By
August 30, 2026
What Information Must a UK Company Include on Its Website and Invoices?
A UK limited company must clearly identify itself on its website and business documents. Its website should normally display the company’s full registered name, registration number, registered office address and place of registration.
Invoices must include a unique invoice number, the supplier’s and customer’s details, a description of the goods or services, relevant dates, amounts charged and the total payable. VAT-registered companies must include additional VAT information.
The requirements can increase when the company sells online to consumers, operates in a regulated industry or trades internationally.
A limited company is a separate legal entity. Customers, suppliers and website visitors should be able to identify the company behind a brand or trading name.
Correct disclosures help:
A professional logo or brand name does not replace the company’s legal identity.
A UK limited company’s website should display:
The easiest way to show the company’s limited status is to use its complete registered name, including “Limited” or “Ltd”.
The place of registration should normally be stated as one of:
A company should not simply state “Registered in the UK” if a more specific jurisdiction is required.
The information must be accessible on the website. It does not necessarily have to appear prominently at the top of every page.
Common locations include:
A short footer disclosure can provide the core information on every page.
For example:
Example Trading Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 12345678. Registered office: 10 Example Street, London, EC1A 1AA.
The wording should remain readable and should not be hidden behind an inaccessible link or displayed in extremely small text.
The website may use a trading name or brand that differs from the registered company name. However, the legal company behind the website must be identified clearly.
For example:
Blue Market is a trading name of Example Commerce Limited.
The website should then disclose the registered company’s:
The trading name should not suggest that it is a separate limited company if it is not.
Before using a trading name, the company should also check for trade marks, restricted words and possible conflicts with existing businesses.
Yes. The registered office address should appear in the company information shown on the website.
This address is publicly available through Companies House. It does not have to be the same as:
If different addresses are shown, label them clearly. Customers should not be instructed to return goods to the registered office unless it is also the appropriate returns location.
Yes. A UK limited company’s website should show its registered company number.
This number should match the Companies House record exactly. It is not the same as:
The Corporation Tax UTR should generally be kept secure and should not be published on the website.
A company does not generally have to list its directors on an ordinary commercial website.
However, if it chooses to name directors in its relevant company business communications, it should not select only certain directors. The usual rule is that if directors’ names are included, all directors must be named.
Companies House already makes director information publicly available, but that does not mean the company must reproduce it on every website.
A regulated business or professional practice may be subject to additional rules about identifying responsible individuals.
No. A private limited company does not normally need to display its share capital on its website.
If the company chooses to state its share capital on business stationery or online materials, it should state the amount that is paid up.
Avoid promotional claims that confuse nominal share capital with the market value, financial strength or available cash of the company.
An online business should provide contact details that allow customers to communicate with it efficiently.
Depending on the company’s activities, this may include:
A contact form can be useful, but an online seller may also need to provide an email address.
The registered office can satisfy certain company disclosure requirements but may not always be the most appropriate customer contact or returns address.
A company selling goods, services or digital content online may need to provide customers with information before they place an order.
This can include:
The information should be presented clearly before the customer becomes bound by the contract.
Optional extras should not normally be added through pre-selected boxes. The customer should actively consent to additional charges.
The exact requirements depend on what the website does, but common legal pages include:
These explain the terms on which the company sells goods or services.
They may cover:
A privacy notice explains how the company collects, uses, retains and shares personal information.
It may need to describe:
The privacy notice should reflect the company’s actual practices rather than being copied from an unrelated website.
If the website uses cookies or similar technologies, it may need to explain:
Non-essential cookies should not normally be activated before valid consent is obtained.
An online retailer should explain:
These policies must be consistent with statutory consumer rights.
A VAT-registered online seller may need to show its VAT number as part of the information provided for online transactions.
Even where the entire VAT number is not displayed in a general website footer, it should appear where required, including on VAT invoices.
Only use a VAT number that belongs to the company. A company must not:
The effective date of registration determines when the company becomes responsible for VAT, not simply the date on which the confirmation arrives.
Pricing should be clear and not misleading.
When selling to consumers, the displayed price should generally include unavoidable taxes and charges, including VAT where applicable. Mandatory fees should not be revealed only at the final stage of checkout.
Delivery charges and other unavoidable costs should be shown clearly or explained where they cannot reasonably be calculated in advance.
Business-to-business pricing may be shown excluding VAT if this is made clear and appropriate for the audience.
A price should not be advertised as “£100” if the customer will inevitably have to pay significantly more because compulsory fees were hidden.
A standard invoice should include:
For a limited company, the invoice must use the full company name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation.
It is also sensible to show:
The invoice should identify the company that entered into the transaction. It should not be issued in the director’s personal name unless the director—not the company—was genuinely the supplier.
Every invoice should have a unique identification number.
Examples include:
The numbering system should be:
If a number is skipped or an invoice is cancelled, retain a note explaining what happened. Do not reuse an old number if doing so could create duplicate invoices.
Yes. The invoice should identify when the goods or services were supplied.
This may be:
For example:
Consulting services supplied from 1 August to 31 August 2026.
The supply date may differ from the invoice date. This distinction is particularly important for VAT reporting and year-end accounting.
The invoice should include the company’s address and contact information. It is also good practice to show the registered office address and identify it clearly.
If the company uses several addresses, it may show:
The address selected should not mislead the customer about where legal documents, payments or returned goods should be sent.
