIC)
- 6. Differences between types Limited, PLC Dormant LLP Memorandum & Articles Partnership Agreement Directors 2 Designated Members Shareholders Members Register for Corporation Tax Register for Self Assessment Limited by Guarantee LP Members not shareholders 1 General Partner - Liable for debt CIC 1 Limited Partner - Contribute amount Approval from CIC regulator No shareholders Benefits to the community
- 16. Keep your code safe Make sure your code isn’t easily guessable Mix letters with numbers in your code Only share your code with trusted company personnel Change your code if company personnel changes Change your code if you think the code has been discovered Tell your agent before you change your code Use a different code for each company Don’t leave your code lying around
- 17. Making changes Memorandum and Articles of Association Company’s rule book Call a meeting Pass a resolution File resolution and new Articles within 15 days of being passed. Change the company name Check availability of the required name via WebCHeck Change can be filed via website fee £8, same day fee is £30
- 18. WebCHeck Search - Name Availability
- 19. Trading Disclosures The company name must be displayed at all: Places of business Registered office Does not apply to: Dormant companies Where the registered office address is a residential address.
- 20. Trading Disclosures All items of business stationery & communications including emails and company website must show: – Company name – Place of registration – Registered number – Registered office address – Director information – If being wound up
- 21. Secretary Duties Every PLC needs one Private companies – it’s optional Usual duties include: Notifying changes Maintaining statutory registers Notifying members and auditor of meetings Providing copies of resolutions and agreements Supplying copies of company accounts
- 22. Directors Responsibilities Ensure no person under the age of 16 appointed (except for LLP) No upper age limit At least 1 person (non corporate) appointed (except for LLP) Directors and secretaries details are kept up to date Relevant forms.. AP01-AP04 – Appointing officers CH01-CH04 - Service addresses for officers TM01-TM02 - Termination
- 23. Directors Responsibilities Registered office address must be effective and correct on Companies House Records at all times. Cannot be a PO Box unless it includes a full address AD01 - Address change AD02 - Address notified of Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL) Records & Registers at the address listed on AD03 Also notified on annual return All forms involved can be filed online
- 24. Directors Responsibilities - Statutory Filings Annual Return Not the financial return All companies have to file one each year Based on your Legal Return Date Snapshot of the Company details at this date Must be filed within 28 days of this date £13 filing fee online (£40 for paper filing)
- 25. Types of WebFiling Demos
- 27. Directors responsibilities- Statutory Filings Accounts Companies have to file accounts each year Whether trading, non-trading or Dormant Most Account types can be filed online Based on your Accounting Reference Date (ARD) Ensure the (ARD) is shown on the balance sheet No filing fee
- 28. Accounting Reference Date A company can change the Accounting reference date The Accounting Reference date is based on your incorporation date Can be changed using form AA01 However…… Period can be shortened without restrictions But can only be extended once in 5 years - unless bringing in line with holding or subsidiary company
- 29. Accounts filing periods Strict filing times laid down by Parliament Private Co - 9 months from the accounting reference date Public Co - 6 months from the accounting reference date New Companies 1st Accounting Period Private Company - 21 months from date of incorporation Public Company - 18 months from date of incorporation Automatic penalties for being late
- 31. WebFiling Accounts Already E-enabled Audit exemption abbreviated accounts, limited by shares Audit exemption abbreviated accounts, limited by guarantee Dormant company accounts Audit exemption full accounts (PDF template) Micro-Entity accounts Full accounts with HMRC & CH (with abbreviated option) Not yet E-enabled LLP accounts PLC accounts Community Interest Company accounts Audited accounts Amending accounts
- 32. Benefits of filing “e” verses paper Filing on line Filing on paper Quicker Timely Cheaper Costly Secure Company Hijack Can be anywhere in the world Timely post and delivery
- 33. Late Filing Penalties Civil Penalty against the company Introduced 1 July 1992 and amended 1 February 2009 Accounts only Accounts must be received by Registrar by due date Penalties are doubled for filing late 2 years running Appeals procedure Registrar has very limited discretion not to collect a penalty
- 34. Late Filing Penalties Length of Period Private Company Public Company Not more than 1 month £150 £750 More than 1 month but not more than 3 months £375 £1,500 More than 3 months but not more than 6 months £750 £3,000 More than 6 months £1,500 £7,500 Don’t Forget… Penalties are doubled for filing late 2 years running.
