When setting up a new limited company in the UK, one of the first key decisions business owners face is choosing the registered office address. This is a legal requirement as this location serves as the official address for correspondence from HMRC and Companies House.

While many opt to use their home or primary trading premises, a popular alternative option is using an accountant’s office address as a registered business address. When businesses are registered on the public register, this address and director details would be shared worldwide, which is why many prefer to use an alternative address.

As experienced chartered accountants serving clients across Surrey, the Hamlyns team understands the nuances and benefits of utilising a professional accountancy firm’s address as a company’s official registered location. In this post, we’ll explore the key advantages, legal requirements, and practical considerations around this approach.

Advantages of Using an Accountant’s Address

The primary benefit of registering your limited company at your accountant’s office address stems from the administrative conveniences and privacy protections it offers.

• Mail management: All statutory correspondence from HMRC and Companies House will be delivered to your accountant’s address. This ensures timely receipt and proper handling of important business tax notices, self-assessment details, year-end account reminders, and legal documents by an experienced team – reducing the risk of missed deadlines and penalties.
• Privacy: Listing your home or primary business premises as the registered office makes this information publicly available on Companies House. Using a chartered accountant’s address, on the other hand, helps shield your personal and commercial locations from being widely disclosed.
• Professionalism: Registering at a dedicated commercial office address, rather than a home or small workshop, can lend greater credibility and a more polished corporate image to your business. This can be beneficial when engaging with suppliers, partners, or prospective customers.
• Continuity: Should you ever change accountants in the future, updating the registered office is a straightforward administrative task, as the address itself remains constant. This eliminates the need to re-register with Companies House or update all your business stationery.

Legal Requirements

While convenient, using an accountant’s address as your registered office does come with certain legal obligations:

• Location: The registered address must be situated within the same part of the UK where your company was incorporated – England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. It cannot be a PO Box; a physical street address is required.
• Accessibility: The registered office must be accessible to the public during normal business hours. This allows statutory records and company information to be inspected if requested.
• Notifications: You must notify Companies House of any changes to your registered office address within 14 days.

Limitations & Considerations

It’s important to understand that engaging an accountant to manage your registered office does not absolve you, as the company director, from your legal responsibilities. You still maintain full accountability for:

• Responding to official government correspondence in a timely manner
• Ensuring statutory filing deadlines are met
• Retaining control and access over your company’s records

Additionally, while the accountant’s address is the official registered location, your personal correspondence address as the director may still need to be disclosed in certain situations.

Unlock Administrative Efficiencies with Hamlyns

At Hamlyns, we’re proud to offer a professional registered office service that allows our clients to leverage our Surrey-based commercial address. By entrusting us with this administrative task, you can focus on growing your business while benefiting from tighter compliance, enhanced privacy, and the peace of mind that a professional, friendly team is overseeing all statutory obligations.

Our chartered accountants will meticulously handle all statutory mail, maintain comprehensive records, and provide you with timely alerts on key obligations. This frees you from the hassle of managing government correspondence and ensures you never miss important deadlines.

To learn more about registering your limited company at the Hamlyns office or to discuss our full range of accounting and advisory services, we invite you to get in touch with our team today.