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  1. E-quick package
  2. Economy package
  3. Premier package
  4. Deluxe package
If you are thinking about setting up a business, and need it done quickly and easily with no additional requirements, then this package is the perfect choice.
This package is a cheap and efficient way to begin business, and includes the provision of a registered office address in London for the duration of one year.
This package is a not expensive and efficient way to begin business, and includes the provision of a registered office address in London and a nominee secretary for the duration of one year.
This package is one of the most cost effective and the efficient way to start a UK company, which includes a registered office address in London, a nominee secretary, and a nominee director for the duration of one year.
E-quick*
£32.00
Economy
£82.00
Premier
£207.00
Deluxe
£557.00
Private company limited by shares
No Annual Charges
Private company limited by shares
Annual Fee From: £50.00
Private company limited by shares
Annual Fee From: £175.00
Private company limited by shares
Annual Fee From: £525.00
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Further information

Private Company Limited by Shares:

  • A private company limited by shares in England and Wales must have at least one director, one shareholder, and may have a secretary.

  • You need at least one person to form this type of company. If there is only one director, and that director is a natural person in your company, that director can also act as the secretary.

  • A company must have at least one director who is a natural person. This requirement is met if the office of director is held by a natural person as a corporation sole or otherwise by virtue of an office.

  • You can register a sole director' company, if you are familiar with the secretaries duties and responsibilities, because all of them belongs to a sole director.

  • The directors and secretary of your company can also be shareholders.

  • The Companies Act imposes no restriction on the minimum age of company directors. However Companies House will actively discourage the appointment of anyone under the age of 16 from taking up a company directorship on the grounds that the individuals concerned may not fully understand the legal liabilities that go with the position and for the most part will not have the experience necessary to perform the duties of a company director.

  • Under the Companies Act 2006, there is no restriction on any or all of the members/shareholders being from an overseas country (i.e. outside the United Kingdom in terms of residency, domicile, citizenship, place of incorporation or all or any of those concepts).

  • There is no requirement for the officers of your company to be UK citizens or residents, nor for them to hold valid work permits.

  • Owning, or being an officer of a UK company does not, however, grant you any right to live or work in the UK if you are a foreign national.

  • Your company must have a registered office address within England or Wales; this is the official address of your company and will be on the public record as such.

  • Your company must hold its official company documents at its registered office address: its register of shareholders, and its constitutional documents.

  • So long as you maintain a registered office address in England or Wales, you can conduct your business from any place in the world: you do not have to run your business from your registered office address.

  • Coddan offers company formation, ready-made company registration for UK limited companies. We offer electronic filing enterprises & registering corporation services. In addition to business registrations, we offer trademark registration, shareholder agreements, toll-free numbers, telephone answering, virtual office and company searches for UK limited companies. You are an accountant for whom company establishment is a frequent activity or an individual ordering your first company registrations. Start a company by incorporating or forming a LTD, PLC or LLP at Coddan. Learn about incorporation & how to incorporate your business online: register a business name, company registration, business registration numbers, company house web filing - business name registration check. Whether you start-up online, register London business or form a corporation Scotland, we can help you understand the business start-up process for filing LTD United Kingdom.
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    Incorporate or form an LLC – online: company registrar United Kingdom, limited company formations & corporation registration, electronically LLC online, very easy and informative. In addition to private companies Great Britain, we offer trademark registration, shareholder agreements, 0870 numbers, telephone answering, virtual office and company searches for English companies. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. If you are starting a business Edinburgh or starting own business Northern Ireland, read our starting business Republic of Ireland guide. Home business and small business training and ideas site to help you start Belfast, grow, and expand a home-based business or search for the work at home job right. An outline of the general steps for incorporation in Great Britain, explaining how to incorporate your business Dublin, from choosing where to incorporate your business. UK ready-made company formation services and company registrations online, our offices keep a stock of ready made companies, and would be happy to supply details on request. We offer offshore ready-made companies in different jurisdictions, readymade offshore companies also called as offshore shelf companies, shelf off-shore companies for sale: starting applying for a business name, business name registration partnership, grants for starting a business and starting a business from home.
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    Open company same-day and offshore setting-up services using our online starting-up service for Limited Liability Company Offshore companies. Start enjoying the tax benefits and personal liability protection that forming a corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) provides. Offshore company incorporation, offshore checking and offshore saving accounts, offshore time deposits, offshore mutual funds, offshore money market accounts and offshore asset protection provided by Coddan. Company formations, limited company formations, electronic incorporations, company formation agents, paperless company registrar, electronic companies filing, United Kingdom limited company, setting corporation Ireland, business incorporation Scotland, open company England, London company registration, electronic companies filing, British companies registrars, business consultants, company law, public limited company, plc, international companies, ltd, inc, limited liability, enterprise, organization, organization, tax, taxation, England, firm, partnership, trade, profession, contractors, business, private limited company, limited by shares, ready-made companies, readymade company, aged company, off the shelf company, shelf companies list.
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    Specializes in company registration and secretarial services. Provides list of shelf company, services and cost quotation, business name registration, company house direct, starting a business - sole trader business registration.

