Companies House issues a unique registration number during the incorporation of a new firm.

Each company that operates in the United Kingdom receives a registration number that plays a key role in identifying a company as well as confirming its position as a legally-established entity.

CRNs are solely issued to corporations that are officially listed at Companies House, for instance, limited firms and LLPs.

Conventional partnerships and independent traders, on the contrary, do not receive a CRN as they are listed by HMRC.

What does my CRN look like?

A company registration number includes 8 numbers or is an 8 alphanumeric character combination, based on the actual location where the business is established. Limited firms listed in England and Wales receive CRNs that consist of eight digits.

Companies registered in Northern Ireland and Scotland are issued CRNs which begin with ‘NI’, and ‘SC’ respectively, accompanied by 6 numbers. In the same way, the registration number for LLPs starts with ‘NC’ along with 6 numbers.

Finding your CRN:

The CRN can be found on your incorporation certificate that you received from Companies House the moment your company was officially listed. The certificate may have been sent to your email inbox or by post if you established the company using the services of a trustworthy company incorporation agent.

Those who listed their company directly without using any third-party service will receive their CRN in the post or email folder based on their chosen incorporation method.

In addition to the above sources, the CRN can be located on all communication from the registrar, and you can view it on the internet by visiting the public register through the online services of Companies House.

Importance of your company registration number:

The primary purpose of the company registration number is to identify private LLPs and firms in several different scenarios. Thus, CRN needs to be provided when:

• Modifying your company details at the registrar including your name or office address.
• Filing reports at the registrar including confirmation statements and annual accounts.
• Granting or selling shares.
• Registering your firm at HMRC for VAT, PAYE or Corporation Tax.
• Sending VAT and Corporation Tax returns, PAYE and annual account reports to HMRC.

Displaying your CRN:

LLPs and limited firms operating in the United Kingdom need to abide by corporate compliance rules by presenting their registration details to the public.

The CRN of a limited company or an LLP therefore needs to be displayed on company documents and official website as well as stationery including compliment slips, order bills, letterheads, faxes, receipts, etc.