Registered office, ID and compliance
Statutory registers must exist and be accessible whether or not you are in the UK. What has to be kept and where, in practice.
Short answer
A UK company must keep statutory registers of directors, PSCs, members and charges, plus board minutes and accounting records, whether or not anyone involved lives in the UK. Living abroad does not remove the obligation, only changes how the records are practically maintained.
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 indemnityA UK company must keep statutory registers of directors, PSCs, members and charges, plus board minutes and accounting records, whether or not anyone involved lives in the UK. Living abroad does not remove the obligation, only changes how the records are practically maintained.
What has to be kept
Keeping them accessible from abroad
Registers of directors, secretaries where appointed, PSCs and members, along with minutes of board decisions and records of any charges over company assets, are required by company law regardless of where the company is managed from.
Accounting records supporting the annual accounts and tax returns must also be kept, generally for six years, and must be sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions at any time.
Cloud accounting software and a digital minute book solve most of the practical difficulty, letting registers and records be updated and reviewed from anywhere without needing a physical UK office visit.
Many non-resident directors ask their UK accountant to maintain the statutory registers as part of company secretarial support, so the records stay current even when the director is not actively managing them day to day.
Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, 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
They can be kept there or at another location notified to Companies House, including a third party's premises such as your accountant's office.
Penalties can apply, and it makes any enquiry considerably harder to resolve in your favour.
Yes, there is no requirement for paper registers provided they remain accessible when required.
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.
Yes. You can ask a straightforward initial question without charge. Calculations, filings, written advice, planning and HMRC correspondence are scoped and quoted before work begins.
Included approach
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Share your next deadline, accounting problem or growth question. We will reply with a clear next step and quote any technical work before it begins.
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Pick a time that suits you and a qualified accountant will call you about your company, deadlines and fees.
Appointments run monday to friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm. Your confirmation is emailed straight away.