    This is actually a pretty good reason to incorporate in Delaware or Nevada. In fact, you could be a foreigner from Lebanon, never setting foot on American soil, form a Delaware corporation and no one would know who you are! However, many states will require the owners and/or officers and/or directors information while operating in that state (as a foreign corp.). Besides, how many small businesses require anonymity? Incorporate, incorporation, incorporating, incorporation services, incorporating services, incorporate Wyoming business online, incorporating Oregon business, New York LLC formation, Louisiana limited liability corporation, Texas articles of incorporation, Florida company incorporation, California non profit corporation, corporate name search offshore, BVI corporate name availability, Seychelles corporate name registration.
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    Learn about incorporation services UK and incorporate London online: starting your own business, business ideas, starting a business on ebay or buying a business with legal requirements for starting a business. Online England company formations, online company London W1 formation, Glasgow formation agent, Liverpool formations agent, Scottish companies house, forming a company Scotland, starting a business Wales, form a limited company Oxford, United Kingdom business registration agents, online Great Britain company registration. E-Business, small business, business structures defined: the limited liability company business structures defined: the limited liability company IRS treatment of the one-member LLC. An LLC with only one member / owner is automatically considered to be a sole proprietorship unless an election is made to be treated as a corporation. Thus, the sole member of an LLC will file (Form 1040), (U.S. Individual Income Tax Return), ideas for starting a business, grants for starting a business, starting a business from home, starting your own business - business ideas, starting a business on ebay, buying a business: legal requirements for starting a business, ideas for starting a business.
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    A business may be conducted by a company as an entity in its own right and comes into existence by incorporation under companies legislation which also regulates the running of the company and sets out the duties of its officers. In recent years trading trusts have been commonly used as the structure for carrying on a business with their main objective of tax minimization. A trust requires a trustee to act on behalf of a trust and it has been preferable to have a company newly incorporated to act as the trustee as it is believed that this limits the liability of the trust to the paid-up capital of the Trustee Company. A trust is formed by a gift or settlement being made to the trustee on behalf of the, as yet unformed, trust. A solicitor draws up a Trust Deed setting out the powers and formalizing the administration of the trust. The trust has beneficiaries rather than shareholders as in a company, who are entitled to distributions of capital and/or income and these distributions, are controlled by the trustee.
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    The distribution made to beneficiaries are subject to income tax as part of their personal income and are liable for provisional tax on these distributions. Citizens and residents of other countries may incorporate in the United Kingdom through the standard incorporation procedures set forth by each state. Provides UK company formations, trademark registration, registered office facilities and company secretary services. Professional company formation, register your company online, we may establish new business at one day. An online guide to starting up and expanding your business.
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    This is one of our most popular packages with worldwide customers, and includes: -

