Everything you need to know about Form SH01

What is Form SH01?

Form SH01 is the Companies House "return of allotment of shares" — the filing a UK limited company makes every time it issues new shares to shareholders. Allotment is the process of creating and issuing new shares from the company's share capital; SH01 formally notifies Companies House of the allotment so the public register reflects the current shareholding structure. Every private and public limited company that allots shares (other than under an employee share scheme reported differently) must file SH01 within one month of the allotment date.

Who files Form SH01 and when?

The company files SH01 through a director, company secretary, or authorised agent (accountant, company secretarial firm). It must be submitted within one month of the allotment date. Late filing is a criminal offence for the company and its officers; delays can attract enforcement action. The allotment itself remains valid, but the company should always file within the deadline to keep the public register accurate and current.

What information does Form SH01 capture?

The company name and registration number; the date of the allotment; the class of shares allotted (ordinary, preference, deferred, or another class defined in the articles); the number of shares allotted; the nominal value per share and the currency; the amount paid up on each share and any amount unpaid; whether the shares were issued for cash, non-cash consideration, or a combination; and a statement of capital showing the total issued share capital after the allotment (broken down by class, with prescribed particulars for each class).

How do you submit Form SH01 and what happens after?

Online through Companies House WebFiling or through third-party company secretarial software — online filing is free, faster, and confirmed immediately. Paper SH01 by post is also accepted. Once processed, the updated shareholding information appears on the company's public Companies House record. Companies also need to update their internal register of members (shareholder register) and issue share certificates to the new shareholders; SH01 doesn't replace those internal steps.