Mail Forwarding Requirements

At a recent meeting of the FlexSA Compliance Forum (FCF), it was noted that some virtual office service providers are offering a service that involves only forwarding ‘official’ mail, e.g. from HMRC and Companies House.

Whilst none of the companies identified as offering this by Trading Standards Officers at the FCF meeting were Flexible Space Association members, we undertook to highlight this matter, and remind those offering a mail forwarding service for registered office addresses that they must forward ALL mail.

Section 86 of the Companies Act 2006 covers the relevant legislation on this:

(1) A company must ensure that its registered office is at all times at an appropriate address.

(2) An address is an “appropriate address” if, in the ordinary course of events—

(a) a document addressed to the company, and delivered there by hand or by post, would be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company, and
(b) the delivery of documents there is capable of being recorded by the obtaining of an acknowledgement of delivery.

 

Following legislative changes included in the the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, PO Boxes can no longer be used as a registered office address.  There must be a physical address where someone will be made aware of post, and it’s possible for the sender to get confirmation of delivery.

Companies House guidance on registered office addresses can be found here.