Companies House Is Showing the Wrong Information About My Company

If Companies House is showing incorrect information about your UK company, do not assume the register will correct itself. The Companies House register is the public record of UK companies. It contains information such as a company's registered office, directors, people with significant control (PSCs), SIC codes, filing history and company status. Companies are expected to keep this information accurate and up to date.

The correct way to fix an error depends on what is wrong, how the error happened, and whether the original filing was properly delivered. A simple spelling mistake may require a different process from an incorrect director appointment, an unauthorised filing or information that is factually false. This guide explains how to identify the problem, which correction route may apply, and what to do if the information was filed without your company's authority.

Why Does Companies House Have Wrong Information?

Incorrect information can appear on a company record for several reasons. Common examples include:

• A director's name was entered incorrectly
• The wrong date of birth was filed
• An incorrect residential or service address was submitted
• The registered office was entered incorrectly
• The wrong number of shares was reported
• A shareholder's name was misspelled
• A director was incorrectly appointed or removed
• PSC information is outdated
• A filing contains an incorrect date
• A filing was submitted without the company's knowledge
• A transaction recorded on a filing never actually happened
• A required change was never filed, leaving older information on the register

Companies House's current guidance tells companies and directors to correct mistakes as soon as possible. It can also query information, reject filings, or remove or amend information in appropriate circumstances. The first mistake to avoid is filing another form without understanding the original error.

First, Identify Exactly What Is Wrong

Go to the company's Companies House record and compare the public information with your company's actual records. Companies House's free search service provides information including company type, registered office, SIC code and company status, along with the company's filing history. Create a simple comparison:

Then identify the filing that created the incorrect information. This is important because Companies House generally does not treat every correction as a simple "edit" to the public register.

Check the Filing History Before Correcting Anything

The filing history is often the most useful evidence when something looks wrong. Find the document that introduced the incorrect information. For example, if Companies House shows that someone is a director when they should not be, look for the filing that recorded their appointment.

If the registered office is wrong, check the relevant incorporation or address-change filing. If the share structure is incorrect, examine the incorporation documents and later share filings. This helps answer two separate questions:

1. Was the filing made by the company but contained an error?
2. Was the filing itself unauthorised, false or based on a transaction that never happened?

The answer can determine the correction route.

If You Made a Mistake on a Filing

Companies House provides procedures for correcting information where a previously submitted document contains incorrect or missing information. In many cases, the appropriate route is a replacement filing using form RP01.

Companies House says RP01 can be used where some or all of the information in a previously filed document is incorrect. The original document must have been filed on or after 1 October 2009. You will need information such as:

• Company name
• Company number
• Type of document originally filed
• Date the original document was registered

You can obtain these details from the company's Companies House record.

Example: wrong director address

Suppose you appoint a new director and accidentally enter the wrong service address. If the filing itself needs replacing rather than simply updating the address through a later filing, the appropriate correction process may be required.

The important point is to identify whether you are correcting the original filing or reporting a new change of circumstances. Those are not necessarily the same thing.

What Is a Second Filing?

A second filing is a narrower correction mechanism. Companies House uses form RP04 for very minor inaccuracies in documents that were otherwise properly delivered. A classic example is a small typographical error in an address, such as "23 Station Roaad" instead of "23 Station Road".

This distinction matters because RP04 is not a general-purpose correction form. Companies House's current guidance says RP04 can only be used in very limited cases. In most cases where information on a filing is incorrect, a replacement document using RP01 is required.

What happens to the original filing?

The original filing normally remains on the register. A second filing does not simply erase the original document. Instead, the corrected information is made available so that users of the register can understand the inaccuracy and its correction. This is an important expectation to set: correcting a filing does not necessarily mean the historical document disappears.

What If the Information Is Completely Wrong?

Some situations are more serious than an ordinary filing mistake. For example:

• Someone was recorded as a director without being appointed
• Shares were reported as transferred when no transfer occurred
• A document was filed without company authorisation
• A filing contains false or misleading information
• A transaction recorded at Companies House never happened
• Your personal details were used without permission

In these circumstances, do not simply submit another routine company form and assume that will solve the problem. Companies House has a specific process for information that should never have been delivered to the register.

What If Someone Filed Something Without My Permission?

This requires particular attention. Companies House says it can remove information where it is satisfied that:

• The information in a document is false or misleading
• The document was sent without the company's knowledge or authorisation
• The document records a transaction that never occurred

If you believe an unauthorised filing has been made, contact Companies House and provide as much information and supporting evidence as possible. Useful evidence might include:

• Company records
• Board minutes
• Shareholder resolutions
• Existing statutory records
• Emails
• Appointment or resignation documentation
• Identity documents where relevant
• Evidence that the supposed transaction never occurred
• Evidence showing who had authority to file information

Companies House considers these cases on their individual circumstances.

