Rapid Formations Blog

Put simply, a shareholder is someone who owns one or more shares in a company. A share essentially entitles you to a piece of the business. Usually, the bigger your shareholding, the larger proportion of the company’s profits you are entitled to, and the greater control you will have in the company. Companies can have…

While setting up a limited company entails a bit more in the way of formation than being a sole trader, as well as greater financial and admin responsibilities, there are certain advantages – one of which is ‘limited liability’. As the name suggests, any liabilities of a limited company generally do not extend beyond the…

Companies House Service is a digital search service that provides free access to all public information stored on the UK register of companies, and until recently was called Companies House BETA. The public ‘beta’ trial period for Companies House Service was launched in June 2015. ‘Beta’ is an IT industry term for software which is…

Shareholders are the legal beneficial owners of a limited company. These individuals (or companies) invest money in a business in return for a portion ownership in the form of equity shares. In return, they are usually entitled to vote on the management and overall direction of the business and receive a portion of the profits,…

The first directors of a private limited company are appointed by shareholders (or guarantors) during the incorporation process. New directors can be appointed at any time after company formation, either as a replacement or in addition to the current director(s). There is no statutory restriction on the number of directors a company has. Typically, new…

A director is someone who manages the day-to-day aspects of running of a limited company, which includes all operational, financial and administrative duties. Along with company secretaries, directors are also referred to as “officers”. Directors are appointed by the shareholders or guarantors (“members”) who own the company. In many cases, particularly small companies, members assume…

The requirement to keep a register of people with significant control (PSC register) came into effect on 6th April 2016. Under the regime, UK private companies and LLPs must create and maintain an up-to-date register with details of the individuals who have significant control or influence over the company or partnership. What is the PSC…

On 30th June 2016, the annual return was replaced with a new filing requirement called a ‘confirmation statement’. Despite the different name, the confirmation statement is essentially a simplified version of the annual return. You only need to file a confirmation statement once a year and there is no change to the filing fee and…

A limited company is a type of business structure that has been incorporated at Companies House as a legal ‘person’. It is completely separate from its owners, it can enter into contracts in its own name and is responsible for its own actions, finances and liabilities. The owners of a company are protected by ‘limited liability’, which means…

A corporate shareholder is the term used to describe a business entity that owns shares in another limited company. The term ‘corporate shareholder’ may refer to another limited company, a group of companies, a general partnership or limited liability partnership, a non-profit organisation or charity, a trust, or a community interest company (CIC). Essentially, a…

A service address is the official contact address of a limited company director, company secretary, subscriber, LLP member and any person or corporate body who is registered as a Person with Significant Control (‘PSC’) of a company. Companies House, HMRC and other government agencies, will send statutory mail to these individuals at their nominated service…