Companies are required from 1 January 2007 to provide certain key company information on all electronic communications (e-comms) and on their website if they are not already so doing.
The changes are the first practical step of the mammoth Companies Act 2006 that overhauled past company law and which will gradually come into effect in various stages throughout 2007/8.
The new law means that companies and LLP’s will need to state:
- the company’s name;
- the VAT number if registered;
- membership of any business or professional associations;
- their registered company number;
- the address of their registered office and
- where they are registered( e.g Registered in
England )
for all e-comms and websites they have just as they have to provide the same information on physical letterheads currently.
Consequently companies should check and amend:
- websites;
- electronic signatures for all staff(a template may assist here) and
- electronic invoices and faxes and the like( business notices,receipts,bills of exchange, promissory notes, orders and letters of credit)
to comply with the new law.
Failure to do so is punishable by a fine.
Staff should take care when acting for subsidiary companies to comply.