What If Someone Was Fraudulently Added as a Director?

This is more serious than a spelling mistake. If a person appears on your company's record as a director but was never appointed, establish exactly which filing caused the appointment to appear. Do not file a routine termination of appointment simply to make the name disappear if the appointment itself never happened.

The appropriate correction may involve reporting the unauthorised filing and providing evidence to Companies House. Companies House has stated that false filing offences are among the matters it prioritises for enforcement. Its enforcement powers can include financial penalties, prosecution and director disqualification in appropriate cases. If the situation involves suspected fraud, identity misuse, disputed ownership or significant financial consequences, professional legal advice may be appropriate.

What If the Wrong Information Is About a Director?

The solution depends on the nature of the mistake.

Wrong director name

If the original filing contains a genuine error, the correction process may be appropriate.

Wrong date of birth

A director's date of birth is important Companies House information and should be corrected rather than left because it is "close enough."

Wrong nationality or country of residence

These details should also match the director's actual information.

Wrong service address

If the service address was entered incorrectly, determine whether this is a correction to an original filing or a later change.

Former director still showing

If a director has genuinely resigned but the termination has not been filed, this may be a missing filing rather than a correction to an existing filing. The distinction is simple: A mistake corrects something that was wrong when filed. A change filing reports something that became different later. That distinction can prevent you from submitting the wrong form.

What If the Registered Office Is Wrong?

A wrong registered office is usually dealt with through the appropriate registered office change process. However, the correct procedure depends on why the address is wrong.

You entered the wrong address during incorporation

This is a correction issue and may require a specific filing procedure.

The company subsequently moved

This is generally a change of registered office rather than an error in the original incorporation.

Your registered office provider closed

You need to arrange an appropriate replacement address and notify Companies House.

Someone changed the registered office without authority

That is potentially an unauthorised filing and should be investigated accordingly. Do not use a routine address-change filing to conceal the fact that an unauthorised change occurred.

What If the Wrong Share Information Is Showing?

Share information can be particularly sensitive because it can affect ownership and control of the company. Suppose your company should have issued 100 ordinary shares but Companies House records 1,000. Before filing anything, establish:

• What the incorporation documents say
• What the statement of capital says
• What the company's register of members says
• Whether shares were actually allotted
• Whether any subsequent allotment or transfer occurred
• Which Companies House filing introduced the discrepancy

A correction to a filing is different from an actual change to the company's share structure. If 1,000 shares were genuinely issued and you later decide that the company should have a different structure, that is not simply a Companies House spelling mistake. Where ownership or share rights are disputed, obtain appropriate professional advice before making a filing that could have legal consequences.

What If the PSC Information Is Wrong?

A Person with Significant Control (PSC) is an individual or legal entity that meets the relevant control conditions over a company. If the Companies House record contains incorrect PSC information, the company should establish whether:

• The wrong person was recorded
• A PSC was never added
• Someone ceased to be a PSC but remains listed
• The nature of control was entered incorrectly
• A change occurred but was never reported

Companies House expects company information to be accurate and complete and provides specific PSC filing routes. Again, distinguish between correcting an original mistake and reporting a later change.

Can Companies House Remove the Wrong Information?

Sometimes, yes but the route depends on the nature of the information. Companies House has powers to remove information that should never have been delivered, including information that is false or misleading or relates to an unauthorised filing or transaction that never occurred. There are also specific procedures for replacing incorrect documents and correcting minor inaccuracies.

In more complicated cases, the courts can play a role. Under section 1096 of the Companies Act 2006, the court can order the registrar to remove material from the register where the court has declared it invalid, ineffective, unauthorised, factually inaccurate or forged, subject to the statutory conditions. This is generally not the starting point for a simple typographical error. It becomes more relevant when the legal validity or accuracy of a filing is genuinely disputed.

What If Companies House Says the Information Is Correct?

Sometimes the issue is not that Companies House made a mistake; it is that the company's records and the public register do not match. For example, you might believe a director resigned because the board accepted the resignation, but Companies House has no termination filing. In that situation, Companies House may simply be displaying the last information it received.

Companies House has specific guidance on inconsistencies in company records. It advises companies to check what has already been filed and determine whether information is missing or incorrect. The solution may be to file missing forms or correct mistakes in the filing history.

This is an important principle: Companies House can only display information it has been properly told about. If the company failed to notify Companies House of a genuine change, the problem may be a missing filing rather than an incorrect register.

What About Historical Information?

Correcting your company's record does not necessarily mean every historical reference disappears. Companies House maintains a public register and filing history. Some corrected filings remain visible with information explaining the correction.

For example, where an RP04 second filing is used, Companies House specifically states that the original document remains on the register while the second filing explains the inaccuracy. This creates an important distinction between:

• Current company information
• Historical filings
• Corrected filings
• Information that should never have appeared on the register

The appropriate goal is not always to make the historical record look as though the mistake never happened. In many cases, the objective is to create an accurate and transparent record of what happened.