- 35. Accounts – Joint Filing with HMRC HMRC – Companies House statement joined up approach to using iXBRL and a joint template. What is iXBRL? Download PDF Template via Companies House WebFiling and HMRC Submit using accounts software packages Templates can be worked offline Prepare once – file twice
- 36. Joint filing
- 38. e-Reminders Register for e-Reminders A timely email reminder of when your accounts and annual returns are due at Companies House. Can register a maximum of 4 email addresses per company. An alternative to paper reminder letters sent to your registered office address
- 39. Voluntary Strike-off Straight forward procedure Company not traded or changed name in last 3 months Form DS01 must be completed on paper Majority of directors must authorise application £10 fee to pay Can take 6 months and is subject to third party objections Form DS02 to stop the Strike Off Reversible process via restoration process
- 40. Questions and answers 25 minute break and networking time
- 41. Glossary of terms Annual Return The Annual Return is the snapshot of certain company or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) information at the made-up-date. Officers The term Officer refers to either a Secretary, Director or LLP member. The term Company Officer refers to only Secretary, Director or both. Authentication Code Authentication Code is a 6 alphanumeric code on WebFiling which enables the submission of data for an individual company. Ordinary Shares These are shares of the company with no special rights or restrictions. They may be divided into classes of different value. Class of Shares The class of shares is the name attached to the shares e.g. ordinary, preference and redeemable. Registered Office Address is the 'home' of the company to which all official documents, notices and court papers have to be sent by law. When a company changes the new address must be notified to Companies House on Form AD01. Incorporation Date The incorporation date is the date the company was registered at Companies House. SIC Code The SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) is the principal business activity of the company. A company can have up to a maximum of four SIC codes displayed.
- 43. PROtected Online Filing Prevent a company hijack Change the registered office address. Appoint an officer To obtain credit and goods Once registered for the PROOF scheme these paper documents will be rejected. AD01- Change of registered office address AP01-AP04 - Appointment forms CH01- CH04 - Change of officer details forms TM01-TM02 - Termination forms AR01- Annual Return form
- 44. Monitor Sign-Up
- 45. Mobile App Mobile App is FREE Shows only the free information Allows you to check company information on the go! Save frequently viewed companies in your ‘Favourites’. Variety of sort options in Favourites – company name, number or when accounts or returns are due for filing. Amber/red alerts when AR and AA are due/overdue.
- 46. Mobile App – Company Information
- 47. WebCHeck & Companies House Direct WebCHeck No subscription Pay as you go Company name search Detailed filing history Free current appointments report Document download area Monitor service Companies House Direct Monthly subscription Monthly invoice Company search Officer enquiry Document packages Insolvency history Full filing history Certified document ordering Document download area Monitor service
- 48. WebCHeck Search
- 50. Officer details
- 52. The Companies House Service • One unified online service • Transforms our electronic services, with modern technology and a new web service • Easier to view and update company information
- 56. Other Products Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) Free Company Data Product Free Accounts Data Product XML Gateway Bespoke Products Online User Panel Help us understand how you use our online services Your Feedback and Your experiences Details on our website
- 60. Key Conclusions • Think “e” and enjoy the benefits now • Filing online saves you time • Meeting filing deadlines saves you penalties • Up-to-date records create confidence in your company • Our information online can help you • Companies House is here to help you Web: www.gov.uk/companieshouse
- 61. Contact us Telephone: 0303 1234 500 email: enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk Follow us: Facebook: facebook.com/CompaniesHouse Twitter: @CompaniesHouse LinkedIn Companies House You Tube Channel
- 62. Thank you for listening! Any feedback? eventsteam@companieshouse.gov.uk
- 63. providing company information that customers value “ ”
Editor's Notes
- Hello and welcome to the Companies House First Time Directors seminar. Before we start I would like to cover off the domestics. Toilets are ………………….. Fire drill …………………… Mobile phones ……………… We are here today to advise you of your duties and responsibilities to comply with the Companies Act as officers of the company and also what Companies House can offer you in the way of our products and services. (whoever) from Intellectual Property Office is/are here to advise you on Trade Marks and Copyright.
- Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s get down to business. Hi my name is ………………and together with my colleagues ……………….and……………………… We are here today to advise you of your duties and responsibilities to comply with the Companies Act as officers of the company and also what Companies House can offer you in the way of our products and services. We have the added bonus of having a colleague from the IPO here today who will give you a brief overview of all things relating to IP, Trade Marks and Copyright. Now we realise the you are all busy business people and you need to make the most of every day and every opportunity presented to you so with that in mind we don’t want you to just sit there and be talked at for 3 hours. We want you to look around you. There is a wealth of local business sat in this room. When you came in we showed you where you could put you business cards. We have allocated …25….. Mins for a comfort break. We would recommend that you use this time to speak with us and also each other. There could be some real business opportunities in this room for you right now.
- The Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, and Chief Executive of Companies House is Tim Moss. His office is based at Companies House in Cardiff. The Registrar of Companies for Scotland is Dorothy Blair and her office is based in Edinburgh. The Registrar of Companies for Northern Ireland is Helen Shilliday and her office is based in Belfast. There is also an Information Centre in Abbey Orchard Street, London. Companies House has around 900 staff working across the four offices. Our turnover is around £60 million Creating excellent customer experiences Providing trusted information Why we do this The heart of company information in the UK, recording the life events of companies for ALL to see’ A world class information Accessible, easy to use So why do we do this? Why does Companies House exist. We aim to be the heart of company information in the UK by recording the life events of companies for ALL to see. It is a fact that we are a world class information exchange we are ranked………………………. In the list of worldwide registries. We pride ourselves on our services being both easily accessible and easy to use. We strive to ensure that all our customers have an excellent experience when dealing with us and we also want to ensure that we are providing trusted information. At Companies House we accept all information in good faith. We have taken some steps to ensure the integrity of the register but there is more that can be done. We have recently set up an integrity team who will be looking at way in which we can make sure that what we receive is accurate. One step that has recently been taken is the introduction in June to perform checks on un-discharged bankrupts. This means that checks will be made against directors appointments to ensure that they aren’t listed as bankrupt or subject to personal insolvency restrictions.
- Limited, PLC Dormant – are incorporated with Mem and Arts at least one person as a director, shares will be issued on incorporation to shareholders. Limited Company is an entity in it’s own right therefore is responsible for its own bills and debt. Register for Corporation Tax Limited by Guarantee - is incorporated in the same way as the above however, they do not issue shares therefore the members of the company back it up to an agreed amount. A CIC is a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. To set up a CIC, you need to apply to Companies House, and: include a ‘community interest statement’, explaining what your business plans to do create an ‘asset lock’- a legal promise stating that the company’s assets will only be used for its social objectives, and setting limits to the money it can pay to shareholders get your company approved by the community interest company regulator - your application will automatically be sent to them The CIC regulator has guidance on CICs, including the forms you need to set one up. LLP - are incorporated at Companies house, but doesn’t have Mem and Arts but an LLP agreement, a document that states how the LLP will be run… a solicitor can help to draw this document up. Must have at least 2 designated members who have more responsibility than it’s members. Every member and the Partnership must be registered for Self Assessment at HMRC. LP – must have at least one general partner and one limited partner- a partner can be an individual or a company. You can’t be a general and limited partner at the same time.. As a limited partner you: -contribute an amount of money or property to the business when it’s set up and are only liable for debts up to the amount you’ve contributed – they can’t manage the business - can’t remove your original contribution - must register for Self Assessment with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) As a general partner you: - are liable for any debts the business can’t pay control and manage the business -can make irreversible (‘binding’) decisions for the business
- Documents can be filed at Companies House in 3 ways – Software; this is hosted by 3rd parties who have developed it to communicate with Companies House WebFiling which has been designed and developed by Companies House. Should the document be rejected for any reason you will be notified almost instantly electronically. Paper filing, this is more expensive and timely as it is a more complex document. Should this document be rejected for any reason, slows down the Incorporation of the company as it means posting the documents back to the present to correct and return. Whilst it is still possible to file on paper, please bear in mind that in the future it may become mandatory to e-file certain documents –HMRC currently only allow you to e-file certain documents they require. We will tell you in more detail about filing documents at Companies House further on in the seminar.
