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Registered Address vs Trading (or Business) Address
Most limited companies have TWO addresses. It is important you understand which address to use, and when. You will avoid a lot of wasted time and aggravation if you use the appropriate address when giving out your company information to:
- The company's bankers
- The company's clients
- Any other service providers
1. REGISTERED ADDRESS (aka "REGISTERED OFFICE")
For our clients, in almost every instance this will be Jon Chapple & Co's address: 77 Chapel Street, Billericay, CM12 9LR.
The ONLY THINGS you want to arrive at the Registered Office are the reminders from Companies House (addressed to the company), to file the Company Accounts and the Company Annual Return.
Specifically, you DO NOT want the Company's bankers sending us your company chequebooks and debit cards to our office. You do not want correspondence from your company's clients to arrive at our offices. Nor do you want any correspondence regarding your personal affairs sent to our office.
We do not want this situation either, and if we end up having to redirect significant amounts of mail to you at the company's business address, we reserve the right to charge you for this to cover our time and costs incurred in redirecting inappropriately addressed mail to your company.
Hence it's important when giving out your company contact details in general, and especially when completing the bank account application to give out your company's TRADING (or BUSINESS) address, and NOT the Registered Office address.
A good guideline is NEVER to provide anyone with the company's Registered Office address unless someone specifically asks for it - and gives you a good reason why they need to have it.
2. TRADING ADDRESS (aka "BUSINESS ADDRESS")
Unless your company is renting an office, the company trading address (aka business address) will be your home address. When you complete the company bank account opening forms, always give your home address as the business / trading address. It is to this address that your bank will send the account details, chequebook, debit card, and other bank correspondence.
Your trading address should be prominent on any invoices you issue. It is to THIS address that you want your clients sending purchase orders / payment confirmations / contracts for services etc.
Companies House have your home address (we have to provide the Director's home address as part of the incorporation process), but they keep it confidential and it is NOT in the public domain. They simply use this address to send you reminders, as Director, when statutory filings need to be made.
If you apply for VAT Registration, the VAT office require your trading address as part of the application process. It is not acceptable to the VAT office to offer your Registered Office Address.
3. SITUATION WHERE YOU SHOULD PROVIDE BOTH ADDRESSES
Whenever your company issues an invoice or writes to someone, you should have your business address displayed PROMINENTLY on the letter or invoice. Try to make clear that if the recipient wants to reply to your company letter or invoice, they should reply to the Business Address.
Unfortunately, Company law states that any company letter should ALSO show the company number and Registered Address, and state that the company is a limited company incorporated in England & Wales. We suggest you have this information as a footer to your company stationery, in as small a font as possible, to avoid your recipient replying in error to your Registered Office.
For more details, please see: www.gov.uk/running-a-limited-company/signs-stationery-and-promotional-material
Jon Chapple
16th March 2015