Since 6 April 2008, most private limited companies have not been legally required to appoint a company secretary. However, the company’s directors remain responsible for meeting its Companies House filing and record-keeping obligations. Digitax provides company secretarial services for UK limited companies, so those jobs get done on time by someone who knows the rules, rather than missed because nobody was quite sure whose job it was.
Company Secretarial Support for UK Businesses
Digitax takes on the ongoing admin that keeps a limited company compliant with Companies House. We file your confirmation statement each year, update your statutory registers when directors, shareholders or share structures change, and act as your registered office if you’d rather not have your home address on the public register. If you’re setting up a new company, we handle the incorporation too, so your compliance is in order from day one rather than something to sort out later.
Our Company Secretarial Services
Every company’s secretarial needs are different, so we build our support around your company structure rather than a fixed package. Below are the two areas clients ask about most. If you also need accounts, tax or payroll support alongside your company secretarial work, we handle that too.
Confirmation Statement & Companies House Filing
We prepare and file your company’s confirmation statement with Companies House. Before filing, we review your registered office address, directors, people with significant control, share information and SIC codes to identify any required updates. We monitor the filing deadline and confirm when Companies House accepts the submission.
Company Records & Registered Office
UK companies must keep an accurate and up-to-date register of members containing their shareholders’ details. Following company-law changes introduced in 2025 and 2026, companies no longer need to maintain separate internal registers of directors, secretaries or people with significant control. However, this information must still be reported accurately to Companies House. Digitax helps maintain the company records you are still required to keep, reports relevant changes and can provide a registered office address in Colchester.
Why Choose Digitax for Company Secretarial Services in Colchester?
We keep company secretarial work quiet and reliable, the kind of thing you shouldn’t have to think about because it’s already done. You get a named contact who knows your company structure, filings made before the deadline rather than against it, and a straight answer when Companies House changes a rule, like the identity verification requirements now being phased in for directors and PSCs. Getting started takes one call: we review your current filings, flag anything overdue or missing, and take it from there. We’re based in Colchester and work with companies face to face across Essex, but most of our company secretarial clients are supported remotely across the UK.
Not Sure If Your Company Is Up to Date at Companies House?
Whether your confirmation statement is overdue, your company records need updating or you are unsure about the latest Companies House requirements, Digitax can review your position and explain the next steps clearly.
FAQ About Company Secretarial Services
What is a company secretarial service?
It covers the ongoing administrative and compliance work a limited company has to keep on top of at Companies House: filing your confirmation statement, maintaining statutory registers, and reporting changes like a new director or a change of registered office. Private companies haven’t needed to appoint a formal company secretary since 2006, but the work itself still has to be done, usually by a director, an accountant, or both.
Do I still need to file a confirmation statement every year?
Yes. Every UK limited company and LLP must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, confirming that the information Companies House holds about your company is correct. It’s due within 14 days of the end of your review period, and we track that date so it doesn’t slip past you.
What happens if I miss my confirmation statement deadline?
Unlike late accounts, there’s no escalating financial penalty for a late confirmation statement, but the consequences are more serious: Companies House can start the process of striking your company off the register, and directors can be prosecuted for failing to file. We build your filing into our annual routine so it’s simply never an issue.
How much does a confirmation statement cost to file?
Companies House charges a filing fee, currently £50 to file online or £110 by paper, covering a 12-month period regardless of how many times your company details change within it. Our fee for preparing and filing it sits on top of that, and we’ll quote you a fixed price once we know your company structure.
Do I need a company secretary?
Not legally, unless your company’s articles specifically require one or you’re a public limited company. Most private limited companies choose not to appoint one and instead have a director, or an accountant like Digitax, handle the secretarial filings as they come up.
What company records does a UK limited company need to keep?
Every UK company must maintain an up-to-date register of members showing its shareholders and relevant share information. Companies no longer need to keep separate internal registers of directors, secretaries or people with significant control, but the information held by Companies House must remain accurate. Depending on the company’s activities, it may also need to keep share certificates, share-transfer records, board minutes and written resolutions.
What is Companies House identity verification and does it affect me?
Identity verification became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition period for existing directors and people with significant control to comply. New directors and PSCs appointed after that date must verify their identity, either directly with Companies House or through an authorised agent. We can talk you through what applies to your company and when.
Can you provide a registered office address for my company?
Yes. We can act as your registered office, so your home address doesn’t appear on the public Companies House register, and official post is dealt with promptly rather than sitting on your doormat.
Do you handle changes of director or shareholder?
Yes. Whenever a director is appointed or resigns, or shares change hands, we file the relevant forms with Companies House and update your statutory registers to match, so your public record and your internal records agree.
Can you help set up a new limited company?
Yes. We handle incorporation, including choosing a suitable share structure, registering with Companies House and HMRC, and getting your statutory registers set up correctly from the start, so there’s nothing to unpick later.
What if I want to close down my company?
We can guide you through a voluntary strike-off for a company with no outstanding debts or activity, or point you toward formal liquidation if that’s the more appropriate route, and handle the Companies House filings either way.
How do I switch company secretarial providers to Digitax?
We request your company’s filing history and current statutory registers from wherever they’re held, so nothing is lost in the handover. Most switches are timed ahead of your next confirmation statement deadline, so there’s no gap in compliance.
Helpful Resources
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Filing Your Company’s Confirmation Statement
Official guidance on confirmation statement deadlines, company updates and filing. VIEW GUIDE
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Verify Your Identity for Companies House
Official guidance for company directors and people with significant control. VIEW GUIDE
