Under the Companies Act 2006, every company is required to maintain statutory registers (sometimes referred to as statutory books or records). These set out details of the directors, the secretaries, the members/shareholders and those with significant control or influence over the company. This article will cover the four key registers companies must maintain. It is an offence by both the company and its officers if any of its registers are not maintained.
The registers become more important when it comes to selling the company or transferring shares, because a buyer will typically want to review the registers to ensure the seller has the authority to enter into the deal. Furthermore, when the shares are bought, the buyer will need possession of the registers (usually delivered when, or shortly after, the deal is completed).
So what information are you required to keep in the key registers?
The statutory registers are an important record of any company's governance and should be regularly reviewed and maintained. They are typically kept at the company's registered office but can be kept off-site (with the location being notified to Companies House) or can be maintained 'centrally' at Companies House. Please see our article on 'The Central Register at Companies House' for more information.
There are also additional administrative requirements under the Companies Act 2006 which companies must adhere to, for example, it must maintain a record of: board of directors' meetings, resolutions passed by members/shareholders and any debentures it has entered into. Other common registers companies maintain are: