What Limited Companies need to send to Companies House

When setting up, and running a UK company, company directors and the company secretary are responsible for sending information to Companies House, to ensure that the Registry is up-to-date. This may include changes in company details, or submission of accounts.

Although there are literally hundreds of forms which may at some time or another be submitted to Companies House, the key ones are listed below.

1. Company Accounts

All limited companies, whether trading or not, must keep accounting records and file accounts for each accounting period with Companies House. Directors are personally responsible for ensuring that accounts are delivered, and can be penalised if the annual accounts are delivered late.

The Companies House booklet, 'Accounts and Accounting Reference Dates', provides more information on preparing and filing accounts and about exemptions from filing.

Accounts must be produced to a standard that can be scanned to reproduce electronically.

2. Annual returns (Form 363)

An annual return is a snapshot of company information giving details of its directors and secretary, registered office address, shareholders and share capital.

Companies House will send a pre-printed 'shuttle' annual return form to the company's registered address each year. It details the information already held on its database. The details should be checked, signed off and returned withing 28 days with a small fee.

3. Change of accounting reference date - Form 225

Every company has an accounting reference date, which is the date to which the company's accounts are prepared each year. This date can be changed using Form 225.

4. Change of registered office - Form 287

Every company must have a registered office: it is the 'home' of the company to which all official documents, notices and court papers have to be sent by law. The address must be a physical location, not just a post office box.

You can change your registered office address by sending a completed Form 287 to Companies House. Please note that any change becomes legally effective only when Companies House have registered the form.

5. Change of directors and secretary and their details - Forms 288

There are three types of Form 288.

• Form 288(a) is used for the appointment of an officer.
• Form 288(b) is used for an officer ceasing to act (resignation, removal, death etc).
• Form 288(c) is used for a change in details of an officer, for example, a change of name or new residential address.