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Register a community interest company (CIC)
A company with a stated community purpose and an asset lock, approved by the CIC Regulator as well as registered at Companies House.
Who it is for. Social enterprises that trade for a community benefit and want that purpose to be permanent and visible, without the regulatory weight of charitable status.
What Companies House needs
- A community interest statement explaining who benefits and how
- Approval from the CIC Regulator, in addition to Companies House registration
- An asset lock, so assets cannot be extracted for private benefit
- CIC-specific articles, as either a shares or a guarantee company
- A registered office in the jurisdiction of registration
What this form gets wrong most often
- Two bodies must be satisfied, so it takes longer
- Companies House registers the company; the CIC Regulator approves the community interest test. A rejected statement means starting that part again.
- The asset lock is permanent
- Assets stay in the community purpose. That is the point of the form, and it is not something that can be quietly unwound later.
- It is not a charity, and does not get charity tax reliefs
- A CIC is more flexible and faster to run than a charity, but Gift Aid and charitable rate relief are not available to it.
What has to be filed afterwards
- Confirmation statement and annual accounts, as for any company
- An annual CIC report to the Regulator, describing what the company did for the community
- Compliance with the asset lock, and with the dividend and interest caps where the CIC has shares
- Identity verification for directors and people with significant control
Questions
Can a CIC pay its directors?
Yes. Directors can be paid reasonable remuneration, and that is reported to the Regulator in the annual CIC report.
Can a CIC pay dividends?
A CIC limited by shares can pay dividends subject to a cap set by the Regulator. A CIC limited by guarantee has no shares and pays none.
Is a CIC better than a charity?
It is different. A CIC is quicker to set up and freer to trade; a charity gets tax reliefs and public trust but carries more regulation. The right answer depends on where the money comes from.
Community interest company
£89.99 + VAT
plus £100 Companies House fee- Name ends in
- Community Interest Company or CIC — or C.I.C. variants for a public CIC
- Jurisdictions
- England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Full price list on the pricing page. Companies House sets and collects its own fee.
Other structures
Enquire
Community interest company enquiry
Tell us who is involved and what the organisation is meant to do. If a different structure fits better, we will say so before you pay for this one.
Community interest company
Tell us what you are trying to do and we will reply with what is involved. No obligation, and we will say so plainly if what you need is not something we do.