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New Companies House forms for limited company contractors

Posted Oct 6, 2009

One of the most obvious signs that the final implementation of the Companies Act 2006 has taken place is in the new names which have been given to the Companies House forms many limited company contractors will be familiar with.

Although your accountant is likely to take care of most of your administrative tasks, as a company director, you are ultimately responsible for keeping Companies House updated to any changes in company personnel, the share structure, registered address, and so on.

As a result of the final Companies Act changes, which took effect on 1st October 2009, the old Annual Return Form 363a becomes Form AR01, and the oft-used Forms 288a, 288b and 288c have been replaced by a whole raft of new forms.

The new forms, which have more pleasing and logical names, can be downloaded here with explanatory notes where necessary.

File Online

These days, there are few excuses for not making to most of "Webfiling", whereby you submit Companies House Forms online. You can view a list of the forms which can be submitted online here.The most commonly used ones include:

AR01 - Annual Return (£15 charge)
AA01 - Change of accounting reference date
AA02 - Dormant Company Accounts
AD01 - Change of address of your registered office
AP01 - Appointment of Director
AP03 - Appointment of Secretary
TM01 - Terminating appointment as Director
TM02 - Terminating appointment as Co. Secretary
CH01 - Change of particulars for Director
CH03 - Change of particulars for Co. Secretary

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