What company information is available to the public?

To enjoy the benefits of limited liability, UK companies and the people who set up, control, and own them must provide certain information to Companies House. Most of this data is added to the public register of companies, which is available to everyone and can be accessed free of charge online. The company information that is held on the register must be accurate and kept up to date at all times.

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The purpose of making company information available to the public is to maintain and enhance corporate transparency, which helps to reduce economic crime, fraud, and other criminal activities carried out by rogue entities.

This corporate transparency regime is one of the core principles that underpins the UK’s attractiveness as a place to start and grow a business, creating an environment in which innovators, investors, and consumers can act with confidence.

What company information is available online?

In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, corporate data relating to every limited company incorporated in the UK is available online on the Companies House public register, including information about the company itself, its directors, members, and People with Significant Control (PSCs).

Company information disclosed on public record

• Registered company name
• Company registration number (CRN)
• Type of company (e.g. private limited by shares, limited by guarantee, PLC)
• Status of company (active/dormant/dissolved)
• Date of incorporation
• Scanned copy of the certificate of incorporation
• Registered office address (current and past)
• Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL address)
• Details of current and resigned directors
• Details of current and past subscribers and members (shareholders and guarantors)
• Details of PSCs
• Articles of association
• Previous company names
• Filing deadlines for next company accounts and confirmation statement
• Insolvency information
• Late filing notices and penalties
• Nature of business activities (SIC codes)
• Statement of capital (details of issued shares)
• Scanned copies of all filings at Companies House, including:
• Annual accounts
• Confirmation Statements
• Mortgage charges
• New officer appointments
• Change of company name
• Change of director’s details
• Change of registered office address

See also: 10 mistakes to avoid when forming a limited company

Directors’ details disclosed on public record

• Title and full name
• Service address
• Date of appointment
• Month and year of birth
• Occupation
• Nationality
• Country/state of residence
• All current and previous appointments

Subscribers’ & Members’ details disclosed on public record

• Full name
• Correspondence address (aka service address)
• Amount guaranteed (guarantors of limited by guarantee companies only)
• Class of member, if applicable (guarantors only)
• Additional details if also a PSC (see below)

See also: Are company directors liable for its debts?

PSC details disclosed on public record

• Title and full name
• Service address
• Date of registration as a PSC
• Month and year of birth
• Country/state of residence
• Nationality
• Nature of PSC’s control:
• Percentage of share ownership
• Percentage of voting rights
• Whether the PSC has the right to appoint and remove directors

All of this publicly available information, whether provided during or after company formation, remains on the public register for the lifetime of the company, and many years thereafter.

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Duty to keep company information up to date

One of the many important duties of a company director is to ensure that the information held at Companies House and disclosed on the public register is accurate and kept up to date. As part of this statutory requirement, every limited company must:

• keep statutory company registers at its nominated inspection location
• report any change of registered details
• file a confirmation statement at Companies House each year

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The confirmation statement is a document used to verify a company’s registered details on a given date. Some information can be updated on the statement itself, but other details need to be reported separately.

Protecting the privacy of company directors, members, and PSCs

Whilst responsible for the UK’s globally recognised high standards of corporate behaviour, the public disclosure of certain details on the companies register does have consequences for any persons acting as a company director, member, or PSC. This is why it is important for these individuals to protect their privacy in so far as possible.

If you consent to act as a director, member, or PSC of a UK limited company, you are required by law to provide a service address. Used as an official mailing address for correspondence from government agencies such as Companies House and HMRC, service addresses are made available on the public record.

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To protect your privacy, it is recommended that a commercial address is used as a service address. Providing your home address may seem like the obvious choice, but disclosing your private residential address to the public can increase the risk of unsolicited mail, cold calls, and identity theft. The same is true if you use your home address as your company’s registered office address or SAIL address.

Whilst it is now possible to ask Companies House to remove your home address from the public record and withhold it from credit reference agencies, registered office and SAIL details can never be removed. The process of removing your residential address is also time-consuming and costly.