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  • Our Deluxe package is a fast and easy option, it is ideal for the UK, EU, and international small to medium businesses who wish to appoint a nominee director and a nominee secretary in order to maintain the anonymity of the real owner, and it includes: -

  • Incorporation of your company from scratch using one of our registered office addresses in London, our nominee director and nominee secretary. We can appoint your own candidate(s) to the role of shareholder(s), or you can appoint a nominee sharholder provided by Coddan;
  • The standard capital on formation is £1.00, this is divided into 1.00 ordinary share valued at £1.00 (a minimum of one share must be issued);
  • The formation of a limited company usually takes as little as four to six hours from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The government fee for incorporation is included in the price of this package;
    • The provision of a registered office address for 12 months is included in the price of this package (our registered office address service is charged annually);
    • The provision of a nominee secretary for 12 months is included in the price of this package (our nominee secretary service is charged annually);
    • The provision of a nominee director for 12 months is also included in the price of this package (our nominee director service is charged annually);

    The following two hard bound copies of corporate documents, will be send by post to you upon formation of your private limited company: -

  • A laminated copy of the certificate of incorporation of your company;
  • A hard bound copy of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • A hard bound copy of the minutes of the first meeting of directors;
  • Share certificates, and your company register;
  • The general power of attorney signed by a nominee director;
  • Pre-signed, undated resignation letter from a nominee director;
  • The agreement for the provision of nominee service and indemnification of nominee.
  • 2 zdezda deluxe. -

  • 2 zdezda deluxe)
  • 3 zdezda deluxe. -

  • 3 zdezda deluxe
  • 4 zdezda deluxe -

  • 4444444
  • This is our most popular package with the UK residents, and includes: -

  • The registration of your company from scratch using your own registered office address, and appoint your own candidates to the roles of director, secretary (if needed), and shareholder;
  • The standard capital on formation is £1.00, this is divided into 1.00 ordinary share valued at £1.00 (a minimum of one share must be issued);
  • The formation of a limited company usually takes as little as four to six hours from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The government fee for incorporation is included in the price of this package;
  • The following documents, which need to be printed and signed, will be e-mailed to you upon formation of your company: -

  • A certificate of incorporation (requires PDF file reader);
  • The memorandum & articles of association (requires PDF file reader);
  • The first meeting of the board of directors (requires PDF file reader);
  • Share certificates and a company register (requires PDF file reader).
  • *If you do not have an a valid address in the UK, which can be used as the registered office address for your company, please check our Economy package. The non-UK address cannot be acceptable as the office address for the UK company.

    This is our most popular package with the UK and EU residents, and includes: -

  • The registration your company from scratch using one of our registered office addresses, and appoint your own candidates to the roles of director, secretary (if needed), and shareholder;
  • The standard capital on formation is £1.00, this is divided into 1.00 ordinary share valued at £1.00 (a minimum of one share must be issued);
  • The formation of a limited company usually takes as little as four to six hours from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The government fee for incorporation is included in the price of this package;
    • The provision of a registered office address for 12 months is also included in the price of this package (our registered office address service is charged annually);

    The following documents, which need to be printed and signed, will be e-mailed to you upon formation of your company: -

  • A certificate of incorporation (requires PDF file reader);
  • The memorandum & articles of association (requires PDF file reader);
  • The first meeting of the board of directors (requires PDF file reader);
  • Share certificates and a company register (requires PDF file reader).
  • This is another one very popular package with worldwide customers, and includes: -

  • The formation of a company limited by guarantee usually takes as little as five to seven working days from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The incorporation your BVI company limited by guarantee from scratch using our registered agent & registered office address, and appoint your own candidate to the role of a members;
  • The government and initiation fees for incorporation are included in the price of this package;
  • The search for a company name availability, confirmation, and reservation;
  • An original certificate of incorporation
  • A hard bound copy of the memorandum & articles of association
  • The preparation and submission of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • A local registered office address and a local registered agent for 12 months are included in the price of this package (our registered agent & office address service are charged annually);
  • The provision of a nominee director for one year is also included in the price of this package (our nominee director service is charged annually);

