Ownership records answer basic questions: who owns the shares, what rights attach to them and how did the current position arise? If the answer depends on several email chains and someone's memory, an investment, dividend decision or shareholder departure can become unnecessarily difficult.
In this article
- Identify the records your company needs
- Check ownership and control details
- Record changes with supporting evidence
- Review current filing obligations
Company statutory records in the UK have changed. An old checklist can now be misleading. This guide explains how to organise the evidence around a private company limited by shares while recognising the current Companies House requirements.
Start with the important register changes
From 18 November 2025, companies no longer have to hold local registers of directors, directors' residential addresses, secretaries or people with significant control. They must still register that information with Companies House and keep it current.
The register of members is different. Companies must still hold and maintain it at the registered office or a single alternative inspection location, known as a SAIL address. The option to hold member information on the Companies House central register ended on 26 January 2026. Companies that used that option need to create and maintain a full local register of members. These changes are explained in the Companies House register reform guidance.
Removing a duplicate register requirement does not mean removing the evidence behind appointments, ownership or control. Keep the business's supporting records organised, with a clear distinction between statutory registers and useful administration files.
Build an ownership evidence file
| Record | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Register of members | The company's recorded members and their shareholdings |
| Articles of association | The rules and rights attached to the company's arrangements |
| Share allotment documents | How and when new shares were issued |
| Transfer documents and approvals | How existing shares moved between owners |
| Share certificates | Evidence supplied to members about their holdings |
| Resolutions and minutes | Decisions and approvals behind changes |
| Companies House filing receipts | What was submitted and accepted |
| Shareholders' agreement, if any | Additional contractual arrangements between owners |
Keep dates visible. A summary ownership spreadsheet can be useful, but it should be traceable to underlying documents. Label drafts clearly so an unsigned proposed transfer is not mistaken for a completed transaction.
The GOV.UK company records guidance also identifies shareholder decisions, transactions involving shares, secured borrowing and other company records that must be kept. Accounting software alone is unlikely to hold the entire file.
Separate members from people with significant control
Shareholding and significant control are related, but they are not identical. PSC conditions include more than twenty-five per cent of shares or voting rights, rights to appoint or remove a majority of directors, and other forms of significant influence or control.
Check the official PSC guidance when reviewing ownership. Different share classes, joint arrangements, trusts and indirect holdings can make the assessment more complicated than a simple percentage calculation.
A useful ownership diagram shows direct shareholders, the classes and quantities of shares, and relevant entities above them. Use it to ask questions, then check the conclusions against the actual rights. Do not treat a diagram as a substitute for the required records or specialist advice.
PSC identity verification is also a distinct process. Someone who is both director and PSC must provide their personal code separately for each role. Follow the current verification guidance and record the applicable dates securely.
Review after events, not only once a year
Trigger a records review whenever shares are allotted or transferred, a shareholder dies, rights change, a new investor enters or the company restructures. Check the register of members, control position, company approvals and required filings together.
Give one person responsibility for coordinating the update, but have another check the evidence. A completed Companies House filing does not necessarily mean the local member register and share certificates have been updated.
Once a quarter, compare the ownership summary with the current register and review unresolved events. Before the confirmation statement, make a documented check of the information held by Companies House. This creates an orderly process without relying entirely on the annual filing reminder.
An illustrative ownership problem
A small consultancy has three founders. One leaves and transfers shares to the others. The directors update an internal spreadsheet, but the transfer evidence and member register are not reviewed.
When a potential investor later requests ownership information, the spreadsheet conflicts with older certificates. The company pauses the investor pack, gathers signed documents and asks appropriate advisers to establish the position. It then updates the records and checks the relevant filings. The example is illustrative; the correct remedy depends on what actually occurred.
Make access and continuity deliberate
Store sensitive identity information separately from documents that may need inspection. Agree who can read, edit and approve company records. Retain secure backups and ensure the file remains accessible if a founder, employee or adviser leaves.
Where statutory inspection rights apply, follow the proper procedure rather than publishing the entire company folder online. Seek legal input for disputed ownership, missing transfers or uncertainty about rights.
Get the records ready for review
Bring the company number, articles, current member register, ownership summary and documents for recent changes to an enquiry. EPOS Accountancy company secretarial support is subject to an agreed scope; legal reconstruction or complex ownership advice may require a separate specialist. See pricing information and agree who will maintain each record after the review.