Company registration numbers
are really important - but what actually are they?
When are they used?
And what do they even look like?
Stay tuned to find out.
Hi there, Nicholas Campion here from 1st Formations.
The UK’s leading company formation agent.
So, let’s get started at the obvious place.
What is a company registration number?
The company registration number is a unique string of eight
characters assigned to a company during the incorporation process.
Its purpose is to identify a company and verify
that it has been incorporated
at Companies House, the UK’s registrar of companies,
as a legal entity.
Because it is automatically generated
and allocated by Companies House, you cannot choose or change it.
You may also see the company registration number
referred to as the company number, Companies House
registration number, registered number, or simply, a CRN.
Of course, when you set up a new company,
you’re going to come across quite a few different numbers,
references and codes.
Because of this, it’s important to mention that the registration
number should not be confused with the Unique taxpayer reference,
VAT number, PAYE reference,
Government Gateway User ID, or the company authentication code.
These are all separate things with different purposes
and should not be confused with the company registration number.
If you are unsure, feel free to leave a comment
and we’ll be happy to help.
Now, you may be wondering -
do sole traders get a company number?
And the answer is no.
The company registration
number is very much the domain of Companies House -
and Companies House, as their name would suggest,
are only concerned with registered corporate entities
like limited companies.
So, they do not deal with unregistered entities
such as sole traders,
and so sole traders do not get a company registration number.
Next, let’s take a look at
what the company registration number actually looks like.
Now, the registration number comes in slightly different formats,
depending on the type of company that has been formed,
and where the company was formed.
For example,
if you form a limited company with a registered office in England
or Wales, your number will simply consist of 8 digits.
If, on the other hand, you form a limited liability partnership,
with a registered office in England or Wales, OC will be placed
at the start of your 6 digit long company number.
If you form a limited company with a registered office in Scotland,
SC will appear at the start, followed by 6 digits.
If you form a limited liability partnership
with a registered office in Scotland, SO will appear
before 6 digits.
And the same goes for Northern Ireland.
If you form a limited company with a registered office
in Northern Ireland, NI will appear before 6 digits
And finally, if you form a limited liability partnership
with a registered office in Northern Ireland,
your number will be 6 digits long and proceeded by NC.
Other company registration number formats
also exist for more specialist types
of companies and organisations, such as assurance, investment,
Royal Charter, and foreign companies.
So, in what instances would you need to present
your company registration number?
This can be split into three categories.
You’ll need to use your company registration number when dealing
with Companies House, when dealing with HMRC,
and when carrying out general company administration.
Let’s take a closer look.
Companies House will ask for the company number
when you’re preparing and filing the confirmation statement,
preparing annual accounts, and when you’re
making updates to the company, such as changing the company name,
registered office address, or appointing a new director.
HMRC will need the company registration number
when you’re registering for business taxes,
such as Corporation Tax, filing Company Tax Returns,
VAT Returns and PAYE Reports, when you’re paying company taxes,
and if you’re reporting a dormant trading status.
And when it comes to general company administration,
you’ll need to use the company registration number when,
setting up a business account, applying for a business loan,
creating share certificates, creating dividend vouchers
and when drawing up business contracts.
These are just a few examples of when you’ll be expected
to present the company registration number.
Now, this is important.
In accordance with The Company, Limited Liability Partnership
and Business Regulations 2015, you are legally required
to show your company registration number on
official company stationery, correspondence,
and promotional material such as; letterheads, websites,
emails, order forms, leaflets and flyers,
advertisements, and any other online material.
These regulations are in place to ensure that
anyone who has dealings with a particular company
is able to verify the legal identity of that company.
Fines can be imposed if a company fails to comply,
so it is something worth bearing in mind.
If you are unsure about what needs to be displayed and
where, leave a comment and we’ll point you in the right direction.
And finally, where can you view your company registration number?
If you do misplace your number, don’t worry, it happens -
you can locate it in a variety of places,
including the following: The certificate of incorporation,
issued by Companies House upon incorporation.
Any letters, emails, and other statutory
documentation received from Companies House.
Online, using the Companies House company search tool.
And if your company was formed by us,
you’ll find the number online,
in your free online company manager.
So, that’s everything you need to know about
the company registration number.
If you have any questions,
please leave them in the comment section below
and we will get straight back to you!
And if you are thinking of starting a limited company, we’d
love to help you get started.
We offer a variety of company formation packages, all designed
to get your business up and running as quickly and simply as possible
Take a look at 1stformations.co.uk,
that’s ONE-S-T for all of our formation options.
Again, if you do have any questions,
leave a comment and we’ll get back to you.
In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our channel
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We're always happy to help, and we can't wait to hear from you.
Until next time, cheerio!