- So your company was probably Incorporated by one of these 3 ways Should you require another company to be set up you can do so Via our website There is a charge of £15 via our WebFiling Incorporation service We charge formation agents £13 £40 to incorporate via paper, which is timely and costly.
- For those who have not Incorporated via our WebFiling Service and may have used a formation agent, accountant or solicitor we will quickly run through setting up a WebFiling account with Companies House. You can register via our website by clicking on the File Information Tab – Webfiling - Take you to the above screen Click on Register top left corner.
- Register your e-mail address And create a password…. Which must be longer than 8 characters which must also include at least 2 numbers.
- Once you have registered for Webfiling an authentication code will be sent by 1st class post to your registered office address, this can take up to 5 working days.. Once received you can sign into your company and start filing the relevant documents. Remember …Keep your authentication code safe, just as you would your pin number for your bank account.
- Should you miss- lay the company’s authentication code you can request a reminder. Again the reminder will only be sent to the registered office address via the post, please ensure that the address is up-to-date and current.
- A company's articles of association are its internal rulebook, chosen by its members. Every company is required to have articles, which are legally binding on the company and all of its members. The articles help to ensure the company's business runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible and will set out how decisions are taken by the members and directors as well as various matters connected with the shares. Once your company is incorporated, you must notify Companies House every time your company makes changes to its articles. You and your company may commit an offence if you do not do so. You can amend your articles by special resolution, you must file copies of both to Companies House within 15 days of the date it was passed. Change of name only takes affect when it has been registered at Companies House and a certificate has been issued. Fee is £8 – the change will show within 24hrs A Same Day service is provided for £30 the application must be received before 3pm Monday – Friday
- WebCHeck service is a pay as you go service, but it also provides free information. When changing the company name it is advisable to check our WebCHeck service first to ensure the name is available. We do get a number of Change of name applications rejected each month due to the name not being available. If the name you would like is unavailable the service show the name to be considered to be “same as” as shown here on the screen.
- Once the company has been incorporated there is certain information which must be displayed Company name to be displayed at: All places of business Registered Office Address However this does not apply to: Dormant Companies or if the registered office address is Primarily residential addresses
- Also All items of Business Stationery & Communications including emails and Company Website must show: Company name Place of registration whether its was incorporated in England or Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland Companies Registered number Registered office address Directors information – this means a list of the names of the directors of the company. The ruling with this is all or none at all, you can’t pick and choose whose names you display. If you have a frequent turnover of directors you may want to factor in the cost involved before adding names to your comms. And must declare if being wound up/ in liquidation
- We don’t advise on the role or obligations of a company secretary as it is not covered by the Companies Act, we can tell you that Every Public Limited Company needs one it is optional -Private companies since the implementation of the Companies Act 2006 Usual duties would be covered in the employment contract, However…..
- SERVICE ADDRESSES Under the previous Companies Act, directors who were deemed to be at risk by their residential address being on the public record would be granted a confidentiality order. However under the new act officers of a company can you a service address. We will still require the Usual Residential Address but this will not be shown on the public record.
