Companies House of the UK Government is an executive agency vested with the power of granting registration to private companies/ dissolve private limited companies in UK, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Companies House provides a ‘Certificate of Incorporation’ to the private limited companies after successful reviewing of the company details and structure. Such a certificate verifies the legal existence of the company containing the date of incorporation and a unique company registration number.
Besides its role in company registration, Companies House also has some additional responsibilities:
1. Company search services: Companies House maintains a detailed account and information of all companies within UK jurisdiction. If an individual wants relevant information on a particular private limited company, he/she can simply log on to the Company House Services to view their database.
2. Company filing services: If an owner wants to pay registration charges or update any changes made in the company structure or its shareholders, he or she may do so online using the WebFiling facility of Companies House.
3. Information Centers: Companies House has four information centers in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast, where individuals can visit physically for any documentation or information.
Company Incorporation
Common types of company incorporation in UK
1. Public Limited Company (PLC): The ownership belongs to public and anyone can buy company shares.
2. Private Limited Company or Company limited by shares: The Company is owned by a number of shareholders who hold full liability for any losses or company debts.
3. Unlimited Company: Unlike limited company, the shareholders in these companies do not have any formal restrictions on payment in case of formal liquidation.
4. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): Each shareholder in the company has limited liability for any company debt, according to share contribution.
