Address for LTD company

[Palkos]

Hi

I have short question to ask: if I plan to start LTD company in UK do I have to specify company address?
I am not an owner of any property and at the moment I rent the flat I live in.
Do I need to ask my landlord for any permission to register LTD company under my current address?
Are there any other options available?

Thanks for your help in advance...

[SueEllen]

Yes you do need to have an registered office address as a legal requirement.

You can have two different addresses, one is the registered address and the other is the trading address.

The registered address is the place where all official paperwork and where people such as members of the public can contact you if they don't have your trading address.

The trading address is used by HMRC VAT and others to contact you quickly.

The registered address can be an accountant or a company who supplies office services. They may charge you an extra yearly fee to forward official post to you.

The trading address is generally where you live. (Though you could use a relation's address.) Lots of landlords will not have an issue if you state you run your own business, you sometimes work from home doing clerical work and sometimes receive post in your company name. They will have an issue if you move out then don't redirect your post and don't update people with your address details so you flood them with mail.

[northernladuk]

Most contractor accounts will offer you a service to have your LTD registered at their address. SJD do it for 100 quid or so a year.

[Safe Collections]

A registered office can be anywhere, no legal requirement exists for you to own or be resident at the property. You could use a relatives address or a trusted friend.

We know of one individual who runs his numerous insolvent businesses from post boxes that he lists as "Unit 8" instead of PO Box 8. But he might not be the person to model your company on...

[Mupps]

Use your accountant's address, then all HMRC mail goes to them and they deal with it. I never even see any scary post. I just get sent stuff to sign as and when.

[Wanderer]

The registered address is the place where all official paperwork and where people such as members of the public can contact you if they don't have your trading address.

The trading address is used by HMRC VAT and others to contact you quickly.

Just watch it if you give HMRC your residential address because they will send you letters to that address sometimes which may make the landlord nervous thinking you are running a business out of the rented accommodation. Try and get it all sent to your accountant if you can.

Watch out if you use SJD accountants though, they have a habit of returning stuff to sender without opening it....

[SimonMac]

Rather than start a new thread I will bump this one, I thought one of the legal requirements was to have a copy of your accounts so HMRC can view them at your registered address, is this a myth that they can turn up and demand to see the documentation?!

[Contreras]

Rather than start a new thread I will bump this one, I thought one of the legal requirements was to have a copy of your accounts so HMRC can view them at your registered address, is this a myth that they can turn up and demand to see the documentation?!

It's not a myth. They can (and do, apparently, on occasion) turn up on spec. at your home address if that is your registered office.

However I understand that you can just say it's inconvenient and that you would be happy to make an appointment to meet at your accountant's office*, and (as I understand it) HMRC are usually accommodating to this. Furthermore it is questionable whether they have any right to enter a domestic residence for the purpose of a routine enquiry even though YourCo has an office there.

* Of course, those without an accountant would need to make other arrangements.

[SimonMac]

So I take it they are more likely to send you a letter saying they want the information rather than just turning up?

[SarahL2012]

So I take it they are more likely to send you a letter saying they want the information rather than just turning up?

They should try and make an appointment if they want to see you face to face. The only time they can turn up unannounced and insist on entry is if they think there is a serious fraud or you've not kept scheduled appointments - ie/ if they think there is something dodgy going on. I'm pretty sure they need a court order to do this though. Even then they don't have right of access to your home, just any element of it that is used for business purposes. So if you store all of your records in a box room in your house then squeeze them in there - although personally I would prefer to have them off-site at my accountants office.

Saying that there are a fair few instances of them turning up 'on spec' at company / home addresses but then you can politely ask them to book an appointment & they should go away.

Back in my old permie life (finance not IT) we bought a number of companies with some old tax issues in them. On at least 2 instances HMRC scheduled an on-site investigation which was then cancelled when they were happy with the information we sent them. I think as long as you show willing then they are less likely to do a site visit.