- The records should be almost a mirror image of the company information that we hold on our record so for example would be information of the directors of the company and list of members and shares. Under the 2006 act a company can hold their records and registers somewhere other than the registered office address. This would be known as a Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL). If the company chooses to use a different address for these registers must either be held at the Registered Office Address (ROA), or at a Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL).
- The annual return is the first of the 2 statutory documents which must be filed at Companies House EVERY year! LRD – would be the anniversary of the date of incorporation. You cannot file the annual return before this date as you are confirming the information is correct at this time. SNAPSHOT – by filing the annual return via our webfiling service the company information we hold on our records will be pre-populated for you. All you need to do then is confirm the information. Should any changes be required the service will prompt with the relevant forms to be completed before you submit the annual return
- Companies House has its own YOUTUBE channel where we have place filing demos. We will now play the demo we have on our website about the filing of an annual return. Should you miss any of this information you can play the demos in your own environment and in your own time….. Here’s the link to website. http://resources.companieshouse.gov.uk/webfiling/demoVideos/index.shtml
- The Accounts is the 2nd statutory document which must be filed every year. What kind of accounts are they? We cannot advise on what type of accounts the company falls under to file
- company can change the Accounting reference date which Can be filed online The Accounting Reference date is Based on your incorporation date which usually falls on the last day of your incorporation month Can be changed using form AA01 However…… Period can be shortened as many times as you like without restrictions But can only be extended once in 5 years - unless bringing in line with holding or subsidiary company A company may wish to change their ARD in the first year as they may have had a period of a few months of being dormant and then the rest of the year been trading. The company may not want to file part dormant/part trading accounts therefore can shorten the period to the file a set of dormant accounts and then a set of trading accounts. Incorporate – 01/04/14 First set of accounts ARD – 30/04/15 Dormant till -- 30/06/14 Started trading 1/07/14 File AA01 TO SHORTEN FROM 30/04/15 TO 30/06/14 THEN TRADING PERIOD WILL BE 01/07/14 TILL 30/06/15
- Once your company’s year has ended you will have 9 months in which to get your accounts in order and submitted to Companies House. For a PLC which is more accountable to the public there will be a 6 month period. The quickest way, as you now know is to deal with us online. My advice is always get the accounts in a quickly as you can after your ARD. Do not leave it until the last minute and do not send them in late as you WILL be subject to a penalty. If your company has not traded you must file Dormant accounts to Companies House within the filing time allowed. Why not file them as soon as your year end has ended don’t allow yourself to fall into the Late Filing Penalties trap!
- We will now play the demo we have on our website about the filing of Accounts Although you can file many types of accounts online our demos show how to file Abbreviated accounts and dormant ones. Should you miss any of this information you can play the demos in your own environment and in your own time…..
- Here are the types of accounts which can be filed via our website and ones that are not yet available to file.
- This is a civil penalty and is placed against the company and not against the individuals. Late filing penalties were introduced in 1992 and had the effect if improving the compliance of accounts greatly. Over time the compliance rate did start to deteriorate so the decision was made to make changes to the penalty regime. The ruling states that the accounts need to be received by the registrar no later than the due date. Even one day late and a penalty will be levied. Since 1st February 2009 the penalty has doubled if the company files late 2 year’s running. You are able to appeal the penalty. You must appeal in writing to Companies House. The registrar must issue the penalty and they have very little discretion to not collect the penalty. There must be an exceptional reason why the accounts were filed late for the penalty not to be collected.
- This is the Penalty band and charges. Penalties are higher for PLC companies as they are more accountable to the public. Please note, we have no joy or reward for collecting these penalties as it all goes to the Treasury. For us at Companies House it would be good to have 100% Compliance rate. EXCUSES ………. Dog Snail Snow Holiday……..
- What is joint filing? Joint filing enables most small companies with relatively straightforward financial affairs to submit their company accounts online to both HMRC and Companies House at the same time. Joint filing is supported by HMRC you can download the PDF Template from both HMRC and CH websites. iXBRL is the computer-readable data standard for financial reporting which HMRC and Companies House have adopted for electronic filing of accounts. It is a one stop online facility. You enter accounts data once – File twice Joint filing can be used for any companies accounts with accounting periods starting on or after 6 April 2008. There is an exception, Community Interest Companies CIC’S cannot use the joint filing template.
