Company Secretarial Services

Share Allotment & Transfer Services

We help Cardiff business owners issue new shares, transfer ownership and keep company share records compliant with Companies House. Whether you're bringing on investors, allocating equity to co-founders or transferring shares between family members, we handle the legal paperwork so you can focus on running your business.

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10
Years serving Cardiff SMEs
<2 days
Average turnaround
£0
Companies House filing fee
Two business professionals at a desk exchanging a sealed document folder and share transfer forms, with additional forms, an ink stamp, and an open binder on an organized desk in a clean corporate meeting room.

What we cover

From issuing new equity to transferring existing shares, we manage every step of changing your company's ownership structure and keep your statutory registers up to date.

New Share Allotments

Issuing fresh shares to investors or co-founders, filing the SH01 form and updating your statement of capital.

Share Transfers

Moving existing shares between people using stock transfer forms, arranging stamp duty and updating certificates.

Register Maintenance

Keeping your register of members accurate and issuing new share certificates within the legal two-month deadline.

How we handle share allotments and transfers

Share changes can feel complicated, but the process is straightforward when someone experienced takes care of the detail. We complete all the paperwork, check it against your company's articles of association, file forms with Companies House and update your statutory registers. You get accurate records and peace of mind that everything is legally compliant.

Most of our Cardiff clients come to us when they are bringing on a business partner, issuing equity to employees or transferring shares within a family. We explain what needs to happen, gather the information we need and turn it around quickly. There are no filing fees for share allotments, and we keep our service fees transparent from the start.

We take care of the legal detail so your share changes happen smoothly and on time.

More information

What is involved in a share allotment

A share allotment means issuing new shares that increase your company's total share capital. We prepare and file the SH01 form with Companies House, revise your statement of capital and update your confirmation statement to reflect the new shareholders. You will also need updated share certificates, which we arrange within the two-month legal deadline.

If you are issuing different classes of shares or preference shares, we check your articles first and advise whether any amendments are needed. Many growing businesses in Cardiff use share allotments to raise investment or bring co-founders on board, and the process usually takes a couple of days once we have the details.

Transferring existing shares

Share transfers move ownership from one person to another without changing the overall number of shares in issue. We prepare the stock transfer form, arrange for stamp duty to be paid where applicable and update your register of members. The old share certificates are cancelled and new ones issued to the recipient.

This is common when a shareholder is leaving the business, gifting shares to family or selling their stake to another director. We make sure the paperwork is properly stamped before registering the transfer, because Companies House will not accept forms without the correct duty paid.

Keeping your statutory registers accurate

Your register of members must be kept up to date by law, whether you hold it electronically or in hard copy. Every time shares are allotted or transferred, the register changes and new certificates need issuing. We maintain these records as part of the service, so you always have an audit trail and can produce documents quickly if HMRC or your bank asks to see them.

Many Cardiff businesses we work with have never looked at their share register since incorporation. If that sounds familiar, we can bring everything up to date and put a simple system in place for future changes.

Local knowledge matters. We have worked with hundreds of South Wales SMEs through share changes, from High Street retailers bringing on silent partners to trades businesses passing ownership to the next generation. If you are based in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or the valleys and you need help with shares, we are here.

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Before you get started

Here are the questions Cardiff business owners ask us most often about share allotments and transfers.

How long does a share allotment or transfer take?
Most allotments and transfers are completed within two working days once we have the necessary information. Companies House processes the SH01 form quickly because there is no filing fee, and we issue new share certificates within the legal two-month deadline.
What is the difference between allotting shares and transferring them?
Allotting shares means creating new ones, which increases your company's total share capital. Transferring shares means moving existing ones from one person to another, so the total stays the same. The forms and processes are different for each.
Do I need to pay stamp duty on share transfers?
Stamp duty is payable on most share transfers at 0.5% of the consideration (the amount paid for the shares). Gifts and transfers for no payment may be exempt, but the stock transfer form must still be properly stamped before we can register it.
Can I issue different classes of shares?
Yes, as long as your articles of association allow it. Many companies issue ordinary shares and preference shares with different voting or dividend rights. We check your articles first and advise if any changes are needed before issuing the shares.
What happens to the old share certificates?
When shares are transferred or the denomination changes, the old certificates are cancelled. We stamp them 'Cancelled' and keep them on file to prevent accidental re-issue. New certificates are then issued to the current shareholders showing the correct holdings.
Do I need a shareholders' agreement?
It is not legally required, but it is sensible if you have multiple shareholders or complex ownership arrangements. A shareholders' agreement sets out what happens if someone wants to leave, how decisions are made and how shares can be sold. We can refer you to a solicitor if you need one drafted.
What records do I need to keep?
You must maintain a register of members showing who owns shares, how many they hold and when they were issued or transferred. You also need copies of all share certificates, stock transfer forms and the SH01 forms filed with Companies House. We keep these records up to date as part of the service.
Can you help if my share records are out of date?
Yes. Many businesses we work with in Cardiff have incomplete or outdated registers, especially if they have changed accountants or handled share issues themselves in the past. We can reconstruct your records from Companies House filings and get everything compliant again.

Let's sort your share paperwork

Book a free consultation and we'll explain exactly what is involved, how long it takes and what it costs.

Book a free consultation