How to correct a spelling mistake in a director or shareholder’s name

Fortunately, thanks to the prominence of online registration, spelling mistakes on company formation applications are now relatively rare.

However, if you do make a mistake on your application, you’ll no doubt want to fix this as soon as possible. In this post, we’re going to explain what to do if you spell the name of a person wrong when forming your company. Let’s get started.

First step…

If you’re using the services of an online company formation agent – such as 1st Formations – and you notice a spelling mistake shortly after submitting your application, you should call the agent immediately (our number is 020 3897 2233).

They may still be in the process of reviewing your application, so there is a chance that you’ll be able to correct the mistake before your application is filed at Companies House.

If your application has already been delivered to Companies House, you won’t be able to fix the spelling mistake until after your company has been incorporated. In this instance, you will need to wait until the company has been formed and then use one of the methods outlined below.

Correcting the name of a director or company secretary

If you formed your company with us, you can use our free Online Company Manager facility to correct spelling mistakes in director and secretary names.

To do this:

1. Log in to the Online Company Manager
2. Select ‘My Companies’
3. Click on your company name
4. Scroll down to the appropriate officer and select ‘Edit’
5. Make the necessary change and select ‘Update’ – the change request will then be sent to Companies House

Customers who formed their company with us have immediate access to the tool. However, non-customers can also use the Online Company Manager. Simply sign up using the ‘New customers’ option on the dedicated Online Company Manager page. You can then import your company using your company number and company authentication code. Then follow the steps outlined above.

Alternatively, the fix can be made online using the Companies House WebFiling system.

Finally, you can also use the Companies House paper forms (although these obviously take longer to complete and get accepted):

• Form CH01 (directors)
• Form CH02 (corporate directors)
• Form CH03 (secretaries)
• Form CH04 (corporate secretaries)

Correcting the name of a shareholder

To correct or update the name of a shareholder (member) you will need to file a confirmation statement at Companies House.

The information held at Companies House should be an accurate reflection of the company, so we recommend doing this as soon as you realise that a mistake has been made. This will also help you avoid any compliance or ID verification issues, such as opening business bank accounts or getting finance.

You can file a confirmation statement directly with Companies House. Alternatively, we can take the hassle out of this process by filing this for you via our Confirmation Statement Service (available for only £59.99).

Correcting the name of a person with significant control (PSC)

If you’ve misspelt the name of a person with significant control (PSC), you can, again, correct the mistake using our Online Company Manager:

To make the change:

1. Log in to the Online Company Manager
2. Select ‘My Companies’
3. Click on your company name
4. Scroll down to the person with significant control and select ‘Edit’
5. Make the necessary change and select ‘Update’ – the change request will then be sent to Companies House

You can also use the Companies House WebFiling system or form PSC04.

How long does it take for Companies House to update their records?

When you report changes after incorporation, Companies House will usually update your company’s record on the public register within 24 hours. However, it can sometimes take up to 2 working days for this to be accepted and displayed on the public register.

Paper forms generally take around 14 days to be processed.

Updating your company records

As well as making the changes with Companies House, you must also ensure that your company’s statutory registers of directors, secretaries, members, and PSCs include the correct spelling of every person’s name.

Whilst these registers are not generally a matter of public record, they must be accurate at all times.

So there you have it

If you did spell an individual’s name wrong when forming your company, you should now know how to go about fixing this. Please leave a comment if you have any further questions.