- Getting started To use the joint filing service customers will need. To have registered for HMRC online services and enrolled for corporation tax. You will receive the company’s government Gateway User ID and Password once registered by email. You will also need the CH registration number plus the authentication code if you are not already registered for Webfiling, the auth code will be sent to your RO address by 1st class post. Have your company’s annual report & accounts at hand to key in the figures. Download the joint filing template to complete the accounts data. This will allow you to file full statutory accounts to HMRC and by selecting the option to also file to CH you can file either dormant, small full or abbreviated accounts to Companies House. You will receive an email confirmation when the accounts are accepted. 8. The template can be worked off line so you can save your data and go back again to complete it. Benefits for Joint Filing Key figures once and file twice meeting two legislative obligations in one go! Saves time and money
- In spite of all the effort that we make to ensure compliance there are still a number of companies who fail to file on time and this has resulted in us levying penalties to Companies Filing late. Can I have a show of hands if you think Companies House collected more than 10 million in penalties last year More Than 20 million? CH collected a total of £59.1 million last financial year and gave it to HM Treasury. The previous financial year we collected £69 Million. Since CH introduced the double penalty to co’s for filing late two years running, the compliance rates have improved considerably. However, we would prefer not to give any money to the treasury and for you to keep the money in your own bank account.
- To keep your company filings up-to-date we would strongly recommend that you register for e-reminders. Who would like us to email them when the Annual Return and Accounts are due? The eReminders service allows the company to sign up 4 email addresses, who will each receive an email when the accounts and annual return are due. You can register your accountant, solicitor other directors etc This alternative to a paper reminder has proven successful, as our statistics have shown that the compliance rate for customers who have signed up to eReminders is much higher than those who still receive a paper reminder. Accounts reminder is sent to the company 42 days before the due date. AR Reminder sent on Made-Up-Date of AR. If AR not filed another reminder is sent 2 days before the made-up-date
- When a company has come to the end of it’s life or is no longer required you can voluntarily strike it off the register This is a Straightforward procedure You must ensure that the Company has not traded or changed name in last 3 months if the company meets this criteria You can file a Form DS01. This cannot be filed online as Majority of directors must authorise the application There is a £10 fee to pay Strike Off process can take up to 6 months and is subject to third party objections which will delay the dissolution process. Usually HMRC so ensure all loose ends are tied up! DS02/LLDS02 withdrawal of application to strike off Reversible process via Restoration process
- Welcome back, I hope you had a productive comfort/net working break. Earlier we spoke about setting up a company and the responsibilities of the company according to the Companies Act. Now we are going to inform you that once we hold all this information what it is that we can do for you !! We’ll start by talking security. Companies House is a registry of information. We are governed by Parliament which has not given us powers to verify or validate the information submitted to us therefore, we have to accept all information in good faith. So even though you are registered with Webfiling which is a quick and secure way of filing, paper documents can still be filed at Companies House Over the years we have found that there are dishonest people out there who do file paper documents for companies they are not connected to in order to hijack them and obtain goods from the companies good name and credit rating.
- when a fraudster files certain forms at Companies House without the knowledge or consent of the company. Once the company is in Proof, if any of these documents are filed via paper they will be sent back to the company’s registered office address reminding them that they should be filing them electronically. Or bring to light that someone is trying to file on their company. A company can be hijacked, when a fraudster files a form AD01 changing their registered office address. By changing the registered office address, the fraudsters can obtain credit and stock from eg PC World under the company’s name without the knowledge or consent of the company. It is a while before the company realises that the registered office address has been changed, by which time they could have other companies and bailiffs requesting the debt be paid that the company have not occurred. In some cases this scenario can discredit the company and they may lose big contracts and clients. Once we have been made aware of the hijack, this then becomes a fraud case and will be referred to the Law Enforcement Agencies that Companies House Liaise with.
