2021 Review of UK
Company Formations
780,766 new businesses were formed in the UK in 2020.
View in depth statistics on the UK as a whole or choose a county on the map.
Companies Formed in...
Frequently Asked Questions View all FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions How does Inform Direct make managing company details really easy?
Our intelligent software has been designed to ask you straightforward questions, turning your answers into the correct format before electronically filing your submission with Companies House. Features designed to help you easily manage changes to your company details include:
- simultaneous updating of your statutory registers if required when you file a change;
- automatic inclusion of changes in your next confirmation statement;
- pre-populated template minutes and resolutions to support your changes;
- automatic saving of documents to your Document Library; and
- company name checking facility that allows you to verify with Companies House that your proposed company name is available.
Using Inform Direct to manage your company details, including changes to your registered office address and registered email address; implementation of a SAIL address; change of accounting reference date; filing of micro-entity and dormant company accounts (and other types of company accounts if you are able to upload an iXBRL accounts file) and changes of company name, will enable you to process any update swiftly.
How does Inform Direct help me manage PSC reporting requirements?
Companies are required to report PSC changes to Companies House as and when they happen. Our intelligent software makes this easy for you.
Easy to process PSC changes
By clicking on the PSC tab you can view a summary of the company's current PSCs or swiftly process any updates required. Using Inform Direct you can:
- Add the details of individual PSCs, even if you have not yet confirmed their details.
- Add the details of any registrable relevant legal entities (RLEs) that must be included in the register.
- Record updates on the progress of your investigations.
- Make ongoing updates as you get further in the process of identifying PSCs.
- Remove persons or entities that are no longer registrable for PSC reporting.
Our software asks you straightforward questions and converts your answers into the correct form. Any changes you record are automatically submitted to Companies House, as required by legislation, and we also provide you with a suite of professional looking and compliant templates, including:
- Notices and proforma reply letters.
- Board minutes that evidence the reasonable steps taken by the company to obtain the details of every PSC or registrable RLE.
- Board minutes that document any PSC changes and authorise the reporting of these to Companies House.
Inform Direct makes it easy for companies with straightforward PSC requirements to be compliant. However, our software also supports all the different possibilities prescribed by law and is suitable for the most complex PSC arrangements.
Compliant PSC register
When you add the details of any PSCs, Inform Direct automatically produces a PSC register that contains statements compliant with the prescribed wording required by legislation. Similarly, when you use Inform Direct to process any changes, your PSC register will be automatically updated for the changes ensuring that it is always fully compliant. You can view and print your PSC register at any time.
What types of company can use Inform Direct to prepare and file micro-entity accounts?
Inform Direct currently enables private companies limited by shares and private companies limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to prepare and electronically file micro-entity company accounts.
If you are a subscriber with your own presenter code, and are able to upload an iXBRL accounts file to Inform Direct, then you can also use our service to electronically submit micro-entity accounts for Limited Liability Partnerships.
The following company types cannot file micro-entity accounts because they are excluded from doing so by legislation:
- Public Limited Companies
- Companies registered overseas
- Most group companies
- Charitable organisations
Can I get approval before completing micro-entity company accounts?
Yes. You are able to save all the details you have entered into the micro-entity accounts wizard and generate draft accounts for approval. Then, following approval (from your client, or internally) you can simply pick the process back up and complete it – submitting the required pages of the accounts to Companies House as appropriate and creating finalised accounts for distribution to company shareholders, members or other stakeholders.
If you are an Inform Direct subscriber you can also choose to produce micro-entity company accounts stamped with a range of watermarks, including ‘Draft’, ‘Client Copy’, ‘File Copy’ and ‘For Approval’.
Can I bulk upload members for companies limited by guarantee?
Yes. As Companies House do not hold details of the members of companies limited by guarantee, Inform Direct allows you to upload members of such companies rather than enter them individually one by one. All you need is a csv file with the relevant information.
How does Inform Direct help me get my accounts right first time?
The process of preparing and filing your accounts is made simple with Inform Direct. Follow our straightforward wizards as we take you step by step through the process. You’ll be prompted to enter only the details that you need to and if you are unfamiliar with preparing company accounts there are comprehensive help texts to guide you. Using Inform Direct you can create and then file never-traded dormant company and audit-exempt micro-entity accounts.
