When you set up a new business, there is lots to do and lots to think about. One of those things is deciding on your business address. Find out all you need to know about business addresses in the UK.
A business address is a vital component for setting up a Limited Company (LTD) or a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), but not if you opt for a partnership or sole tradership.
But it can get a bit confusing, so in this article we answer frequently asked questions about the business address here in the UK.
So let’s get right into it…
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What is a business address?
Generally speaking, your business address is the location of your business, where you get your business mail sent to, where customers or clients come to see you or where your employees do their work.
However, the term is also often used as an umbrella term, but there are different types, some of which you are legally obliged to have if you register your company with Companies House.
Registered Office Address
This is the address of your business that is registered with Companies House. It will be used for government bodies to send communications to, such as Companies House or HMRC. This address will be publicly displayed on record and must be legally shown on your website and stationary.
If you have an office or a shop, then you can use this address as your registered office.
Service address
This is the address of a company officer (a director, company secretary or shareholder) designated to receive government mail, such as communications from Companies House or HMRC.
It will be publicly displayed on record at the company house and must be legally shown on your website and stationary.
It can be the same as the registered address and all company officers can have the same.
Business address
This is the address where all general business mail will be received, such as communication from banks, suppliers and customers.
It isn’t needed to set up a limited company or LLP, won’t be available to the public record at Companies House and isn’t a legal requirement to list on websites or stationary.
If you want to set up a limited company or LLP, you will need a Registered Office or Service Address.
All three can be the same, or they can be different. For example, your registered office address or service address, which is on record with Companies House, could be an address from a company formation agent, while your business address is your home address.
That’s a great way to do it if you are running your business from home and don’t want this address to be made public. Many company formation agents offer this service, where they scan and send you all the mail you get to your registered address.
Recommended Address Service:
If you’re looking for an affordable address service for your business, we recommend 1st Formations.
They offer Registered Office, Service, and Business Address services either as part of a company formation package or as a standalone service.
Click here to visit their site
Why do you need a business address?
As we have already said, you don’t need a business address to set up a limited company. But what you do need is a registered office or service address. It’s a legal requirement, so without it, you can’t register a company in the UK.
The address is used by official bodies, including Companies House and HMRC.
As it’s a legal requirement, you have to have a viable address in place before you set up your LTD or LLP with Companies House.
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Should I use my Home Address as my Registered Office Address?
The answer to this question is up to you and the people that you live with. There are both pros and cons to using your home address as your Registered Office address.
Firstly, using your home as your Registered Office is the cheapest and quickest solution on offer. If you want to get set up fast and want the convenience, then this is a definite option for you.
However, using your home address as a Registered Office address comes with many downsides that you need to be ready to accept, such as:
- Having details of where you live being publicly available on the Companies House, which means that customers (good and bad) will be able to knock on your front door at any time of day.
- You’ll be opening up your home to a number of cold callers and sales pitches. So, get ready to accept that your phone will be ringing almost non-stop and your letterbox will be full of flyers and leaflets among your official government communications.
- Your reputation will suffer. Having a residential premise as your Registered Office will look amateur and unprofessional to some, which could cost you customers and perhaps even get it refused from bank loans and services like Google My Business, CheckATrade, etc.
Unless you live alone and are totally fine with the above, it’s recommended that you don’t use your home as your Registered Office.
Where does my Registered Office address need to be?
Officially your company’s Registered Office can be anywhere in the UK, as long as it’s in the same country that your business is registered.
So if you register a company in Scotland, you cannot use a London property as your Registered Office address.
That means if you run your business from home, you can use an alternative address to your home to register your business and keep your private information off the public record.
Can I use a P.O. Box address for my Registered Office?
As we have said, business addresses in the UK that are used to register a company with Companies House have to be real, physical locations.
A P.O. Box is a post office box that you keep inside a Post Office. All of your mail will be stored there for you to access and can act as a helpful address to sort out incoming business post. This is especially useful if you don’t have a permanent address or want to protect your privacy.
However, a P.O. Box cannot be used as the Registered Office for a Limited Company.
This is because by law your Registered Office must have a physical, active location. In theory, P.O. Boxes can be left unchecked for weeks or months, so your Registered Office needs to be somewhere that will be checked more actively for important and official communication.
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What address can I use for my business?
To recap, your Registered Office needs to be:
- In the UK
- In the same country your business is registered
- A real, physical location and not a P.O Box
You can use your home as your Registered Office, but this comes with a number of downsides and will put your private, personal information in the public domain.
You can also use a service address instead of a Registered Office. This is the official address of a company official, such as a director, stakeholder, secretary or formation agent.
If you’re not sure what to use, formation agents will be able to provide you with an office address that you can use to register your company and forward the official communication to your normal address to retain your privacy and professionalism.
Find out more, read our article about what address you can use for your business.
How much do business address services cost?
Using a formation agent to create a Registered Office is cheaper than you think. For example, 1st Formations charges these stand-alone prices for the following addresses:
- Registered Office address for £39 a year
- Service address for £26 a year
- Business address for £96 a year
All mail and communications that are received are forwarded, scanned and emailed to you. So even if you’re not around, you won’t miss anything important in your inbox.
A Registered Office or Service address can be used to set up your limited company or LLP, while having a business address from a formation agency will help you enhance your business image and help further keep your home details private.
Company formation agents will usually be able to offer you Registered Office addresses as part of a formation package.
If you’re just starting up and want someone to take care of the complicated paperwork for you, company formation agents are the answer that you’ve been searching for.
Choosing A Company Formation Agent
Want more advice on setting up your new business?
Now that you know all about business addresses in the UK, you are ready to set up your new venture. But if you’re after more support, we’ve got your new business covered.
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