Concise Accountancy

Accountants and Registered Auditors

Companies house administrationCompany accounts

Submit documents in other languages

Submit documents in other languages other than English to Companies House is generally not acceptable. However, there are exceptions.

English language

In summary, your company can submit the following documents in other languages other than English provided it is accompanied by a certified translation into English certificate. Companies House would accept your original and translated documents as acceptable filings. For examples,

  • Resolutions and agreements affecting your company’s constitution delivered under Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Act.
  • Company accounts of larger EEA (European Economic Area) groups, your group accounts and parent undertaking’s annual report.
  • Company accounts of larger non-EEA groups, your group accounts and, where appropriate, the consolidated annual report.
  • A charge instrument or copy charge instrument.
  • Valuation report required to be delivered to the registrar under section 94(2)(d) of the Act.
  • Articles of association; memorandum of association.
  • Court orders.

In addition, your company may also file voluntary certified translations of any documents subject to the First Company Law Directive disclosure requirements. For examples,

  • Constitutional documents such as your memorandum and articles of association.
  • Directors appointments.
  • Changes in particulars or terminations.
  • Company accounts, reports, confirmation statements and annual returns.
  • Notification of any change in your company’s registered office.
  • Winding up documents.
  • Share capital documents for a public limited company only.
  • Documents relating to mergers and divisions for a public limited company only
  • Documents relating to overseas companies.

European Union language

First of all, the voluntary translation must relate to a document delivered to Companies House on or after 1 January 2007. Furthermore, voluntary translations can only be filed in an official language of the European Union and must be accompanied by Form VT01, which will link the translation to the original document.

Welsh language

However, there are different exceptions for Welsh company. Those complying with section 88 of the Act. Who are entitled to draw up and deliver certain documents in Welsh without the need of an accompanying certified translation in English.

Company accounts

Remember to deliver your company accounts to Companies House on time. Otherwise, you will receive an automatic late filing penalty. On top of this, if your company accounts are long overdue Companies House may strike it off the register.

Confirmation Statement

Equally important to file your confirmation statement on time because Companies House will strike off your company if it is long overdue. You may file your confirmation statement online or on paper. It is simple to file online. The online form is in English and it is simple to understand too.

Authentication code

In order to file online you would require an authentication code to use the webfiling service. Companies House issue one to every company. The code is the electronic equivalent of your director’s and secretary’s signature. Therefore always keep safe of the code and do not disclose it to anyone.

Registered office

Not to worry, if you have misplaced the code you can always request the code from Companies House. The code will arrive at your registered office within five working days. Contact Companies House if you did not receive the code. Before you do, check that your registered office held by Companies House is still valid. If there are not, then submit the Companies House form AD01 to change your registered office. Afterward you request the code again. There is no other way around it. Companies House only send the authentication code to your registered office.

In any case, your registered office must not be a PO Box address. Also, if your current registered office is situated in England in this case you can only change your registered office to an address in England. Similarly, for company with registered office is situated in Wales,the new address must be in Wales. In other words, company with registered office in England cannot change its registered office to a Scotland later.

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