In the UK, there are certain legal requirements for company letter headings, email signatures and websites.

Once your company has been incorporated, you will be able to design business cards, letterheads and a website in your company name. These help you project the right image to your clients, but you should be aware that the Companies Act stipulates certain information that you must include on company letterheads and the company website (and you could be fined for not doing so), as follows: 

1. The name of the company
2. The place of registration of the company, namely England
3. The company number as registered at Companies House
4. The address of the company’s registered office
5. The names either of all the directors of the company, or of none of them, but not of only some of them

Normally, you would print the address of the principal place of business together with email address and telephone numbers at the top of the paper. The last four items listed above traditionally appear in small print at the bottom of the paper, and it is useful also to include here the company’s VAT number (preceded by GB) so that the same stationery could be used for invoices as required.

All company emails and replies to emails are now considered to be headed paper and as such must include items 1–5 above. All company websites must include items 1–5 above, and, if registered for VAT, must also include the VAT number (preceded by GB).

Please note that for routine correspondence, you should correspond from your principal place of business (usually your home address) and not from the registered office address.