  • To receive an original of the certificate of incorporation from the Companies Registrar usually takes as little as two to three days from the time of incorporation.
  • The following hard bound copy of corporate documents, will be posted to you upon formation of your company limited by guarantee: -

  • An original certificate of incorporation;
  • A hard bound copy of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • The minutes of the first meeting of the board of directors;
  • A completed register of directors and members;
  • An elegant printed membership certificates;
  • A pliers seal.
  • The general power of attorney signed by a nominee director (additional fee applies);
  • Pre-signed, undated resignation letter from a nominee director;
  • The agreement for the provision of a nominee service and indemnification of nominee.
  • This is our most popular package with international customers, and includes: -

  • The formation of a company limited by guarantee usually takes as little as five to seven working days from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The registration your BVI company limited by guarantee from scratch using our registered agent & registered office address, and appoint our own candidates to the role of a nominee director and a nominee member;
  • The government and initiation fees for incorporation are included in the price of this package;
  • The search for a company name availability, confirmation, and reservation;
  • The preparation and submission of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • A local registered office address and a local registered agent for one year are included in the price of this package (our registered agent & office address service are charged annually);
  • The provision of a nominee director for 12 months is included in the price of this package (our nominee director service is charged annually);
  • A completed register of directors and members
  • The provision of a nominee member for 12 months is also included in the price of this package (our nominee member service is charged annually);

  • To receive an original of the certificate of incorporation from the Companies Registrar usually takes as little as two to three days from the time of incorporation.
  • The following hard bound copy of corporate documents, will be posted to you upon formation of your company limited by guarantee: -

  • An original certificate of incorporation;
  • A hard bound copy of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • The minutes of the first meeting of the board of directors;
  • A completed register of directors and members;
  • An elegant printed membership certificates;
  • A pliers seal.
  • Pre-signed, undated letters of resignation from a nominee director and a nominee member;
  • A general power of attorney signed by a nominee director (additional fee applies);
  • A declaration of trust from a nominee member;
  • An indemnity letter for the power of attorney;
  • A nominee agreement which provides for the indemnification of the nominees.
  • This is another one of our most popular packages for small and medium size businesses, such as those being run by a sole director from home, and for companies owned by overseas residents who still need a local registered office address, but would rather not open a local office in the UK;

    This package is often chosen by such customers, who are looking to minimise a sole director' personal liability (and who are not quite familiar with the UK corporate legislation), because this package includes thye provision of a nominee secretary for 12 months. This package is also includes: -

  • The registration your company from scratch using one of our registered office addresses, and appoint your own candidates to the roles of director, and shareholder;
  • The standard capital on formation is £1.00, this is divided into 1.00 ordinary share valued at £1.00 (a minimum of one share must be issued);
  • The formation of a limited company usually takes as little as four to six hours from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The government fee for incorporation is included in the price of this package;
    • The provision of a registered office address for 12 months is included in the price of this package (our registered office address service is charged annually);
    • The provision of a nominee secretary for 12 months is also included in the price of this package (our nominee secretary service is charged annually);

    The following hard bound copy of the corporate documents, will be send by post to you, upon formation of your private limited company: -

  • A laminated copy of the certificate of incorporation of your company;
  • A hard bound copy of the memorandum and articles of association;
  • A hard bound copy of the minutes of the first meeting of directors;
  • Share certificates, and your company register.
  • This is another one very popular package with worldwide customers, and includes: -

  • The formation of a limited partnership usually takes as little as five to seven working days from the time that your application and payment are received by Coddan;
  • The incorporation your BVI offshore limited partnership from scratch using our registered agent & registered office address, and appoint your own candidate to the role of a general partner;
  • The government and initiation fees for registration are included in the price of this package;
  • The search for a limited partnership name availability, confirmation, and reservation;
  • The preparation and submission of the partnership agreement;
  • A local registered office address and a local registered agent for 12 months are included in the price of this package (our registered agent & office address service are charged annually);
  • The provision of a nominee limited partner for one year is also included in the price of this package (our nominee limited partner service is charged annually);

