To what address should I register my business?

I am going to start up a new business. I don't want to register my home address, although I will be using my home as my office. What are my options and can I do this?

The company’s Registered Office address can be anywhere in England or Wales (if that is where the company is registered), and does not need to be the same address as the company carries on business from.

The Registered Office must be a physical location, and not a P.O. Box number. Many professional firms, eg. Accountants, Solicitors, providers of Company Secretarial Services and Company Formation Agents will offer the use of their address as a Registered Office, for a fee.

Fees for this service can vary enormously, so it is worth shopping around.

If you do not wish your home address to be shown on the public record at all, you have the option to provide a Service Address on filing your appointment as a Director.

This can be any address, not necessarily in the UK, but must be an address where:

(i) the service of documents can be effected by physical delivery; and

(ii) the delivery of documents is capable of being recorded by the obtaining of an acknowledgement of delivery.

You must still notify your home address to Companies House (and any changes to it), but if you have provided an alternative Service Address your home address will remain confidential.

If Companies House have reason to believe that you cannot be contacted via your service address, they retain the right to place your last-notified home address on the public record.

 

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel was the editor of SmallBusiness.co.uk from 2010 to 2018. He specialises in writing for start-up and scale-up companies in the areas of finance, marketing and HR.

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