Every company, Business or registered entity in Nigeria must have a registered address which is listed on its corporate records at the Corporate Affairs Commission. Businesses can, over time, change their registered address for whatever purpose that suits their business needs. However, whenever a registered entity in Nigeria changes its business address, it is required to file such a change with the Corporate Affairs Commission in order to update its record at the Companies Registration Portal maintained by the Commission.
In this article, we will provide you with a guide that explains all the steps you need to take and the regulatory compliance requirements you need to comply with after you change your company’s registered address. Please dive in below.
Reasons to file your change of registered address information with the Corporate Affairs Commission
- It is a matter of regulatory compliance. Upon changing your company’s address, you have to file that address change with the Corporate Affairs Commission in order to comply with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
- It eases communications. While many companies will argue that they do not receive communications from the Corporate Affairs Commission, filing the necessary forms with the Commission when you change your registered address ensures that the Commission will have a means to reach the company if need be. This goes for any other regulatory bodies and the general public.
- Filing your change of registered address with the Corporate Affairs Commission will ensure that your company records at the Commission are up-to-date.
When you Change Your Company’s Address
If your company is a going concern in Nigeria, and that company changes its registered address for any reason, it is required to file that information with the Corporate Affairs Commission within a specified period after changing the company’s address. To file this information with the CAC, you need certain information and documents. We will outline all of them below, in addition to the steps you need to take to change your company address on your CAC records.
What Information do you need to change your company address with the Corporate Affairs Commission?
- The new address of the company.
- The company directors’ signatures.
- If the company has a company secretary, then you need the company secretary’s signature as well
- Company Resolution approving the change of the company address to a new address duly signed by the directors and secretary of the company.
- Updated annual returns. Please note that no company in Nigeria can make post-incorporation filings at the Corporate Affairs Commission without having their annual returns filing up to date at the time of making the application. If it is a new company or entity that is below eighteen months from date of incorporation, then they do not require updated Annual Returns filing as they will yet be due for annual returns filings.
Steps to change company address
Step 1: Hold Board Meeting and pass Board Resolution to change the company’s address at the CAC
The Board of Directors of the company have to hold a board meeting where they will pass a resolution approving the change of the company address. The directors will have to sign the resolution; if there is a company secretary then the secretary will also have to sign the resolution approving the change of the company’s address. Where the company is a single-director company, that director shall sign, together with company secretary if there’s one.
Step 2: Fill Necessary Forms
You are required to fill the Form CAC 3, prepare and keep a signed copy of the Board Resolution, and get all details of the company ready. The details you require are: company name, registration number, previous registered office address, the company’s new registered address, effective date of the new address.
Step 3: File your Application with the CAC
When you get facts, documents and fees ready, you are required to submit your application and pay the prescribed fees. The prescribed fees are split in two: the application fee and the fee for (updated) status report which the CAC will issue to you upon a successful change of your company’s address at the Companies Registration Portal. The CAC will review your application for change of your company’s registered address and, upon approval, issue you with an updated form CAC 1.1 (E-Status Report) which will bear the updated details of your company, including the company’s new address. The new registered address will also reflect on the CAC portal as well.
Are there Consequences for Non-Compliance?
If you change your company’s address and fail to notify the Corporate Affairs Commission of your change, then the company is liable to face consequences which include payment of daily fine for each day of non-compliance from the lapse of the time period within which the company should have notified the CAC.
Can I file my change of registered address with the CAC Myself?
This is one inquiry we receive a lot from business owners across Nigeria. They want to know if they can file the changes in their company address with the CAC by themselves. The answer is no. Filing for change in company address is a post-incorporation matter and only CAC-accredited agents can do these filings. Our professionals and lawyers at Kabbiz Global Nominees Limited are CAC-accredited agents and seasoned compliance professionals who understand all the requirements from the CAC. We can help you with your changes in your company address. For professional assistance, please send an email to us at [email protected] so we can help you manage the process.
You can also call us on +2348064231176 or click here to chat us up on WhatsApp. We ensure respond to all business enquiries within twenty-four hours, max.
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