What is the purpose of
this address?
Company Addresses Explained
We have created a simple guide to assist our new customers in understanding
the difference between the various addresses used in company formation.
We also explain our company address services, that are available to our customers
to maintain the privacy of their home address and enhance their corporate image.
Please call our friendly 24/7 Customer Service Team if you need advice.
The company addresses
Registered
Office
Service
Address
Business
Address
It is a company's official address for receiving government mail
It is a company officer's1 official address for receiving government mail
It is the address where all general business mail will be received
Do I need this address to set up
a limited company or LLP?
a limited company or LLP?
Yes
Yes
No
Is this address displayed on public
record at Companies House?
record at Companies House?
Yes
Yes
No
What type of mail is
sent to this address?
sent to this address?
Official mail addressed to the company from UK government bodies and Court documents
Official mail addressed to a company officer from UK government bodies and Court documents
General business mail (from banks. suppliers, customers, etc.)
Do I have to display this address
on my website and stationery?
on my website and stationery?
Yes
Yes
It is not a legal requirement, however, in practice YES2
- Company Officer: This can be a director, company secretary or a shareholder who is also a person with significant control (PSC).
- Business Address Service: There is no legal requirement to display a business address on a company's website or stationery; however, it is an essential business practice to let people know your business location.
Our company address services
Registered Office
Service
Service Address
Service
Business Address
Service
Why would I want to purchase this
address service?
address service?
- It is a legal requirement
- To keep your home address private
- To enhance your corporate image
- It is a legal requirement
- To keep your home address private
- To enhance your business image
- To keep your home address private
How is mail forwarded to me?
Scan and email
Scan and email
Post or
scan and email
scan and email
Does the forwarding of mail
incur an additional charge?
incur an additional charge?
No
No
Yes3
How many services do I need to
purchase?
purchase?
One per company
One per officer
(per company)
(per company)
One per company
What company formation packages is
this address service included?
this address service included?
Can I buy this service without
purchasing a formation package?
purchasing a formation package?
Yes
Yes
Yes
How much does this
address service cost?
address service cost?
£39.00 per year
£26.00 per year
£96.00 per year
How much does it cost
to renew this service annually?
to renew this service annually?
£39.00 per year
£26.00 per year
£96.00 per year
- Business Address Service: The forwarding of mail by scan and email is charged at £0.50 per letter. Mail forwarded by post is charged at the Royal Mail postal charge plus 15% handling fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Registered Office?
A registered office is the statutory address of a limited company or LLP. You must provide registered office details for Companies House when you incorporate a company or LLP in the UK.
Government agencies (such as Companies House and HMRC), will then post all of your official company mail to this address. It will also be disclosed on the public register of companies.
A registered office must be a full physical address (not a PO Box Number) that is situated in the UK jurisdiction where a company or LLP is registered, which will be England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
What is official government mail?
Official government mail is classified as mail from any UK government body, as well as Court documents.
Can I use the Registered Office service as my service address?
No. Company directors, shareholders (who are also persons with significant control), and company secretaries must each provide Companies House with a service address which will be displayed on the public register.
If you would like to use our London address for this purpose you must purchase a separate Service Address for each individual officer.
Can I use the Registered Office service to receive other business-related mail?
No. Our Registered Office service can only be used for the receipt and forwarding of UK government mail and Court documents. However, our London address is available to use for general business correspondence via our Business Address service.
Purchasing this service will allow you to have all general business mail delivered to our address and then forwarded to an address of your choice.
Why does the forwarding of business mail incur an additional charge?
Unlike the registered office and service addresses (where the amount of mail received on an annual basis is a known quantity), we have no idea just how much business mail we will receive for each client.
For example, we could be processing and forwarding several items of mail on a daily basis and so we have to charge for the postage, as the cost of the postage would far outstrip the annual service fee.
Is it more expensive to renew address services?
No, the initial cost of our address services is the same as the renewal cost, as you can see above.
However, we do heavily discount our services (including addresses, VAT registration, etc.) if they are purchased as part of our company formation packages.