At the start of the year new rules were introduced which require basic corporate details to be noted on a wider range of business correspondence. These rules are just the start of a wide ranging set of reforms in connection with the implementation of the new Companies Act 2006.

From 1st January all companies and limited liability partnerships need to make sure that the following simple information is now shown on all business letters, emails, order forms, websites, notices and other official business publications:

Company name
Registered office
Registered number
Place of registration (eg Scotland)
If it is being wound up, then that fact
Most of these details already require to be noted on business letters.

In connection with emails, please click on the following link to access a free style of email notice and disclaimer which you might like to adopt - example email disclaimer style. The disclaimer and copyright/confidentiality notice is not legally required but many businesses adopt these and you may also want to include a specific disclaimer for specific things depending on your industry sector.

It is also worth noting that there are other existing rules in connection with websites that require the following additional information to be noted by businesses (not just companies and LLP's) on their website:

• the name of the organization
• the geographic address at which the organization is established
• the details of the organization, including an email address
• where the organization is registered in a trade or similar register available to the public, details of the register in which the organization is entered and his registration number, or equivalent means of identification in that register
• where the provision of the organization is subject to an authorization scheme, the particulars of the relevant supervisory authority
• where the organization exercises a regulated profession - (i) the details of any professional body or similar institution with which the organization is registered; (ii) the professional title and the country where that title has been granted; (iii) a reference to the professional rules applicable to the organization in the country of establishment and the means to access them
• VAT number (if VAT registered).

Please note that other rules apply to websites if online sales are involved on the website. If you have any queries about this article or the style then please let me know.

For further information please contact Stuart Hendry on 0131 226 8203 or email stuart.hendry@mbmcommercial.co.uk