Originally published 19 May 2021 · Fully updated 16 August 2026
Keeping accurate company records is a legal responsibility for UK limited companies, including companies registered in Northern Ireland. The rules cover both statutory company records and financial records, and some important requirements changed in late 2025 and early 2026.
This guide explains what you should keep, where records can be held, how long they should be retained, and what the recent Companies House reforms mean in practice.
What changed for company registers in 2025 and 2026?
From 18 November 2025, companies are no longer required to maintain their own local registers of directors, directors’ residential addresses, company secretaries or people with significant control (PSCs). You must still report this information to Companies House and keep it up to date.
The register of members is different: companies must still maintain their own register of shareholders or members. The option for private companies to keep member information only on the Companies House central register ended on 26 January 2026.
Companies that previously used the central register for members should now make sure they hold a complete, current register of members at their registered office or Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL).
Which statutory company records should you keep?
The exact records depend on the company type and its activities, but a typical private limited company should keep its core constitutional and ownership records together with records of important company decisions.
- Certificate of Incorporation.
- Memorandum and Articles of Association.
- Register of members, including current shareholder or member details.
- Share certificates and records of share allotments, transfers and purchases.
- Records of shareholder resolutions and minutes of general meetings.
- Directors’ service contracts and indemnities, where applicable.
- Contracts or memoranda relating to a purchase of the company’s own shares, where applicable.
- Debenture records and documents relating to charges or secured borrowing, where applicable.
Although companies no longer need local registers of directors, secretaries and PSCs, changes to those people still need to be reported promptly to Companies House.
What accounting records must a limited company keep?
Every company must keep accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain its transactions and allow the directors to prepare compliant annual accounts. In practical terms, this normally includes:
- all money received and spent by the company;
- details of assets owned by the company;
- amounts the company owes and amounts owed to it;
- bank statements, invoices, receipts, contracts and other supporting documents;
- stock held at the end of the financial year and the stocktaking records used to calculate it;
- details of goods bought and sold and, except for ordinary retail trade, who they were bought from or sold to;
- VAT records if the company is VAT registered; and
- PAYE and payroll records if the company employs staff.
The company’s finances should be clearly separate from the personal finances of its owners and directors. Using a dedicated business bank account is the simplest way to maintain that separation.
Where should company records be kept?
Statutory records that must be available for inspection can normally be kept at the company’s registered office address. A company can instead use one Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL), provided it is in the same part of the UK in which the company is registered.
If records are moved to a SAIL address, or the location changes, Companies House must be notified. A company can keep different types of records at the registered office and SAIL, but each complete record type should be kept together.
Accounting records do not have to be kept with the public statutory registers. They may be kept at the registered office or another location the directors consider suitable, provided they remain complete, accessible and capable of supporting the company’s accounts and tax returns.
How long should company records be kept?
Accounting and tax records: HMRC’s general rule is to keep them for six years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to. In practice, that can mean some records are almost seven calendar years old before they can safely be destroyed, so a simple seven-year retention policy is sensible. Keep records for longer where a transaction spans more than one accounting period, an asset is expected to last more than six years, a Company Tax Return was filed late, or HMRC has opened a compliance check.
Minutes and resolutions: records of members’ resolutions and general meetings should generally be retained for at least 10 years. Directors should also keep proper written records of company decisions in accordance with the Companies Act and the company’s Articles.
Register of members: this is an ongoing statutory record and should be kept accurate and up to date throughout the life of the company, with the required historic information preserved.
Core company documents: as a practical rule, retain the certificate of incorporation, current and historic articles, important share-capital and ownership records, and other key constitutional documents throughout the life of the company. Individual statutory records can have specific retention periods, so do not assume every document can be destroyed after the accounting-record period expires.
Records can usually be stored electronically, provided they are complete, accurate, readable and can be produced when required.
Who can inspect company records?
Not every company record is open to the public. Accounting records, for example, are internal records used by the company, its advisers and HMRC.
Certain statutory records must be available for inspection. The register of members is one of the most important examples and must be available at the registered office or SAIL. Requests to inspect or obtain copies of the register are subject to the Companies Act rules, including the requirement that the request is for a proper purpose.
What happens if records are not kept properly?
Poor record keeping can create problems with Companies House filings, annual accounts, tax returns, share transactions and due diligence. There can also be formal penalties: HMRC states that a company can be fined £3,000, and a director may be disqualified, if adequate accounting records are not kept.
Directors remain legally responsible for the company’s records even where bookkeeping, accounting or company secretarial work is delegated to someone else.
2026 compliance reminder: confirmation statements and identity verification
Good records also make annual filings easier. Before filing a confirmation statement, check that Companies House has the correct registered office, director, secretary, shareholder, PSC and record-location information.
Identity verification requirements for directors and PSCs began on 18 November 2025 and are being phased in. If you need help with Companies House identity verification, see our ACSP identity verification service.
Need help keeping your company records in order?
The Company Shop can help with statutory records, company administration, confirmation statements and other Companies House requirements. See our company administration services or contact our Belfast team on 028 9055 9955.
This article is a general guide and is not a substitute for legal or tax advice on a company’s specific circumstances.