Randall & Payne partner Will Abbott outlines imminent changes to the law which will enable directors to remove their residential addresses from public records and allow them to provide a service address to Companies House.

Up until now, individual directors of UK companies were required to file their residential addresses at Companies House and therefore make them available to the public. This has long been a bone of contention for many directors who feel that having their home addresses in the public domain is an infringement on their privacy. 

Under provisions of the Companies Act 2006, which came into force on 1st October 2009, it is now possible for directors to limit the circumstances in which their residential addresses may be disclosed.

From 1 October 2009, every director must provide Companies House with both their Usual Residential Address (URA) and, for each directorship they hold, a service address. The service address for each directorship will be available to the public; the director's home address will only be given out to public authorities, such as HM Revenue & Customs or the police, and credit-reference agencies.

A director can choose any address as the service address (including the registered office of the company) but the address must be a place where documents can be delivered and a receipt can be provided if necessary. For example, PO Boxes and DX numbers are not allowed.

From the 1st October, Randall & Payne will launch a new service providing directors with a service address for their Companies House records. As part of this service we will open and scan the post received at the service address – forwarding all relevant documents by email to the director.

Randall & Payne, as Chartered Accountants, are already set up to handle sensitive information with complete confidentiality so clients can rest assured that all documents received at their service address will be in good hands.