- This screen will allow you to choose the documents you want to monitor. Using the monitor service allows you to keep an eye on any company on the public register, including your own company and 'monitor' what information has been sent to Companies House. Just register your email address, and details of the companies and the information you are interested in. As soon as the information is registered and is live on the public register, the system will recognise your interest and send you an email notification. You can then decide whether you wish to order the information. The choice is yours.
- When you search for a company on the App, as well as having access to basic company information, such as Officers Details and Filing History, you can send the company details via email or add the company to your Favourites list by clicking on the ‘Star’ symbol. The CH Mobile App allows you to store favourite companies that you may want to access frequently. It is possible to sort your favourites in a number of different ways, such as by Company Name or Number, or when the next Annual Accounts or Annual Returns are due to be filed. To do this you simply need to click the ‘Sort’ tab and select the sort method you wish to use. There is also a ‘traffic light’ system in place for companies saved in your Favourites. This system allows you to easily identify when the Annual Returns or Annual Accounts for a particular company are due to be filed, or are overdue. The Amber alert indicates that filings are due, with the Red alert identifying that the filings are overdue. Companies can be deleted from your ‘Favourites’ list at any time. If you would like a demonstration of the App or any of the output products in more depth, please come and see me at the end of this seminar.
- Here’s an example of the free information returned from the search. It’ll show … Ro address Dates of latest AR and accounts filed . Across the top then you can click on officers and that’ll show the officers for the company And then on History will be all their filings made at Companies House. And here you can see if the company have been compliant or not.
- This is a subscription based search facility £4 a month for a variety of documents a month. we give you and your organisation access to all the records we hold – that’s over 130 million documents, going back more than 10 years. All documents filed since 1995 are available as images for downloading for as little as £1 each. You can choose whether to download the document image in either TIFF or PDF format.
- Companies House current services, Webfiling, Webcheck, CHD & XML Gateway will be replaced by one unified on-line service called “The Companies House Service” CH Service has all live co’s & 12 months of dissolved co’s. Can search by Name or Company Number. WebCHeck, CHD & Webfiling will continue to run parallel to CH Service while the new service is being introduced or phased in. All images will be free on CH Service including Mortgage Charges. By next Summer 2015 only Certified copies will be chargeable.
- Reduced Burden –Moving away from form completion to a check & confirm approach. Open availability data – Reduced need for bespoke products & reports. New Application Programming Interface (API) Improved functionality for Software Filers. Enhanced Search Facility – Similar to Google Faster viewing of company Information Streamlined & Inituative. Open development – A website to help third –parties develop their own products based on the register. Improved Design – to benefit customers meet standards set by the Government Digital Service. Improved efficiency, reduced cost one service to Update & Support. Assisted Digital Support Digital Services for those users that need help.
- Here are some more CH products that can be used to extract company information from CH database. URI – Link can be found on CH Website. Copy and paste into search and add the 8 digit company number this will return the co’s details free details ie RO latest documents filed. Details of the returned search can be exported into excel spreadsheets. Free Accounts Data – contains the individual data files of company accounts file electronically. Updated daily CH is proud to have won the 2014 XBRL International Project Excellence award for Innovation in XBRL and open data. Free Company Data is a downloadable data snapshot containing basic company data of live companies on the register. – Contains Company Name & Company Number Registered office address Type of company ( Limited etc) SIC codes (Standard Industrial Classification) Previous company names etc XML Gateway – This is a subscription service which offers electronic access to a core range of company information from Companies House database using extensible Markup language –XML Bespoke Requests – These are one off requests for information from CH Data base for a fee. ie details of all active companies whose Business activity codes include Accountants / book keepers based in a postcode area of Birmingham. On line User Panel – CH has its own usability suite for customers to help test our online services, we give you £50 for your time and assistance. You can find out more and sign up to this panel via our website.
