From 30 June 2016 private companies can opt out of holding their own statutory registers and instead keep information on the Companies House public register.

  • members;
  • directors;
  • secretaries;
  • directors' residential addresses; and
  • people with significant control (PSCs).

If a private company elects to hold register information at Companies House, this becomes part of the public record. Although details of a director's and a PSC's residential address will remain confidential, other information, notably information about a shareholder's address and a director's day of birth, will become part of the public record.

Register information held at Companies House must be kept up to date by the company and will be available for inspection to anyone via the Companies House website. The inspection rules which apply to private company registers, for example requiring those who wish to inspect a register of members or a PSC register to state the purpose of their request, will not apply.

Companies can opt in and out of holding register information on the public record at Companies House, but any information that was placed on the public record will remain part of the public record.

Companies (and LLPs, to which a similar regime applies) will need to balance the convenience of not having to administer their own statutory registers with the increased public disclosure of information.

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional and Savings Provisions) Regulations 2016

Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Filing Requirements) Regulations 2016

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