0207 608 5500
Company Name Change
Looking to change your registered company name? Electronically submit a name change today, with no hassle.
What Is a Company Name Change:
A company name change is when a company decides to change their legally registered name, the one that exists on the Companies House register. Even a small name change to the registered name must be filed with Companies House; for example, if you wish to go from JS Limited to John S Limited.
Note: Your registered name is not the same as your business name or trading name, you may change your business name or trading name as you please, as long as your company includes its registered name on all official documentation.
How It's Done:
- Check whether your name is available on our company name checker
- Purchase your chosen package
- Submit the new name electronically via your account
- Once accepted, you will receive a Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name
If you purchase the package and the name is not available you will be able to pick a new one, free of charge.
Our Frequently Asked Questions
On the right, you will find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
If you still can't find the answer to your question, why not try our virtual assistant?
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Still have questions? Call us on 020 7608 5500 or contact us and our team will assist you.
If your new company name contains a sensitive word, for example "King", you will not be able to change the company name with online filing. Instead, you will need to use a paper submission along with the necessary supporting documents. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer assistance with paper submissions.
As soon as Companies House has accepted the name change, the new company name is entered on the register in place of the old name and a 'Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name' is available to download from your online account. This certificate states both the previous and new company name and the date that the new name came into effect. The company number remains the same.
You will need to update HMRC with your new company name (Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE). You will also need to update your bank, customers, suppliers, service providers, relevant authorities and other business contacts. Finally, don't forget to update your company stationery, signage, website and domain name as well.
We highly recommend that you check the availability of your new company name via our company name search tool before placing an order. If, however, the company name is submitted but not approved by Companies House, you can resubmit another company name at no additional fee.
For more information, please click here.
It usually takes around 3 working days to change a company name on the Companies House register, this is subject to their workload. A same day guaranteed service is available if this is needed urgently.
The people that are required to provide ID will be the account holder, the director's and the People with Significant Control (PSCs). This is line with legislation that everyone considered having significant influence or control over a company and thus are the important decision makers will need to be ID checked.
Companies House will be enforcing this as of Late 2023 through the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
All officers of a company must be ID verified prior to an application (or request) being sent across to Companies House for approval.
With the help of Credas' digital ID software, our free online ID check is very simple to complete. You will just require:
- Government-issued photo ID, i.e. passport or driving licence (not expired)
- Proof of residential address issued with the last 3 months / annual statement, i.e. bank statement, utility bill, etc
- A device with the ability to take a live selfie such as a webcam or camera phone.
During the online ID verification, Credas' facial recognition technology will check if you are present and determine whether your face (selfie) matches the photo on your ID.
For a full guide please visit Proof of ID and Address Requirements [Comprehensive Guide].
We have a number of different articles available to assist you with troubleshooting any problems you may have. Please view them on the following link:
Any other queries or assistance required, please contact our ID Compliance team at [email protected].
- Select ‘I need to verify ID for someone else'.
- Enter the email address of the officer being verified and click the Send validation link button.
- An email with the validation link has now been sent to the officer’s email address. The officer must open the link and follow the on-screen instructions to verify their identity.
For a full walkthrough please visit here.
We will be unable to activate or provide any services to customers (or companies) unable to complete our ID checks.
A Confirmation Statement (CS01 form) is a snapshot of general information about a company's directors, secretary (where one has been appointed), registered office address, shareholders, share capital and people with significant control.
Every company must file a confirmation statement to Companies House at least once every 12 months. The window for filing the confirmation statement must be within 14 days after the anniversary of incorporation or of the made-up date of the last confirmation statement. You can file as many as you want during the year.
Yes, you will be able to use our Confirmation Statement service even if you did not form through us. You will first need to import your company onto our system which is a very easy process. The import is located on your dashboard, once you are logged in. You will need your company number and web filing authentication code. The Authentication Code is sent to the company's registered office address. You can request it to be resent if you do not have it.
Companies House may start the process of striking off your company if your Confirmation Statement is late. Late penalty fines do not apply to an overdue Confirmation Statement.
If you want to keep your company open, you should submit any overdue filing obligations as quickly as possible.
You will be able to update the following:
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code
- Statement of capital
- Trading status of shares
- Exemption from keeping a PSC register
- Shareholder information
For more information about what can and cannot be changed and when to do so please visit:
What Information can be updated within a Confirmation Statement?
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