Changes to UK company law

Changes will be made to UK company law on 4 March 2024.

Aimed at giving Companies House greater powers to to query information and undertake stronger checks on company names, the changes are as follows:

• new rules for registered office addresses i.e. no more PO BOX addresses, and third-party agent’s addresses are still permitted upon meeting certain prescribed criteria. Companies that do not have an appropriate registered office address could be struck off the register;

• a requirement for all companies to supply a registered email address – this email address will not be published on the public register. Existing companies will need to give a registered email address when they file their next confirmation statement with a statement date from 5 March 2024. Companies will have a duty to maintain an appropriate registered email address, in the same way as their registered office address. Any company that fails do this will be committing an offence;

• new lawful purpose statements – when a new company is incorporated from 4 March 2024, the subscribers (shareholders) will need to confirm that they will be forming the company for a lawful purpose. They will also need to confirm that the company’s intended future activities are lawful on the prescribed confirmation statement. The intention of these new statements is to make it clear that all companies on the register, new and existing, have a duty to operate in a lawful way.

For more information, read the Companies House blogs, here and also here.

If you need any further information or legal advice, including conveyancing of a property in England, please contact our designated UKRE team Anna Douglass, Alastair Hargreaves, Caren Vidamour and Naledi Odiseng who will be delighted to assist.