Are your website and email footers legal? Or could you be fined?

Are your website and email footers legal?How to ensure that you comply with new UK regulations

Did you know that since the Companies Act was updated in January 2007 all UK companies must include certain regulatory information on their websites and at the foot of each email?

What’s more, any company failing to display the correct information could be fined.

Yet over 5 months after its introduction, many web sites and business emails still do not comply with this new legislation.

Read on to find out exactly what information you need to display and where. And remember, this information will not only help you to avoid a costly fine, but may also help you to develop your customer relationships by promoting transparency and building customer confidence.

Information you need to show on your web site:

  • Company name and/or trading name - e.g. “ABC.com is the trading name of ABC Enterprises Limited.”
  • Company registration number and place of registration - e.g. “ABC Enterprises Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 1234567″
  • Registered office address
  • VAT registration number - even if your web site is not used for e-commerce transactions
  • Geographic address from which you operate (if different from registered address)
  • If your business is a member of a trade or professional association, membership details, including any registration number, should be provided

Please note:

  • Although it is useful for your customers if you have a contact form, it does not mean that you comply with the new laws. You must also provide address, telephone number and contact details - this will also illustrate that you are a genuine company with nothing to hide, helping you to build a trust-based relationship with your web site visitors
  • This information does not need to show on all your web site’s pages, however visitors must be able to find it easily (Contact us, About us or Legal Info pages might be suitable pages to show this information)
  • If you sell online, prices and delivery charges need to be clearly displayed. However you might want to obtain specific legal advice to ensure that your site complies with the UK’s e-commerce and distance selling regulations.

Mandatory information on email footers:

  • Your company registration number
  • Your place of registration (e.g. Scotland or England & Wales)
  • Your registered office address

Stone Square Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registration number: 04434127. Registered office: 1 Perseverance Terrace, Savile Park, Halifax, HX1 3EF.

For convenience, you might also want to add your VAT registration number, telephone numbers. It may be in your interest to add other information such as confidentiality notices and disclaimers to your email footers.

Hopefully this information helps to clarify what you need to display on your web site and email footers, but if you are in any doubt we would advise you to seek expert legal advice.

Please note: this information is for guidance purposes only and is no substitute for professional legal advice.

Useful links:

Related articles