Companies House

Guidance on completing your incorporation application

To avoid having your paper incorporation application rejected, please complete all necessary sections of the form.

Pay particular attention to the top reasons that we reject applications, and read the below guidance on how to avoid them:

The memorandum of association is missing or not dated. 

This is a simple document that contains the name of the company, the subscribers and the date.  To help you, we have a template of the memorandum for a company with share capital and a memorandum for a company without share capital.

Company name ending is invalid or missing

Within the company name field, you must include the appropriate name ending, such as Limited or Ltd.  Also, you must ensure that when choosing a company type in section A4, then the appropriate name ending should be included in section A1.  For example you cannot have a ‘PLC’ name ending for a company type of private limited by shares, and vice versa.

Company name is a duplicate of a name already on the register

If a company name is considered to be the same as a name already on the register it will be rejected. Use the ‘Company Name Availability Search’ in our WebCHeck service, which will return the 'same as' matches as defined in the Companies Act 2006 regulations.  If no matches are returned, then the company name entered is likely to be available.

There is more than one box selected for the articles of association

In section A7 of the IN01 form, you must select if you are adopting model articles in their entirety, or with amended provisions, or bespoke articles.  Only one box must be selected in this section.

Statement of Capital – Totals are absent from section F1

Ensure that as well as the class of share, the amount on each share, number of shares and aggregate nominal value; you must also complete the Total field within section F1.

Prescribed Particulars in section F4 are missing or invalid. 

Ensure that you include the correct prescribed particulars that are appropriate for your company.  Further guidance on prescribed particulars and examples of acceptable wording.

Class of shares is missing from section F4

Ensure that the ‘class of share’ field is completed appropriately.

Remember – if you are incorporating a private company limited by shares, with model articles; then it is easier and quicker to apply through the Web Incorporation Service.