The majority of the implementation of the Companies Act 2007 that had been planned for October 2008 will now be put back until October 2009. The BERR have announced this and say that Companies House need the extra time to be ready for the changes being introduced by the Companies Act 2006. All October 2008 changes relating to incorporation, share capital, etc, which require Companies House to update their procedures, will be postponed until October 2009.
Provisions relating to directors’ duties and the abolition of the prohibition on financial assistance and anything else that does not require Companies House to be ready, will be subject to a short consultation to establish whether they should also be delayed until October 2009 or introduced, as originally planned, in October 2008. There will be a further announcement in December 2007. The planned changes for April 2008 will still be implemented in April 2008.