Previous Message
Hi everyone. I recently started a small UK company and thought I finally had most of the paperwork figured out. However, I keep running into situations where people ask me for a certificate of incorporation, and I’m not completely sure why it’s so important.
First it was the bank when I was opening a business account, and now a potential partner mentioned it as well. I do remember receiving several documents when the company was registered, but at the time I didn’t really understand what each one was for. Is this certificate something I’ll need regularly, or is it just a one-off requirement? I’d really appreciate hearing how others deal with this in practice.
I was in exactly the same situation and also didn’t fully understand it at first. The certificate of incorporation is essentially the official proof that your company legally exists and was registered correctly. That’s why banks and business partners often ask for it before moving forward.
This explanation helped me a lot when I was trying to understand it better certificate of incorporation From my experience, it doesn’t change or expire, so once you keep a copy saved somewhere safe, it becomes much easier to respond to these requests without stress.
Message Thread 
What is a certificate of incorporation and why do people keep asking for it? - Tom January 19, 2026, 12:38 pm
« Back to index | View thread »