Company Secretarial: The Compliance Foundation Investors Actually Check
Company secretarial covers the statutory obligations every limited company must meet. Confirmation statements. Registered office address. Officer appointments and resignations. The PSC register. Share allotments. These are the administrative foundations that keep your company legally compliant.
Most businesses only think about company secretarial when something goes wrong. The confirmation statement deadline passes. The PSC register doesn’t match the cap table. A director resigned six months ago but Companies House still shows them as active.
Here’s what many business owners don’t realise: if you’re raising investment, acquirers and investors will check your Companies House records as part of statutory due diligence. Late filings, incorrect PSC details, or messy share allotment history creates doubt before they’ve even looked at your numbers.
Clean statutory records sit alongside your business plan and cap table as proof that your business is well-run. They signal competence. They remove friction from the investment process. They show you take governance seriously.
FD Works handles this as part of the Organise tier. Every deadline tracked. Every filing made. Your statutory records stay clean whilst you focus on running the business.
Confirmation Statements: What They Are and What Happens If You Miss One
A confirmation statement is a filing with Companies House confirming your company’s statutory details are correct. Formerly called an annual return, it must be filed at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of your review period end date. The filing fee is £13 online or £40 by post.
What a confirmation statement covers
Your confirmation statement confirms the accuracy of:
- Officers and their details — directors, company secretary (if appointed), and their service addresses
- Registered office address — where official correspondence is sent
- Share capital and shareholders — issued shares and who holds them
- People with significant control (PSC register) — anyone who owns more than 25% of shares or voting rights
- SIC codes — the classification of your business activities
It doesn’t confirm financial information. That’s your annual accounts.
What happens if you don’t file
Companies House can begin strike-off proceedings against your company. If struck off, the company is dissolved. It ceases to exist. Assets pass to the Crown. You lose the company name.
Reinstatement is possible but involves court applications and significant cost. Far easier to file on time. FD Works tracks every deadline and files confirmation statements as part of the service. You never need to think about it.
Your Registered Office Address: Protecting Your Privacy Whilst Meeting the Rules
Every limited company must have a registered office address filed at Companies House. This is public record. Anyone can search it.
Many business owners use their home address. That means their personal address is visible to anyone searching Companies House. Marketing companies. Fraudsters. Disgruntled customers. Former employees. Anyone.
This is particularly relevant for sole-director businesses where the director’s home doubles as the registered office. Your personal address is exposed on a publicly searchable register.
How a registered office service works
FD Works provides a Bristol registered office address as part of the service. All Companies House correspondence comes to us. We handle it, forward what matters, and your home address stays off the public register.
The same applies to directors’ service addresses. These appear on the public register alongside residential addresses. Using our service address keeps your personal information private whilst meeting the legal requirement.
Your privacy protected. Your compliance maintained.
Raising Investment? Your Companies House Records Are Part of the Due Diligence
When investors or acquirers conduct due diligence, statutory records are amongst the first things checked. It’s basic hygiene that signals how well the business is run.
What investors look for:
- Up-to-date confirmation statements — no late filings, no gaps
- Correct officer details — current directors only, resigned officers removed
- Clean PSC register — reflecting current shareholding accurately
- Share allotment history — matching the cap table exactly
If your Companies House records don’t match your cap table, that’s a red flag before negotiations even begin. SEIS/EIS compliance requires accurate share records. Investors claiming tax relief need confidence that share allotments are properly documented and filed.
FD Works handles company secretarial alongside business planning, EMI schemes, and cap table management. Your statutory records, share structure, and financial model all tell the same story. Everything aligned. Everything investor-ready.
Included in Every FD Works Package
Organise
Company secretarial, confirmation statements, and registered office address are included as standard. Annual accounts, bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, and quarterly Health Checks. The compliance foundation — everything filed, every deadline met.
Understand
Everything in Organise, plus full monthly management accounts and review meetings. Your statutory records are maintained alongside the financial insight that drives decisions.
Advise
Everything in Understand, plus FD-level strategic support. For businesses raising investment, this tier combines company secretarial with cap table management, business plan and financial modelling, and investor reporting — every statutory and strategic element aligned.
Error protection: If we make a mistake, we pay for it. It’s never happened.
Confirmation Statements & Company Secretarial: Your Questions Answered
What is a confirmation statement?
A confirmation statement is a filing with Companies House that confirms your company’s statutory details are correct. It covers officers, registered office address, share capital, shareholders, and people with significant control (PSC register).
Formerly called an annual return, it must be filed at least once every 12 months. The filing fee is £13 online or £40 by post. Missing the deadline can trigger strike-off proceedings, so it’s essential to file on time.
Do I need an accountant for a confirmation statement?
You don’t legally need an accountant. You can file confirmation statements yourself through Companies House. However, if your accountant handles your company secretarial, confirmation statements are filed as part of the service — you never need to think about it.
FD Works includes confirmation statement filing in all service tiers. Deadlines are tracked automatically. Details are checked for accuracy. You focus on running the business.
How much is a confirmation statement in the UK?
The Companies House filing fee is £13 if filed online, or £40 by post. If you use an accountant or company secretarial service, this is typically included in their fees.
FD Works includes confirmation statement filing within the Organise tier, alongside all other compliance services. Contact us for a quote tailored to your business.
What happens if you don’t file a confirmation statement?
Companies House can begin strike-off proceedings against your company. If struck off, the company is dissolved — it ceases to exist, assets pass to the Crown, and you lose the company name.
Reinstatement is possible but involves court applications and significant cost. Late filing also creates red flags during investor due diligence. Prevention is far simpler than cure.
Can I use my home address as a registered office?
Yes, but it means your home address appears on the publicly searchable Companies House register. Anyone can find it — marketing companies, fraudsters, or anyone else with internet access.
FD Works provides a registered office address as part of the service, keeping your home address private whilst meeting the legal requirement.
What is company secretarial?
Company secretarial covers the statutory administration every limited company must maintain. This includes filing confirmation statements, maintaining the PSC register, recording officer appointments and resignations, managing share allotments, and keeping the registered office address current.
It’s the administrative foundation that keeps your company legally compliant and investor-ready.
Keep Your Statutory Records Clean. We’ll Handle It.
Start-ups and early-stage businesses
Getting your compliance right from the start? The Organise tier includes company secretarial, confirmation statements, and registered office address alongside all your core accounting needs.
Businesses raising investment
Need your statutory records aligned with your cap table and investor documentation? The Advise tier brings company secretarial together with business planning, cap table management, and investor reporting.
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