Reply to: Agency requesting list of my Ltd Co's shareholders & directors

[Sausage Surprise]

Not usual.
If you get one and deliver it you could spoof it.
Surely they would be better getting it direct, or using a free service like :
Company Check | Free Companies House search and download

That's what I was thinking.

[Taita]

Yeah I was thinking more for monitoring clients, end customers, agencies, etc. Unusually late filing could signal a problem or it could be nothing, but useful to flag up.

Or you give your (little) list to your accountant and ask him to delegate a minion to alert you to things of interest!

[Contreras]

You could search your filing history for previous returns, compare the dates, and also check the actual due date in the company profile.

CH send emails to remind you anyway, IIRC.

Yeah I was thinking more for monitoring clients, end customers, agencies, etc. Unusually late filing could signal a problem or it could be nothing, but useful to flag up.

[kingcook]

If someone wants to develop an app that would alert for late company returns compared to previous years (not necessarily overdue), now _that_ would be useful as an early warning system.

You could search your filing history for previous returns, compare the dates, and also check the actual due date in the company profile.

CH send emails to remind you anyway, IIRC.

[Contreras]

Permanent URL for any co.: http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/nnnnnnnn (replace nnnnnnnn with co. number)

Worth mentioning (again) that you can set up a monitor list where CH will mail notification of documents filed for any company. Semi-useful at least to monitor your own co. if nothing else.

You can even develop your own apps, see: https://developer.companieshouse.gov.uk/

If someone wants to develop an app that would alert for late company returns compared to previous years (not necessarily overdue), now _that_ would be useful as an early warning system.

[kingcook]

Good to see this finally getting some attention. I attended a hack day years ago (2009 in fact) where one of the participants hacked together a more modern Companies House website:

Companies Open House - National Hack the Government Day, 2009 - Rewired State

Back then, the website didn't even work 24/7. I don't know if the old one still works like this but it was ridiculous.

Not sure about the old one, but the new one is 24/7. You can even develop your own apps, see: https://developer.companieshouse.gov.uk/

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Why, thank you

Good to see this finally getting some attention. I attended a hack day years ago (2009 in fact) where one of the participants hacked together a more modern Companies House website:

Companies Open House - National Hack the Government Day, 2009 - Rewired State

Back then, the website didn't even work 24/7. I don't know if the old one still works like this but it was ridiculous.

[unixman]

Not usual.
If you get one and deliver it you could spoof it.
Surely they would be better getting it direct, or using a free service like :
Company Check | Free Companies House search and download

Lol. Many companies listed like "net worth: minus 5 million...",

[unixman]

I think company directors are public knowledge, not sure about shareholders. Sounds like the agent wanted you to be his little helper. Nothing wrong with that if you have the time.

[Taita]

Interview went well, agency confirmed offer by email.

Prior to raising the contract, agency want the usual plethora of 'evidence' to prove my legal legitimacy.

One item demanded, which I haven't been asked for by agencies previously, is a list of my Ltd Co's shareholders & directors, in the form of an official document generated by the companies house website - is this an unusual demand?

Sounds like the Agency's legal wallahs are trying to cover some aspect of the recent intermediaries rules.

The info they request is not private or confidential and if they really want to cover their bums they should get it directly from Companies House. As others here say; anything you provide could be concocted. However, if you have given them a statement, a box will have been ticked and (maybe) that is enough for a defence against wrongdoing, on their part, under the legislation.

Their legal beagles probably do not realise they can obtain shareholder info for free!

Put the paranoia to one side, send an email giving the answer (or a copy of your annual return) and enjoy the gig......

[kingcook]

That's a well designed government website that works

Why, thank you

[eek]

You can also lookup the names of directors of a company on CH's new beta service

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/

That's a well designed government website that works

[kingcook]

You can also lookup the names of directors of a company on CH's new beta service

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/

[Contreras]

Dug my heels in. An hour later he informed me agency is ok to proceed without it.

wtf?

The prospect of losing his commission may have had something to do with it.

[haggaredOldGit]

Called the agent, made it clear I wasn't comfortable supplying the companies house report. He argued the info is in the public realm anyway - to which I responded you guys are welcome to source the same info from whatever public sources you see fit. When queried, he didn't know why the info was being requested, said it was a directive from 'legal', that Ltd Co contractors must supply this info to the agency as a prerequisite to raising a contract. Dug my heels in. An hour later he informed me agency is ok to proceed without it.

wtf?