Hi there, Nicholas Campion here from 1st Formations, and welcome to another episode of Whiteboard
Thursday - where we provide advice on a wide range of business and company matters. If you enjoy this
video and find it useful, please give us a like and share it with your friends and colleagues. But for
now, let's get started. Today, I want to discuss how to obtain a Certificate of Incorporation.
Now, in the first instance, you will get a Certificate of Incorporation when your limited
company is successfully registered at Companies House. It will verify the existence of your company
and certify that it has been legally registered at Companies House, under the Companies Act 2006.
Your Certificate of Incorporation will be delivered to you in digital and/or paper format,
depending on the way in which you choose to set up your limited company. If you use the services
of an online company formation agent, you will receive a digital PDF copy of your certificate
via email. Your agent will send this to you as soon as Companies House approves your application, which
usually takes around three to six working hours. You may also receive a hard copy by post, if your
formation package includes this. Alternatively, if you directly incorporate through Companies House,
the registrar will send you a digital certificate by email if you register online, or a paper
certificate by post if you register using a paper application. Digital certificates are received
shortly after incorporation, usually around 24 to 48 hours, whereas postal applications take at least
eight to ten working days to process, so you'll receive a hard copy of just your certificate at
your registered office address a few working days after incorporation, but it may take longer. Next,
let's consider what to do if you have lost your original Certificate of Incorporation. Well, the
good news is, there are a number of ways to obtain another copy. The first way is online via Companies
House Service. Companies House Service provides free online access to company details and filings.
Simply enter your company name into the search box, select your company, go to 'Filing History,' open
the filing that says 'Incorporation,' click PDF, and you'll be able to view and download the scanned
copy of your certificate. Secondly, you can obtain your copy from your company formation agent.
If you used an agent to form your company, you will almost certainly be able to obtain a replacement
digital or paper copy of your certificate. At 1st Formations, customers can access their company
details and filings on our free Online Company Manager. This facility will allow you to download
a digital copy of your Certificate of Incorporation free of charge. On the Customer
Dashboard, select 'My Companies,' click 'View' beside the relevant company, then select your documents to
download the certificate. You can also purchase a paper copy of the certificate at a cost of
just £10 from our online shop. And lastly, you can order a replacement certified paper Certificate
of Incorporation directly from Companies House by calling their contact centre on 0303
123 4500, or visiting one of their information centres. The cost for this is £15 for the 'Standard
Service', and £50 for the 'Same-day Service'. It's also worth mentioning that digital copies
via email are also available. Alternatively, there is of course the option to keep your Certificate
of Incorporation in a safe place, and not to lose it. As your certificate is an incredibly important
document, it should be kept safe with your company registers and records at the registered office or
the SAIL address, as it may be required if your company's statutory registers are ever inspected.
It is also a good idea to keep digital copies for emailing to banks, lenders, investors, clients,
suppliers, and any other business associates, who may require viewing your company's Certificate of
Incorporation. Now, let's look at when you will need to use your Certificate of Incorporation.
The certificate contains many useful details about your company, including your Company Registration
Number, or CRN, and the date of incorporation. So you may need to refer to it on a number of occasions.
You may also need to provide your certificate in the following sorts of circumstances: opening a
business bank account, applying for a business loan, buying or leasing property within your company's
name, applying for business grants, licenses, and permits, opening accounts with suppliers, and
service providers, seeking investment from third -parties - so for example, bringing on new shareholders,
and of course, restructuring or selling your company. So there you have it - today we have covered
how to obtain a Certificate of Incorporation, what to do if you lose your original document,
where it should be stored, and when you may need to use it. If you have any questions
about what we have covered here today, please ask in the comments section below,
and we will be sure to get straight back to you. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our channel,
to get more advice on limited companies, reporting requirements, and tax obligations.
We're always happy to hear from you, and we can't wait to help. Until next time, cheerio.