Company Stationery
Limited companies, must include specific information such as the company’s name on all company stationery, documents, publicity and letters.
Companies House regulations say that the company’s letters must have the following contents:
- The company’s registered name
This is the name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation and includes the word “Ltd” or “Limited”. It should not be mistaken for the name you trade under.
Any trading names can be shown prominently alongside the registered name in a small print which is clear and legible.
- The registered office address
This should be shown and be cleared labelled as your registered address. Should you trade from one address but have your company registered at your Accountant’s office, you should show both.
- The company registration number
- Whether your company is registered in England & Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.
Welsh companies that use “Cynfngedig” instead of “Limited” must still state in English that they are a limited company.
It is not compulsory to include the names of the directors on letters. If you chose to do so, then you must list all directors.
The regulations apply to business letters, order forms, communications in e-mail form and websites. For all other documents such as invoices, order forms and compliment slips, your company’s registered name will suffice, with the exception being if you use a compliment slip as a substitute letterhead, in this case, the slip will count as a letter and you must show all the required information mentioned above.
The directors and their companies can be prosecuted for not complying with these legal obligations. If convicted the fine is up to £1,000, and if the stationery is not rectified fines of £100 per day can be imposed.
Action Point
It is considered best practice to apply a standard template for company stationery containing all the required information for company-wide use. E-mail signatures should also be standardised using the relevant settings or tools menu.