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The evolution of technology has helped entrepreneurs use the online platform to register their businesses. To register your business in the UK, you will use Form IN01 and send it to Companies House.
While this may seem like a straightforward process, any errors made on this document may delay the incorporation of your business. Here is a guide to help you understand the form and how to fill out Form IN01.
Form IN01 is an application form used to register a company. The form requires details of the company, the directors, the secretary, and the registered office address, essentially initiating the process of formally establishing a new company with the relevant authorities.
When a company is being formed, the directors/secretaries have to be appointed, and the registered office is decided.
In line with the current changes made by Companies House on May 1st, 2024, the paper company incorporation fees were increased to encourage applicants to adopt the electronic company formation process. The fees currently stand at £71 for a paper form and £50 for digital incorporation. If you want the same-day incorporation, you will have to pay £78.
How to complete Form IN01
There are many sections in the form, and we are going to help you understand every part to help you not make any mistakes when filling out the form.
Company name
In the first section, you will fill out your company’s information, such as the company name, type, business activity, registered office and address, articles of association, restricted company articles, and registered email address.
Before you fill out the proposed name of your company, look it up to ensure it is unique and distinctive from the existing registered company names. Since 2009, Companies House has been rejecting names that are similar to existing company names.
Company name restriction
In this section, you will have to tick the box if your proposed company name contains sensitive information or restricted words or expressions. These names will require seeking permission from the government or other specified bodies. Common sensitive words include National, Group, International, Holdings, British, and many more.
A list of sensitive or restricted words or expressions that require consent can be found in Companies House website.
Exemption from name ending with ‘Limited’ or ‘Cyfyngedig
Under the company name, you will also have to choose to apply for an exemption from the requirement to have the name ending with ‘Limited’, Cyfyngedig’, or a permitted alternative.
Company type
After the company name, the next step is to choose the company type. The most common company type is a private company limited by shares. The other company types include
· Public limited by shares
· Private limited by guarantee
· Private unlimited with share capital
· Private unlimited without share capital
Business activity
You must provide a trade classification code (SIC) or a description of your company’s main business activity in this section. A full list of the trade classification codes is available on the Companies House website.
Registered office address
Every company must have an ‘appropriate’ registered office address. This means that the address should be a physical location, able to receive correspondence, and be acknowledged by someone on behalf of the company. The registered office address must be in the same jurisdiction as the registered company; it is a requirement of Companies House.
Articles of association
The next part is the articles of association. This is the constitution for the company, a framework that sets out the procedures and protocol for holding meetings, making decisions, appointing and resigning directors, issuing shares, and much more.
Restricted company articles
Restricted company articles are those containing provisions for entrenchment. If you have the restricted company articles, you can tick the box in this part.
Registered email address
You must give one appropriate email address. An “appropriate email address” is the ordinary course of events; emails sent to it by the registrar would be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company.
Secretary
Private companies don't need to appoint a secretary; however, if they decide to appoint a company secretary, they must provide relevant details. Public companies must appoint at least one secretary.
Director
At least one individual should be appointed as a director in a private company. Public companies must appoint at least two directors, one of whom must be an individual. Information needed for the director includes their name, usual residential and service address, date of birth, and Section 243 exemption.
At the Section 243 exemption, you can only tick the box if you are in the process of applying for, or have been granted, exemption by the Registrar from disclosing your usual residential address to credit reference agencies under the Companies Act 2006.
If the director is a corporate body, you will have to provide the name of the firm, location, and registration number.
The statement of capital shows the currency, type (ordinary/preference), associated rights, and denomination of the company's shares. A company can hold more than one class of shares; each will have different rights and values.
Prescribed particulars of rights attached to shares are:
a) right to vote and any rights that arise in certain circumstances;
b) any rights pertaining to dividends and participation in distribution;
c) particulars of any rights, as respects capital, to participate in a distribution (including on winding up); and
d) the shares are redeemable at the company's or shareholder's option.
For the initial shareholder, the section should only be completed by companies incorporating with share capital. The company’s subscribers should be mentioned in alphabetical order.
This section is filled by subscribers of a company limited by guarantee. The following statement is being made by each person's name. Information needed includes their name, address, the amount guaranteed, and the class of members. You can only fill this section if your company has more than one class of members and subscribers who elect to keep information on the public register.
In this part, you have to fill out details of people with significant control or registrable relevant legal entities in respect of the company. If on incorporation, there will be someone who will count as a person with significant control (either a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity (RLE)) about the company, tick the box in H1, and complete any relevant sections.
The subscribers of a private company can agree to elect to keep certain information on the public register at Companies House, rather than keeping their own registers. Tick the appropriate box to show which information the subscribers are electing to keep on the public register.
In this section, the subscribers confirm that each of the persons named as a director or secretary has consented to act in that capacity.
In this section, confirm that each person named in this application as an individual PSC knows that their particulars are being supplied as part of this application.
Here, the subscribers admit that they wish to form the company for lawful purposes.
Complete this section if the application is not delivered by an agent for the subscribers of the memorandum of association.
With this guide, you can complete Form IN01 without making any mistakes. However, if you find it confusing, you can decide to appoint a company formation agent to help you with the whole process.
Icon Offices offer company formation services that help entrepreneurs seamlessly incorporate their business in the UK. We also offer virtual office addresses that can be used as your company’s registered office address, where correspondence will be sent, and we will receive it on your behalf. We will help you fill out Form IN01, so you won't have to worry about errors or delayed company formation.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].
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