Online Company Formations: the Danger of Using Your Home Address as Your Registered Office

By: moviesplanet | Posted: 11th August 2009

Wisteria Formations, the leading online limited company formations agent in the UK explains why it is important not to use a home address as a registered office when setting up and registering a limited company.


London, UK (28/07/09) – Currently over 1,500 limited companies are set up in the UK every single day. Many of the individuals setting up a limited company decide to use their home address as the company’s registered office, not realising the privacy implications that result from this choice. The important point to remember here is that Companies House makes such information publically available and it is easy to access for anyone looking for such information.


Nick Tagg, Director of Wisteria Formations explains, “Many of our clients choose to use their home address as the company’s registered office when incorporating their company. They often don’t realise that the registered office address is public information, and therefore available to creditors, customers and suppliers along with anyone else who wishes to find out about your business for whatever reason. Nobody wants a dissatisfied customer or an angry creditor knocking on their door at home early on a Sunday morning. For this reason, we always recommend that our clients think long and hard when choosing where their registered office should be.”


From 1st October 2009, a welcome change in the law will allow directors to stop providing their home address for public records and instead they can provide a service address, which may be the registered office. This new legal provision coupled with having a registered office at a location other than home, allows directors a new level of personal privacy and protection.


Protecting your privacy at home can be very easy, and there are professional registered office services available online through limited company formations agents and accountants, allowing you to use their official service address as your registered company address. If you are concerned about your privacy, using the registered office service of your accountant, Company Secretary or formation agent is always advisable.


Such services are not normally too expensive and costs range from around £100 - £500 per year depending on the individual company circumstances. Historically companies often wanted to use what were perceived as prestigious addresses as registered offices, such as in the City of London. However such services are rather expensive and ultimately unnecessary and many newly incorporated companies have moved away from this ethos, realising that their accountant’s address is the ideal one to use.


Nick Tagg adds, “Choosing your accountant’s or Company Secretary’s address as your company’s Registered Office in no way impedes you from being completely in control of your business. Your accountant or Company Secretary will be happy to pass on all official correspondence sent to the address promptly and you can feel safe that your personal details are secure.”


About US: For more information or further advice in relation to limited company formations and professional registered office services from Wisteria Formations, please visit http://www.wisteriaformations.co.uk or email Wisteria Formations Director Nick Tagg directly at: formations@wisteria.co.uk
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Tags: single day, home address, office address, important point, creditor, personal privacy, creditors, limited companies, london uk, accountants