What If My Personal Details Were Used Without Permission?

If someone has used your personal details on a company record without your permission, Companies House has a separate process for reporting this. This could include circumstances where someone has incorrectly listed you as:

• A director
• A PSC
• A subscriber
• Another person connected with a company

Do not assume that filing a resignation is the appropriate response if you were never a director in the first place. Companies House specifically provides routes for reporting the unauthorised use of personal information.

A Practical Companies House Correction Checklist

If you discover incorrect company information, work through this sequence.

1. Identify the exact error

Write down what Companies House says and what the information should say.

2. Find the filing that caused it

Check the company's filing history and identify the relevant document.

3. Establish what type of problem you have

Is it:

• A typo?
• An incorrect filing?
• A missing filing?
• A genuine later change?
• An unauthorised filing?
• False or misleading information?
• A transaction that never occurred?

4. Choose the appropriate correction route

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

• A normal company filing
• Replacement filing using RP01
• Second filing using RP04 for a qualifying minor error
• An application to remove information
• A specific Companies House correction process
• Court proceedings in complex cases

5. Keep evidence

Save:

• Original filings
• Corrected filings
• Companies House correspondence
• Board minutes
• Resolutions
• Share records
• Relevant contracts
• Emails
• Identity documentation
• Evidence of unauthorised activity

6. Check the register again

After submitting a correction, confirm that the current company information is accurate. Do not assume that submitting a form means the register has already changed.

How Founders Can Prevent Companies House Errors

The cheapest Companies House correction is often the one you never need to make. Before submitting a filing:

• Check every director's legal name
• Verify dates of birth
• Confirm addresses
• Check share numbers
• Review PSC information
• Confirm company dates
• Make sure the correct filing is being submitted
• Keep copies of everything submitted
• Monitor the company's filing history

This becomes particularly important for founders using formation agents, accountants or company management platforms. Delegating filing work does not remove the need to review what is being filed on the company's behalf.

For global founders, a UK company formation and management platform such as IncorpUK can form part of the wider administrative infrastructure around a company, but directors should still understand the information being submitted and keep their own records.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I correct wrong information on Companies House?

First identify the filing that caused the error. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to submit a replacement filing, a second filing for a minor inaccuracy, a normal update filing, or use a specific process for removing unauthorised or false information.

What is an RP01 form?

RP01 is used to replace a previously filed document where the original contains incorrect or missing information and meets the requirements for replacement. Companies House says it can be used for documents filed on or after 1 October 2009.

What is an RP04 form?

RP04 is used for a very minor inaccuracy in a document that was otherwise properly delivered. It is not a general-purpose correction form.

Can Companies House remove a false filing?

Companies House can remove information where it is satisfied that the information is false or misleading, a document was filed without the company's knowledge or authorisation, or a recorded transaction never occurred. Supporting evidence should be provided.

What if a director appears on Companies House who was never appointed?

Treat this as potentially unauthorised information rather than simply filing a resignation. Identify the filing that created the appointment and report the issue to Companies House with supporting evidence.

Can I change information directly on the Companies House website?

Some company changes can be filed online, but the appropriate service depends on what needs correcting. Companies House provides online filing services for company changes and specific correction mechanisms.

Will Companies House delete the original incorrect filing?

Not necessarily. For example, an RP04 second filing leaves the original filing on the register and adds the corrected information.

What if the error involves company shares or ownership?

Share and ownership information can have legal consequences. Establish exactly what was filed and compare it with the company's statutory records before submitting a correction. Where ownership is disputed, professional legal advice may be appropriate.

What if the incorrect information was filed without my permission?

Report the issue to Companies House and provide as much evidence as possible. Companies House has a process for information that should never have been delivered to the register, including unauthorised filings and transactions that never occurred.

Conclusion

If Companies House is showing the wrong information about your company, the solution is not always to submit another routine filing. Start by identifying exactly what is wrong and which filing created the problem. Then determine whether you are dealing with a simple typo, an incorrect filing, a missing update, a genuine change that was never reported, or potentially unauthorised or false information.

For minor inaccuracies, an RP04 second filing may sometimes be appropriate. For many incorrect filings, an RP01 replacement filing is the relevant route. More serious situations involving unauthorised documents, false information or transactions that never happened may require Companies House intervention and supporting evidence.

The wider lesson for founders is straightforward: check the Companies House record regularly, keep your company's internal records aligned with the public register, and correct mistakes promptly. For international and remote founders, this is particularly important because the Companies House register is often the first place banks, customers, investors, suppliers and professional advisers check when verifying a UK company. An accurate Companies House record is therefore more than an administrative detail. It is part of maintaining a credible, transparent and properly managed UK company.