No. Directors’ names do not normally have to appear on an invoice.
If the company decides to name its directors, it should include the names of all directors rather than naming only selected directors.
There is no need to include directors’ residential addresses, dates of birth or identity numbers.
Bank details are not part of the core invoice-identification requirements, but including payment instructions makes it easier for the customer to pay.
The invoice may show:
The account should normally be held in the company’s name. Customer payments should not routinely be directed to a director’s personal account.
Because invoice-payment fraud is common, the company should maintain strong controls over changes to bank details. Customers should be encouraged to verify unexpected payment changes through a trusted communication method.
The invoice should state when payment is due.
Examples include:
A specific payment date is usually clearer than “Net 30”.
Payment terms on the invoice should match the contract, accepted quotation or purchase order. An invoice should not attempt to impose materially different terms after the transaction has already been agreed.
A full VAT invoice normally requires:
The information must allow the customer and HMRC to understand how the VAT was calculated.
Only a VAT-registered business can issue a VAT invoice.
A VAT-registered company will normally need to issue a VAT invoice when it supplies standard-rated or reduced-rated goods or services to another VAT-registered person.
The invoice must generally be issued within the applicable deadline, commonly within 30 days of the tax point.
Different rules may apply to:
The correct tax point should be established rather than automatically using the payment date.
A simplified VAT invoice may be used for eligible lower-value supplies.
It normally includes:
A customer may request a full VAT invoice where it needs fuller information to support VAT recovery.
A non-VAT-registered company must not charge VAT or issue a VAT invoice.
It may add wording such as:
Not registered for VAT.
This can reduce customer queries, but it is not a substitute for monitoring the VAT registration threshold.
The invoice should not display:
The full amount charged remains the company’s sale. It should not be split artificially into a net amount and VAT.
A company whose VAT registration is being processed should check the rules applying from its effective registration date.
It may need to:
The company should obtain advice if it is uncertain how to invoice during the waiting period.
Yes. A UK company can invoice in currencies such as GBP, EUR, USD or AED.
A foreign-currency invoice should make clear:
If UK VAT is due, the VAT figures must be shown and converted in accordance with the applicable sterling-conversion rules.
The company’s accounting records should preserve both the foreign-currency value and its sterling equivalent. Exchange gains or losses may arise between invoicing and payment.
Invoices to overseas customers may require additional details, such as:
The VAT treatment depends on:
An overseas customer does not automatically make the transaction free of UK VAT.
Yes. The core legal identity should be consistent across:
Inconsistencies can delay supplier onboarding or customer payments.
For example, a website displaying one company name while invoices request payment to another company may trigger fraud and compliance checks. If the businesses are related, the commercial relationship should be explained clearly.
Business emails are company communications and should clearly identify the company.
A suitable email footer can include:
Example Trading Limited
Registered in England and Wales under company number 12345678
Registered office: 10 Example Street, London, EC1A 1AA
The email may also contain:
A confidentiality notice does not replace required company disclosures.
A company operating in a regulated industry may need to display additional information, such as:
This can apply to industries such as:
Companies should check the rules of every regulator or professional body that applies to their activities.
Company details should be reviewed whenever there is a change to:
A registered office change does not take effect until Companies House registers it. After confirmation, the company should update its website, invoice templates, email signatures and other documents promptly.
Old invoice records should not be altered merely because the company’s details later change. They should continue to show the information that applied when they were issued.
Check that the website displays:
Before issuing an invoice, confirm that it includes:
UK companies should avoid:
The information must be accessible on the website. A footer appearing throughout the site is a common solution, but the company does not normally need to repeat a long disclosure within the main content of every page.
They should be easy to find. Placing them only in lengthy terms may be insufficiently clear. A footer or clearly labelled legal information page is preferable.
No. The company can provide a different customer-service address, but the registered office must still be identified where required.
No. A director’s residential address should not be published merely to meet company website disclosure requirements.
If the website belongs to and promotes or represents the company, the company’s trading disclosures should normally still be displayed even if customers cannot purchase directly through it.
If it collects or uses personal information, it will normally need to provide privacy information. This can apply even to a basic contact form, mailing list or analytics setup.
Including it is strongly recommended and helps identify the legal entity. The invoice must, in all cases, use the limited company’s full registered name and contain the other required invoice details.
An ordinary commercial invoice does not normally need a handwritten signature. Particular contracts, industries or customer procedures may impose additional requirements.
Yes. Electronic invoices must contain the same required information as their paper equivalents. Electronic VAT invoices must comply with the relevant VAT requirements.
This may be appropriate for business-to-business sales if it is made clear. Consumer prices should normally present the total unavoidable price, including VAT and other mandatory charges.
No. The UTR is for tax administration and should not normally be published on invoices or websites.
Yes. A company can operate several trading names, but each brand should clearly identify the same registered company behind it.
A UK limited company’s website should clearly display its full registered name, company number, registered office address and place of registration. If it uses a separate brand, the website should explain that the brand is a trading name of the registered company.
Invoices must identify the supplier and customer, contain a unique invoice number, describe the supply, show the supply and invoice dates, list the amounts charged and state the total payable. VAT-registered companies must add their VAT number and the required VAT calculations and information.
Companies selling online should also provide clear contact details, pricing, delivery, cancellation and returns information, together with suitable terms, privacy information and cookie controls. All disclosures should be reviewed whenever the company’s legal, tax or contact details change.