  • To receive an original of the certificate of incorporation from the Companies Registrar usually takes as little as two to three days from the time of incorporation.
  • The following hard bound copy of corporate documents, will be posted to you upon formation of your offshore company: -

  • An original certificate of incorporation;
  • A hard bound copy of the partnership agreement;
  • The minutes of the first meeting of the board of partners;
  • A completed register of partners;
  • An elegant printed membership certificates;
  • A pliers seal;
  • The general power of attorney signed by a nominee limited partner (additional fee applies);
  • Pre-signed, undated resignation letter from a nominee limited partner;
  • The agreement for the provision of a nominee service and indemnification of nominee.
  • This is our most popular package with international customers, and includes: -

    This is our most popular package with international customers, and includes: -

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    Company Formation Home Page  >>  Companies Formations Guidance & FAQs >>  FAQs: Company Formations

    IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF COMPANY?

    There are five main types of company:

    Private company limited by shares - members' liability is limited to the amount unpaid on shares they hold. Private company limited by guarantee - members' liability is limited to the amount they have agreed to contribute to the company's assets if it is wound up. Private unlimited company - there is no limit to the members' liability. Public limited company (PLC) - the company's shares may be offered for sale to the general public and members' liability is limited to the amount unpaid on shares held by them. Limited liability partnership - the limited liability partnership (LLP) is essentially a general partnership in form, with one important difference. Unlike a general partnership, in which individual partners are liable for the partnership's debts and obligations, an LLP provides each of its individual partners protection against personal liability for certain partnership liabilities.

    Company formations. Whether you are starting a new business, setting up a subsidiary or a trading company, creating a new company is an exciting exercise. We can guide you through the process of incorporation and registration, regardless of whether you require a plc, a private limited company or a company for name protection purposes. We can ensure that your company is set up to meet the needs of both the shareholders and the company and that all potential requirements will be considered, for example those of lenders. To save you time and money in the future, we will ensure your new company is tailored to your exact requirements.

    Important Links

    Coddan is one of the foremost and most economical providers of limited companies formation and new business entity registration services in the UK. Coddan is a leading company set-up agent that has expertise in off the shelf companies, ready-made companies, own name company formation as well as company search, credit checking, company secretarial, accounting and bookkeeping, tax advice & charity registration. Simple cost effective limited company set-up. No paper forms to complete, all information provided electronically. Coddan offer a range of services for business, including business company set-up, virtual office services, mailing address, and company secretarial services.
    Suggested Reading
     starting company  company formations 







    WHO CAN FORM A COMPANY?

    The Companies Act generally allows one or more persons to form a company for any lawful purpose by subscribing to its Memorandum of Association. However, a public company or an unlimited company must have at least two subscribers.

    WHAT IS A MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION?

    The Memorandum of Association is one of a number of documents required to incorporate a company. This document sets out: the company's name. Where the registered office of the company is situated (in England, Wales or Scotland). What it will do (its objects). The object of a company may simply be to carry on business as a general commercial company.

    Other clauses to be included in the memorandum depend on the type of company being incorporated. The form of Memorandum for each type of company is set out in a set of tables called The Companies Regulations, 1985. The company's Memorandum delivered to the Registrar MUST be signed by each subscriber in front of a witness who MUST attest the signature.

    WHAT IS A FORM 10?

    Form 10 gives details of the first directors, secretary and the intended address of the registered office. As well as their names and addresses, the company's directors must give their date of birth, occupation and details of other directorships they have held within the last five years. Each officer appointed and each subscriber (or their agent) must sign and date the form. Officers acting as both director and secretary. The same person can be both a director and company secretary, provided there is another director. A sole director cannot also be the company secretary.

    WHAT IS A REGISTERED OFFICE?

