Company Secretarial
If you run a limited company, you already know there is more to it than sales and cashflow. Directors have legal duties. Some are obvious. Others only surface when something goes wrong. Company secretarial compliance sits firmly in that second category.
Get it right and it ticks along quietly in the background. Ignore it and you can find yourself dealing with penalties, rejected filings, or awkward questions from a bank or investor. We help you stay on top of it without it becoming a distraction.
Managing Your Company Secretarial Properly
Why This Still Deserves Attention
It is easy to treat Companies House filings as routine admin. In many ways they are.
But your public record is exactly that. Public.
Lenders review it. Professional advisers review it. Potential buyers certainly review it.
If details are out of date, even by accident, it does not create a good impression.
More importantly, directors are personally responsible for ensuring filings are accurate and submitted on time.
The Core Legal Requirements
Every limited company must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months. This confirms that the information held at Companies House is correct at the review date. It must be submitted within 14 days of that date, even if there have been no changes. Alongside that annual obligation, certain changes must be reported as they happen.
Changes That Must Be Filed
|
|
|
|
|
|
None of this is technically complex. The issue is timing. Changes happen during busy periods. Paperwork gets left. Deadlines pass.
That is usually when we receive the call.
Some companies only need a light touch. Others prefer us to handle everything. We offer both.
Two Levels of Support
Confirmation Statement Filing Service
This option works well for companies with stable ownership and few structural changes.
You deal with day-to-day updates during the year. We take care of the annual confirmation statement.
In practice:
We contact you before your review date
We send a summary of your current Companies House information
You confirm what is correct or tell us what has changed
We file the confirmation statement
If you would rather we file additional changes during the year, we can do so for an agreed fee.
This keeps the cost controlled while removing the risk of missing the annual deadline.
Full Company Secretarial Service
For businesses that are growing, bringing in shareholders, or regularly updating directors, the more comprehensive service is often the better fit.
We effectively become your company secretarial point of contact.
During the year we:
Prepare and file director and PSC updates within statutory deadlines
Maintain your statutory registers electronically
Monitor your confirmation statement review period
Track your accounting reference date
Send draft filings for approval before submission
If routine filings are required, they are covered within an agreed annual fee. If something more involved arises, such as a share allotment or restructuring, we discuss it with you first and agree the scope.
This level suits directors who prefer not to think about Companies House unless absolutely necessary.
How We Work With Clients
We start by reviewing your existing Companies House record and obtaining the relevant authentication codes. After that, most communication is straightforward. A short email when something changes. A quick call if context is needed. Because we are already advising on accounts and tax, company secretarial updates are not dealt with in isolation. A share transfer, for example, may have wider tax consequences. We consider those before anything is filed. That joined-up thinking is often where the real value sits.
Where Problems Commonly Arise
In our experience, PSC updates are one of the most overlooked areas. A share transfer can push someone above or below the 25 percent threshold. If the PSC register is not updated correctly, the public record becomes inaccurate. It is rarely deliberate. It is usually timing. We watch those trigger points carefully.
Speak to a VAT Specialist
If you're looking for ongoing compliance support and help with specific VAT questions, we work with businesses that value having a relationship with their accountant and want access to practical VAT consultancy services when they need them. We make sure your VAT position is clear, your obligations are met, and you have the support you need as your business moves forward.