From 6th April 2008, there are changes to the filing requirements for a public limited company applying for a certificate to commence business & borrow (a trading certificate).

It will no longer need to be in the form of a statutory declaration and a company may choose to meet the authorised minimum allotted capital requirement in either sterling (£50,000) or euros (€65,600). The company will have to indicate on the application which currency they will be using to meet the authorised minimum.

Companies will still be able to use the prescribed form 117 to apply, but it should be modified so that it complies with the changes.

Companies House has produced two optional forms 117 which have been modified to meet the new requirements and companies may opt to use one of these, as appropriate, as an alternative to the prescribed form.

Please note, for applications made prior to 6th April 2008, the unaltered prescribed form must be used. 

Click here for the optional 117 for use by a company meeting the authorised minimum in sterling

Click here for the optional 117 for use by a company meeting the authorised minimum in euros

Click here if you wish to use (& modify) the prescribed form 117

Guidance on modifying the prescribed form 117:

• The wording “do solemnly & sincerely declare that” should be deleted and replaced by “confirms that”
• If the company is seeking to satisfy the authorised minimum in euros, the figure £50,000 should be replaced by  €65,600
• “The aggregate amount paid up on the allotted share capital of the company at the time of this application is” box need not be completed
• The wording “And I make this solemn Declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835” should be deleted
• The “Declarant’s signature” box need not be completed
• The “Declared at” box need not be completed
• The date of declaration box need not be completed
• The “before me” box need not be completed
• The “Signed” and “Date” boxes must be completed
• The wording “A Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public or Justice of the Peace or Solicitor” should be deleted and replaced with “ Director/ Secretary”