Last updated: 16 October 2026
What is a service address?
A service address is the address a company director, LLP member or person with significant control (PSC) gives Companies House for official correspondence. It appears on the public register instead of your home address. It can be your home, the company’s registered office, or another address such as your accountant’s office, as long as documents sent there will reach you. Your actual residential address must also be given to Companies House, but it’s kept private and only shared with certain public bodies.
Service address versus other addresses
| Address | Who it belongs to | Public? |
| Registered office | The company | Yes |
| Service address | The individual director or PSC | Yes |
| Residential address | The individual | No, protected |
| Registered email address | The company | No |
Why use a service address service?
Many directors use a service address provided by their accountant or a formation agent so their home address never appears online. This helps:
- Protect your privacy and personal security
- Keep business and home life separate
- Avoid unwanted visits and junk mail
- Present a professional address
The provider must forward official post promptly, as you remain legally responsible for responding to it.
Rules since March 2024
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, service addresses must be “effective”: documents delivered there must be expected to reach you. A PO Box can’t be used. From late 2025, directors and PSCs must also verify their identity with Companies House, which links your identity to your appointments.
Example
Raj is a director of 2 small companies and works from home. When he formed his first company, he gave his home address as his service address, so it appeared on the register. He changes his service address to his accountant’s office using a Companies House online filing. His home address stays on old filed documents, but he applies to have it suppressed from older records where possible.
Removing your home address from old filings
You can apply to Companies House to suppress your residential address from documents filed before your change, for a fee per document. Since 2024, it’s also possible to ask for your full date of birth and signatures to be hidden on some older documents.
Changing your service address
Update it online through the Companies House WebFiling or the newer identity-verified service. The change must be filed within 14 days. There’s no fee.
Common mistakes
- Using your home address without realising it will be public
- Using a provider that doesn’t forward post
- Forgetting to update after moving
- Confusing the service address with the registered office
Records to keep
Keep confirmation of each change filed, and any agreement with your service address provider setting out how post is handled.
Changing the address for several companies
If you’re a director of more than one company, a single change filing can update your service address across all your appointments. Check each company record afterwards, as some older appointments may need updating separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can my service address be abroad?
Yes, it can be anywhere in the world.
Does HMRC use my service address?
HMRC writes to your home address for personal tax.
Is it the same for LLP members?
Yes.
Do I need one for each company?
You can use the same address for all.
Related: what a registered office address is, whether a PO Box can be used and what a confirmation statement is.
Talk to Accotax
Want this handled for you? Our team at Accotax can help with director service addresses. See our limited company accountants service, or contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.
This page is general guidance based on HMRC rules for the 2026/27 tax year, checked against gov.uk on 16 October 2026. It is not personal advice, so speak to an accountant about your own situation.