- Legislation slides: Ok so the next few things that I am going to cover off are things that are not yet set in stone. They are yet to pass full parliamentary protocol and pass Royal Assent. They are all things that have come about as a result of both the Company Filing Requirement Consultation (Red Tape Challenge) and the Trust and Transparency paper. Like I have said these are just some things to have in your peripheral vision. It is worth noting now that there are no time frames to go with any of these legislative changes. As soon as there are dates they will be widely broadcast on our social media and website… Well GOV.UK.
- People with significant control: The definition of a person with significant control is someone who has something to benefit from the company. This isn’t restricted to the Directors and shareholders. PSC will be kept on a register that will be available to the public. PSC who are deemed at risk will be given the same will face a new regime. At a future date companies will need to identify PSC and provide this information on incorporation and then click and confirm. Corporate directors: Companies will be prohibited from appointing corporate unless they are exempted. I am afraid I have no details about the exemptions. This will provide greater transparency, ownership and accountability. There will be a one year transition period for companies with corporate directors. Director’s misconduct: This includes various measures to update and strengthen our current disqualified director’s regime. Again this is all yet to be fully fleshed out and approved but when it has the information will be out there. Director disputes: This is a replacement for the current consent to act. Directors will receive confirmation of their appointment containing links to information about certain relevant duties. It will also be a quicker for directors to get their details off the register than is currently possible and simplify the process for removing falsely appointed directors from the Register. Abolition of Bearer shares: Bearer Shares are sometimes known as share warrants to bearer. Unlike registered shares a bearer shareholder’s details are not entered in the company’s register of members. The issuing of new bearer shares will be abolished. Existing shareholders will have 9 months to surrender their shares. Existing bearer shares will need to be converted to registered shares.
- Date of Birth Suppression: Did you all know that as directors your full dates of birth are required by Companies House and the are to be place on the public register. In the future full DOB will be collected however the month and year only will be output to the public. This will also count for people of significant control. Statement of capital: This measure will simplify the requirements for statement of capital by aligning the requirements with all the other statement of capital requirements as well as the removal of the requirement to provide a statement of capital on a specified date each year if the company has updated its statement of capital within that year. It will be simpler to administer as only the aggregate amount unpaid will be required. RO disputes: A new process to provide a remedy where a company is using an address without authorisation. This measure will require that all companies have a demonstrable link to their ROA. If a complaint is received the company will have to provide evidence of authorisation to use an address. If this isn’t possible and the RO remains unchanged, it will be removed from the register and an alternative address in the jurisdiction will be inserted in its place. Check & confirm: This will impact every company. This is intended to be a replacement for the current annual return. You would effectively have to confirm via a statement of some sort that all the details for the company are current and up to date. You would also be expected to list information about any people with significant control. A requirement to ‘check, notify changes if necessary and confirm’ at least once in every 12 months. Optional additional information: You will be able to deliver more information to the register. Companies will have to keep this information up to date. Full details of what could be included as additional information is till yet to be fully decided. In the first instance it is likely to be trading address and number of employees. This will enhance the Register. Company registers: This will give Private companies the option of keeping the information on certain registers on the public register instead of in a separate register. Amongst the registers are the registers of directors, members, and PSC Shortened strike off: Does exactly what it says on the tin. The amount of time that it will take for a company to be dissolved whether voluntary or non voluntary will be reduced.
- File accounts on time V Late Filing Penalty File annual return on time V Info not up to date Notify of RO address changes V Will not receive company mail Update officers changes V Doubt for investors / loans etc Register for e-Reminders V Forget to file statutory docs Company remains on register V Company strike off 3 point Plan–WebFiling, PROOF and Monitor PROtect your Company and keep it safe!! WebCHeck & Companies House Direct Search by Mobile App “on the go!” Companies House Service Registered for the 3 point plan! It’s quicker, safer and it’s free! Sign up to Proof and protect your company. Used our services to check out competitors and potential investors, Download the Mobile App and search the companies on the go!
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