WHAT IS A REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS?
A registered office is the official address of an incorporated company or association. It serves as the company’s official address for receiving statutory mail and legal documents from Companies House, HMRC, and various government departments. This address is also the location where the company’s statutory registers must be kept available for inspection. In the UK, a registered office must be located in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS AND THE BUSINESS ADDRESS?
A registered office address is the official address used for the service of legal documents and statutory mail from government departments. In contrast, a business address is where you conduct your business activities. This is the address where clients may visit and where you receive correspondence from suppliers, banks, and clients.
CAN YOU USE A PO BOX AS A REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS?
No, you cannot use a PO Box as a company’s registered office. The registered office must be a physical location that can be found by members of the public.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS AND A DIRECTOR’S SERVICE ADDRESS?
The registered office must be based in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales. The service address for directors, however, can be the registered office or any other address globally.
WHY SHOULD DIRECTORS USE A SERVICE ADDRESS?
Every director of a limited company is required to have a service address. This is a location where they can be contacted by Companies House with important legal notifications. The service address does not have to be the director’s place of business or home; it can be any address. These details are publicly available and easily searchable on the internet.
Cybercrime and identity theft are increasing concerns. Having your residential address and partial date of birth on the public register at Companies House can expose you to identity theft. Therefore, many directors choose to use a second address instead of their personal address.
A recommended practice is to use the company’s registered office as the service address for all directors to avoid disclosing home addresses publicly. Any mail addressed to the director received at the registered office can be scanned and forwarded to the director via email.
CAN I REMOVE MY RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS FROM THE PUBLIC REGISTER?
Yes, it is possible to remove an address from the public register in respect of any address of a qualifying person (such as directors, officers, persons with significant control, subscribers, or members of a company, LLP, or Societas Europaea) that has been displayed on the Companies House website, an application can be made to have it removed. However, this process does not apply if the address in question has been filed as the registered office address. It only applies if the address is used as a service address for a director or a person with significant control and is the same as the registered office.
To remove a private address, you must submit an application to the registrar and pay the appropriate fee. The fee applies per document, so if your private address appears on multiple documents, the cost will increase.
In summary, understanding the roles and distinctions between a registered office address and a director’s service address is crucial for compliance and privacy protection. A registered office is mandatory for legal and official correspondence, while a service address provides a layer of privacy for directors. Ensuring the correct use of these addresses can safeguard against identity theft and protect personal privacy.
For assistance with any of the above or to change any address displayed at Companies House please contact your account manager at Virtual Company Secretary Limited who will advise of the impact on your company and any action you need to take.
For further information, please contact us here.
The information above does not in any way constitute advice. Seeking specialist expertise and support is highly recommended for all Company Directors.