Does a Company Need a Secretary? When to Consider Professional Help

Since the Companies Act 2006 removed the requirement for private companies to appoint a company secretary, most micro-companies don't have one. The director handles everything — filings, compliance, record-keeping. But the legal obligations a company secretary would manage haven't gone away. They've just been transferred to the director.

The question isn't whether you need a company secretary. It's whether the administrative burden of Companies House compliance is worth your time — or whether you need help.

What a Company Secretary Actually Does

A company secretary manages a company's statutory obligations. There's a fuller breakdown of what the company secretary role covers and how self-filing directors handle each part, but for a UK limited company it comes down to:

Routine filings:

• Annual accounts — preparing and filing within 9 months of the ARD
• Confirmation statements — filing within 14 days of the review period end
• Identity verification tracking — ensuring all directors and PSCs have verified

Event-driven filings:

• Director appointments and resignations (14-day filing requirement) — see how to appoint a director for the AP01 sequence
• Registered office address changes
• PSC changes, notified to Companies House
• Share allotments and transfers

Record keeping:

• The register of members (s.113) — the only statutory register a company still keeps itself. The registers of directors, secretaries and PSCs were abolished as local registers on 18 November 2025 (ECCTA s.51, S.I. 2025/1118)
• Copies of every charge instrument, kept available for inspection (s.859P) — the company's own register of charges was repealed on 6 April 2013 (S.I. 2013/600)
• Board minutes and resolutions
• Articles of association maintenance
• Filing deadlines and compliance calendar

Compliance monitoring:

• Tracking regulatory changes that affect the company
• Ensuring deadlines aren't missed
• Managing the company's relationship with Companies House

When Self-Filing Works

For many micro-company directors, self-filing is practical and cost-effective. It works when:

• You have one company with straightforward filings (micro-entity accounts, annual confirmation statement)
• Your filings are predictable — same two deadlines every year, no complex share structures or frequent director changes
• You have a system for tracking deadlines — even a basic calendar reminder prevents most missed filings
• Your accounts are simple — if you're a sole director/shareholder with straightforward finances, preparing micro-entity accounts doesn't require specialist knowledge

The main risk with self-filing is deadline management, not filing competence. The actual process of filing a confirmation statement or dormant accounts online takes 10–15 minutes. The problem is remembering to do it.

When You Need Help

Self-filing stops working when the administrative burden outweighs the cost of professional help:

Multiple companies: Each company has its own deadlines, authentication codes, and filing requirements. With 3+ entities, the coordination overhead becomes significant. A single missed deadline among several companies is the most common failure mode.

Complex share structures: If your company regularly issues shares, manages share transfers, or has a complex cap table, the filing requirements become more technical. Share allotments (SH01) must be filed within 1 month, and getting them wrong creates problems.

Frequent director or PSC changes: Companies with advisory boards, frequent investor changes, or evolving ownership structures generate a steady stream of event-driven filings, each with a 14-day deadline.

Compliance isn't your priority: If you'd rather spend your time running the business than tracking filing deadlines, that's a valid reason to delegate. The cost of a company secretary service is typically less than two late filing penalties.

Your Options

Option 1: Self-Filing with Software

Use compliance software to track deadlines, get reminders, and manage filings. The software handles the "when" — you handle the "what." For a detailed evaluation framework, see our company secretarial software guide.

Best for: 1–3 companies with straightforward filings. Directors who are organised but need systematic reminders.

Typical cost: Approximately £5–15/month for self-serve compliance software.

Option 2: Appoint a Company Secretary

A named company secretary (individual or firm) takes responsibility for all statutory filings and compliance. They appear on your company's public record at Companies House. If you would rather buy the work than the title, what company secretarial services cover sets out the same duties delivered without a formal appointment.

Best for: Directors who want to fully delegate compliance. Companies with complex structures or frequent changes.

Typical cost: Approximately £100–500+/year depending on company complexity and number of entities.

Option 3: Use an Accountant Who Includes Company Secretarial

Some accountancy firms bundle company secretarial services with their annual accounts preparation. If you already pay an accountant, check whether they handle confirmation statements and event-driven filings.

Best for: Directors who already have an accountant and want to consolidate.

Typical cost: Often included or available as an add-on for approximately £50–150/year.

Option 4: Formation Agent Ongoing Services

Many formation agents offer annual company secretary packages as an upsell to the companies they formed. Coverage varies — check what's included.

Best for: Companies that used a formation agent and want continuity.

Typical cost: Approximately £40–100/year for basic packages.

The Legal Position

Private companies: Not required to have a company secretary. The directors assume all statutory obligations.

Public companies (PLCs): Must have a company secretary who is qualified (chartered secretary, solicitor, accountant, or equivalent).

If a private company does appoint a company secretary, that person takes on the statutory duties — but the directors remain ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance.

Key Takeaways

• Private companies don't legally need a company secretary, but the obligations still exist — directors take them on
• Self-filing works for 1–2 companies with straightforward filings and a deadline tracking system
• Multiple companies, complex share structures, or frequent changes are signals to get professional help
• The cost of professional company secretarial services is typically less than the cost of missing two filing deadlines
• If you're going to self-file, use software or a systematic process — the biggest risk is forgetting, not incompetence

Use our free filing deadline countdown tool to see how deadline tracking works in practice, or try the late filing penalty calculator to see what a missed deadline costs.