    It is the address of a company to which Companies House letters and reminders will be sent. The registered office can be anywhere in England and Wales (or Scotland if your company is registered there). The registered office must always be an effective address for delivering documents to the company, and to avoid delays it is important that all correspondence sent to this address is dealt with promptly. If a company changes its registered office address after incorporation, the new address must be notified to Companies House on Form 287.

    Companies House uses the Post Office address file to verify addresses; so, to avoid delays, please ensure that your proposed registered office address is recognised by the Post Office and always give the correct postcode on forms sent for registration.

    WHAT IS THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF OFFICERS A COMPANY REQUIRES?

    Every company must have formally appointed company officers at all times. A private company must have at least: one director; one secretary - formal qualifications are not required. A company's sole director CANNOT also be the company secretary. A public company must have at least: two directors and one secretary. After incorporation, you must tell Companies House about:

    The appointment of a new officer - use Form 288a. An officer's resignation from the company - use Form 288b. Changes in an officer's name or address or any of the other details originally registered on Form 10 - use Form 288c.

    CAN ANYONE BE A COMPANY DIRECTOR?

    Starting Business EnglandOur Service for Non-UK Residents LTD Benefits Coddan Home Page

    General Advantages of UK Private Limited Companies:

    1. Liability is, in the vast majority of cases, strictly limited to the investments made by the shareholders.
    2. Company Officers are not personally liable for their actions unless there is a clear and serious breach of their fiduciary duty.
    3. Limited companies often benefit from greater prestige than their sole proprietorship or partnership counterparts. The reason is because such an enterprise normally requires more planning and thus is deemed more credible.
    4. Limited companies often benefit from significant tax advantages. In fact, many countries around the world give exclusive tax incentives to this type of entity.
    5. The rights of shareholders are normally clearly defined and protected.
    6. Corporate taxes only become payable after the end of the financial year. This means money that would otherwise be taxed on a monthly or quarterly basis, is available to earn further interest before the final payment of tax.
    7. You need only appoint one Director and one Shareholder.
    8. Directors can be corporate bodies or private individuals.
    9. A Director can be of any nationality.
    10. All companies must appoint a company Secretary who can be of any nationality.


    Call any one of our offices:

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    United Kingdom Contact +44 (0) 207.935.5171

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    Northern Ireland Contact +44 (0) 289.099.8744

    E-Mail Contactinfo@ukincorp.co.uk
    In general terms, YES, but there are some rules. You can't be a company director if:

    You are an undischarged bankrupt or disqualified by a court from holding a directorship, unless given leave to act in respect of a particular company or companies. In the case of PLCs or their subsidiaries, you are over 70 years of age or reach 70 years of age while in office, unless you are appointed or re-appointed by resolution of the company in general meeting of which special notice has been given.

    There is no minimum age limit in the Companies Act for a director to be appointed in England and Wales. However, he or she must be able to consent to their own appointment. You should seek legal advice if you intend to have a very young person as a director of your company.

    In Scotland the Registrar will not register for any company the appointment of a director under the age of 16 years old. A child below that age does not have the legal capacity to accept a directorship - Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991. If you need more information, contact Companies House, Edinburgh.

    WHAT IS A FORM 12?

    Form 12 is a statutory declaration of compliance with all the legal requirements relating to the incorporation of a company. It must be signed by a solicitor who is forming the company, or by one of the people named as a director or company secretary on Form 10. It must be signed in the presence of a commissioner for oaths, a notary public, a justice of the peace or a solicitor.

    WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DOCUMENTS SENT TO THE REGISTRAR?

    All company formation documents are subject to certain checks including checks of prospective officers against the disqualified directors' register. The Registrar then keeps the documents delivered to him and makes them available for public inspection.

    WHAT IS A SINGLE MEMBER COMPANY?

    A single member company is a private company, limited by shares or by guarantee, which is incorporated with one member, or whose membership is reduced to one person.

    CAN A SINGLE MEMBER RUN THE COMPANY?

    No. The company must still have at least one director and a secretary who cannot also be the sole director.

