A certificate of incorporation is something all businesses get when they register with Companies House. If you want to do business legally in the UK, you need to register and therefore you should have a certificate of incorporation.
How to get a certificate of incorporation
In the UK, the process of incorporation is also known as company formation. It simply refers to the process of registering your business with the national registrar of companies, Companies House.
In order to obtain a certificate of incorporation, you therefore need to go through the various steps to register your business.
Most businesses in the UK are limited companies, which means they are able to employ people and their owners do not need to necessarily live in the country. To register as a limited company, you must:
- Have a name and address for the company
- Register with Companies House
- Appoint at least one director
- Have at least one shareholder
- Agree articles of association
- Set up your company for corporation tax with HMRC
Find out more about limited company formation here.
Once you’ve registered your business, it will be reviewed for approval by Companies House. Once approved, a certificate of incorporation will be issued and sent to you.
NOTE: Your registered address doesn’t need to be the address you live or operate at. You can use a registered address service like Company Address to obtain a prestigious city centre address, which gives a good impression of your business and means, especially if you’re working from home, your actual address isn’t on public record.
What does a certificate of incorporation mean?
To incorporate a company means that it is recognised by UK law as an active business.An incorporated company is viewed as a separate entity to its owners, bringing many benefits such as keeping finances matters separate.
As a director of your incorporated company, you’ll also be an employee of that company which means personal and business income are separate when it comes to paying tax.
Your certificate of incorporation is recognition that your company has been incorporated.
What information is shown on the certificate of incorporation?
Your certificate of incorporation includes the following information:
- Your company number
- Your company name
- Recognition that you are incorporated under the Companies Act 2006
- The official seal of the registrar of companies
- The proposed registered office address
- The names and details of company directors
- The allocation of shares
- The memorandum of association, which recognises your agreement to form the company under the Companies Act and for each director to take at least one share
- The date of incorporation
What do I need to do with my certificate of incorporation?
The certificate of incorporation is a recognition of your company registration. It is kept on public file and can be accessed by anyone via the Companies House database or third party providers like Company Check.
You may be asked to provide your certificate of incorporation when applying for business loans or as part of any due diligence processes relating to investment or business support. Aside from that, simply retain it on your records.
Where can I find a copy of my certificate of incorporation?
Your certificate is held on public record. You will receive a digital copy of it when you first register but if you cannot find that, it is easy to access via the Companies House database or third party providers like Company Check.
published under Starting a Business