Beautifully streamlined process
Whenever our system can step in and remove a task it will. Our software calculates the balance sheet date, automatically provides the required statutory balance sheet statements, and presents accounts that both meet requirements and look professional. If you are preparing never-traded dormant company accounts you may only have to check the automatically populated details are correct, tick to confirm the balance sheet statements apply, enter the date the accounts were approved and select from a list the name of the director that is authorising the accounts. It’s that simple.
Once you are happy with the accounts you have prepared you can choose to submit them electronically to Companies House. You will receive immediate confirmation of their safe delivery and an email notifying you of their approval as soon as this is received. Your accounts are automatically saved in your Document Library.
Avoid errors
Each year Companies House reject almost 100,000 sets of accounts, often due to simple errors and omissions such as:
- incorrect or absent company name or number;
- authorising signatory missing from the balance sheet;
- incorrect or absent balance sheet date;
- omission of balance sheet approval date;
- incorrect statements on the balance sheet; or
- missing figures on the balance sheet.
If you prepare your dormant company and micro-entity accounts using Inform Direct then you will benefit from the checks we have built into our software that prevent the above errors.
Upload and file iXBRL accounts service
If you are a subscriber using your own presenter code and have access to accounting software that can produce an iXBRL accounts file, you can use our streamlined upload and file iXBRL accounts service. This service allows you to electronically file a wide range of company accounts, including small, medium, full, abridged and group accounts, and audited as well as audit-exempt accounts. It takes moments to upload an iXBRL accounts file and our software completes many of the checks described above before electronically submitting the accounts to Companies House.
However, although we complete some checks on the iXBRL file you upload, such as the presence of Companies House mandatory elements and basic accuracy checks, you should ensure the accounting software used to create the iXBRL file conducts a comprehensive suite of checks. These should validate the completeness and accuracy of the iXBRL tagging; ensure the correct accounting standards have been used, verify the balance sheet statements and additional disclosure items, and ensure consistent application of currency, language and numerical elements.
Never miss the filing deadline
Inform Direct will send you reminders as your filing deadline approaches, helping you submit your accounts on time and avoid automatic fines for late delivery.
What type of company accounts can I prepare and file using Inform Direct?
Where applicable to the company, all users can create and file never-traded dormant company accounts or audit-exempt micro-entity company accounts using Inform Direct.
If you are a subscriber with your own presenter code and you can upload an iXBRL accounts file to Inform Direct, you can use our service to electronically submit a wide range of company accounts, including small, medium, full, abridged and group accounts.
Will you supply me with a copy of the company accounts submitted?
Yes. Once you have confirmed and submitted your company accounts they will be available to you as a pdf document in your Document Library, ready to print or file. As soon as Companies House has approved your accounts we will confirm this and also attach a copy of the approved accounts to this email.
Can I upload an iXBRL accounts file and electronically file this with Companies House?
If you are operating a Subscription account and are using your own presenter code, you may be able to upload iXBRL accounts files for companies included in your portfolio. Once uploaded, you can authorise Inform Direct to electronically file the iXBRL accounts file with Companies House. This service allows you to file a wide range of company accounts, including:
- dormant company accounts
- micro-entity accounts
- small and medium company accounts
- abridged accounts
- group accounts
- audited and audit-exempt accounts
- accounts for Limited Liability Partnerships
- amended or revised accounts
Companies House do not currently accept software filed accounts for CICs. You cannot software file charity accounts using Inform Direct.
Please check that the accounting software you have used has produced an accurate iXBRL accounts file that complies with the minimum tagging requirements of Companies House. Inform Direct does not check the accuracy and completeness of iXBRL accounts file uploads, and does not provide advice on iXBRL tagging or on issues with the accounts file that may result in a rejection of the filing by Companies House.
If you are not able to upload an iXBRL accounts file to Inform Direct, you can use our streamlined step by step process to prepare and electronically submit both micro-entity and dormant company accounts with Companies House.
How long will Companies House take to approve my accounts?
This is dependent upon the volume of applications received by Companies House at any one time, but dormant and micro-entity company accounts are often processed within 24-48 hours of submission.
If you are subscriber using your own presenter code, you may be able to upload an iXBRL accounts file to Inform Direct and electronically submit a wide range of company accounts types, including small, medium, full, abridged and group accounts. Please be aware however, that Companies House conduct a manual review of company accounts and may take longer to process these where the accounts are complex and contain detailed disclosures (as they might be for full or group accounts for example).
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