    HOW CAN A SINGLE MEMBER HOLD GENERAL MEETINGS?

    Unless the company's Articles of Association specify anything to the contrary, a single member - present in person or by proxy - constitutes a quorum. If such a meeting is held, it must be recorded in the minutes.

    HOW SHOULD A COMPANY RECORD AN UNWRITTEN CONTRACT WITH A SOLE MEMBER?

    If the company enters into an unwritten contract with the sole member who is also a director of the company (and the contract is not in the ordinary course of the company's business), the company must ensure that the terms of the contract are set out in a memorandum or are recorded in the minutes of the next directors' meeting.

    WHAT ABOUT THE REGISTER OF MEMBERS?

    A company's register of members must accurately record its members. If a company is incorporated with one member, then the register must reflect this. If the company originally had more than one member and the membership reduces, then the register must show when this happened. Similarly, the appropriate entries must be made in the register of members if the number of members later increases.

    PUBLICATION OF COMPANY NAME AND DETAILS TO BE SHOWN ON COMPANY STATIONERY

    Under the Companies Act 1985 your company must state its name (as it appears in its Memorandum of Association) in certain places and on its business stationery. Your company must also give certain information on all its business letters and order forms.

    WHERE MUST THE COMPANY NAME BE DISPLAYED?

    Every company must paint or affix its name on the outside of every office or place in which its business is carried on - even if it is a director's home. The name must be kept painted or affixed and it must be both conspicuous and legible.

    ON WHICH DOCUMENTS MUST THE COMPANY NAME BE SHOWN?

    The company must state its name, in legible lettering, on the following:

    All the company's business letters. All its notices and other official publications. All bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques and orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by, or on behalf of, the company. All its bills of parcels, invoices, receipts and letters of credit.

    MUST DIRECTORS' NAMES BE SHOWN?

    A company does not have to state the directors' names on its business letters but if it chooses to do so it must state the names of all its directors. In other words a company cannot be selective about which directors' names it shows - it must show all of them or none of them.

    WHAT INFORMATION DOES COMPANIES HOUSE REQUIRE?

    Company directors have a personal responsibility for making information about the capital structure, management and activities of their companies available both to the members of the company and to the general public. For companies with limited liability, this will include accounts. If your company is unlimited, accounts must be delivered to the registrar if:

    It is a subsidiary undertaking or parent of a limited company. or, it has been a banking or insurance company or operated a trading stamp scheme during the period covered by the accounts.

    WHAT PERIOD SHOULD THE ACCOUNTS COVER?

    A company's first accounts must start on the day of incorporation. The first financial year must end on the "accounting reference date" or a date up to seven days either side of this date. Subsequent accounts start on the day following the year-end date of the previous accounts. They end on the next "accounting reference date" or a date up to seven days either side.

    HOW IS THE ACCOUNTING REFERENCE DATE SET?

    The accounting reference date is the date in each year to which accounts will be drawn up. The date depends on the date of incorporation, as it is the last day of the month in which the anniversary of incorporation falls. For example, if your company is incorporated on 2 July this year, the accounting reference date will be 31 July, and its first financial year must end on 31 July next year (or within seven days of that date).

    WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T SEND THE INFORMATION TO COMPANIES HOUSE ON TIME?

    It is easy to lose confidence in a company that doesn't meet its legal obligations. If you don't tell us about your company's financial state on time, and you don't send in details of changes, anyone wanting to do business with you will not have access to the most up-to-date information about your company. It could cause trading problems or affect your company's credit rating. It could even stop a potential investor from putting money into your company, or prevent you from getting a loan when you need it.

    If your accounts are delivered late, there is an automatic penalty. This is between £100.00 and £1,000.00 for a private company and between £500.00 and £5,000.00 for a PLC.

    In addition, directors may be prosecuted for not filing certain documents. If convicted, they will have a criminal record and be liable for a fine of up to £5,000.00 for each offence. In some cases, they could also be disqualified from being a company director or taking part in the management of a company for up to five years.
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