Limited company guide
What counts as an appropriate registered office address, why PO boxes no longer work, who can see the address, and the registered email address every company must now keep.
Short answer
Every UK company must keep a registered office that is an appropriate address, meaning post delivered there comes to the attention of someone acting for the company and delivery can be acknowledged. PO boxes are not acceptable. Companies must also maintain a registered email address, which Companies House uses for official contact and does not publish on the register.
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar Member of ICAEW, Fellow of ACCA, Fellow of AAT, a double graduate and entrepreneur at heart, helping startups grow and serving thousands of businesses nationwide with an excellent team. Published by LimitedCompany.Accountants, 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Reviewed 12 September 2026 against 2026/27 UK rates and current Companies House and HMRC guidance.
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QuickBooks PartnerCertified ProAdvisor100+ yearsCombined team experienceFully insuredUp to £2m indemnityEvery UK company must keep a registered office that is an appropriate address, meaning post delivered there comes to the attention of someone acting for the company and delivery can be acknowledged. PO boxes are not acceptable. Companies must also maintain a registered email address, which Companies House uses for official contact and does not publish on the register.
What an appropriate address means
Home address, office or a service address
The registered email address
Changing the address
Before you act
The address must be a place where a document delivered by hand or by post would come to the attention of a person acting for the company, and where delivery can be recorded. That rules out PO boxes and addresses used without permission.
Companies House can challenge an address and, if the company cannot provide an appropriate one, move the registered office to a default address and start strike-off action. Getting this wrong is not cosmetic.
Using your home is lawful and free, but the address is published on a public register that is scraped and resold, and it becomes the address on court and HMRC correspondence.
A registered office service gives you a commercial address, scanning and forwarding of statutory post, and keeps your home off the register. It is not a way to disguise where the business actually operates, and it does not change where the company is tax resident.
Every company must maintain a registered email address, provided on incorporation and confirmed on each confirmation statement. Companies House uses it for statutory contact, and it is not published on the public register.
Use a monitored company mailbox rather than a founder's personal address. Filing reminders and identity verification correspondence go there, and a missed message can become a late filing penalty.
You can change the registered office at any time by filing the change with Companies House; it takes effect when registered. Tell HMRC separately, and update your bank, insurers and stationery.
Records that must be kept available for inspection follow the registered office unless you have elected to keep them at a single alternative inspection location.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines quoted here reflect the 2026/27 UK tax year. Check current GOV.UK guidance, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.
Primary references
Local help
We work with company directors across London and Surrey from our office at 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Pick your area, or send the form below and we will call you back.
Frequently asked
No. A PO box does not satisfy the appropriate address test. A serviced or accountant's address does, provided you have permission to use it.
Yes, it appears on the public register. Your registered email address does not.
It must be in the same UK jurisdiction the company is registered in, for example England and Wales, but it does not need to be where you trade.
Companies House can query the address, replace it with a default address and begin strike-off action, and HMRC correspondence you never saw still counts as delivered.
Keep bank statements, sales and platform reports, purchase invoices, payroll records, VAT workings, finance agreements and Companies House correspondence. We confirm the exact list at onboarding and identify gaps before a filing deadline becomes urgent.
The fee depends on transaction volume, record quality, VAT and payroll requirements, historic catch-up and the level of reporting needed. We agree a fixed scope and price before technical work starts, with published packages available on our fees page.
Yes. We request professional clearance, collect the prior records and authorities, check the next Companies House and HMRC deadlines, and give you one clear handover list. The process is normally completed remotely.
Yes. We work through secure cloud records, scheduled reviews and digital approvals, while keeping a named team available by phone, video call and email. Clients can also visit our Morden office by appointment.
We regularly work with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage and connected sales or expense apps. The right setup depends on transaction volume, integrations and the reports you need, not simply the software brand.
The relevant calendar may include annual accounts, Corporation Tax payment and return dates, confirmation statements, VAT returns, payroll submissions and Self Assessment. We map the dates from your company year end and registrations.
Included approach
Check the current rules
Deadlines, thresholds and filing rules change. GOV.UK and Companies House publish the current statutory position; advice should then be applied to your company’s circumstances.
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