What Information About a Company is Public?
The Companies House website is open for anyone to look up UK company information on the public register. Information such as the names of company directors, company registered address and financial status are all available to view to increase company transparency, and comply with government regulations.
Why Search on Companies House?
There are several main reasons why someone would search for a company on the register:
Due Diligence
The Companies House register is a great way to assess credibility and look for any potential red flags like director resignations or disqualifications, or repeated late filings before deciding to work with or invest in a company. You can also use the Companies House Search feature to look for any legal proceedings against a company of interest, including court orders and director disqualifications.
You can also use the Companies House Search feature to look for any legal proceedings against a company of interest, including court orders and director disqualifications.
Assessing Company Financials
Within the ‘Filing history’ section of a company profile is a full list of filed accounts, including company balance sheets This information can give you a measure of a company’s overall financial health and profitability, which could be particularly useful for market and competitor research.
What Information can you see on Companies House?
Below is a list of standard company information that is disclosed on the Companies House Website, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006:
Company Overview information:
• Company name and registered number
• Registered office Address
• Company status - this is the legal status of the company, this could be active/dissolved for example
• Company type – Private Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership for example
• Date of Incorporation
• Company Accounts and Confirmation Statement deadlines
• Nature of Business (SIC) - the company's principal activity and SIC Code
Filing History:
A full list of filings submitted by the company are also viewable on the Companies House website such as the date of incorporation, company accounts and the company confirmation statement. It can also include even more detailed documentation like a 'Registered office address changed' form (AD01) or a 'Termination of an Appointed Director of the Company' form (TM01) if these have been filed previously.
People:
• List of all the directors and persons with significant control. This includes both previous and current directors of the company.
• Any director's personal information is also listed which can include: correspondence address, date of birth, date of appointment, nationality, country of residence and occupation.
Is Companies House Search Anonymous?
A frequently asked question regarding the Companies House Search feature, is if looking up companies is anonymous. Typically, you will be able to view the Companies House register without having to sign in, meaning that you can view all publicly available information anonymously.
Companies will not be notified any time you view their page on Companies House, this also applies for people who follow companies as the ‘Follow’ function on Companies House is also anonymous.
Can I hide my personal details on Companies House?
For both company directors and Persons with significant control, some personal information is made available on the Companies House website under the ‘People’ section. This includes their name, nationality, occupation and date of birth (only the month and year), as well as their business correspondence address. Some personal details like director’s full date of birth and home address are recorded on the Companies House private register, which is a separate record within Companies House.
How to Follow a Company
The 'Follow Company' feature on Companies House is a free and anonymous way to keep up-to-date with the activities of companies that may impact your own business such as competitors, suppliers and partners. Simply find and update company information, to register your email address and password or login to your existing Web Filing account, then search for a company and select ‘follow this company’ to receive email notifications when the company updates information. You will also receive a link to view filing history for companies you are following. You may also wish to follow your own company to keep track of any changes.
