# How to read a record — Larger UK companies in liquidation or administration

> What the record is, what the status means, and what is left out.

## How to read these records

### Which companies

Three tests, all from the Companies House register: the company is in liquidation, administration, receivership
or a voluntary arrangement; its last accounts were full, group or medium-sized accounts; and those accounts were made
up to a date in 2019 or later.

### The size test is not a headcount

Small companies may file reduced accounts. A company that filed full, group or medium-sized accounts is usually
above the small-company thresholds — but not always, and a holding company with no staff can file full accounts.

### Renamed companies

During an insolvency a company is often renamed (for example “… Realisations Limited”) so that the trading name
can be sold. Records show the former name first when the current one is such a shell name; all previous names are
searchable.

### Registered office “care of”

A company in a procedure is often registered at the office of the insolvency firm. Where the address says
“C/O …”, the record shows that firm. It is read from the address, not from the appointment notice.

### What is not here

Names of practitioners, directors or any individual. Dissolved companies. Smaller companies. The reasons for
the insolvency, the creditors and the amounts.

**Insolvency practitioner or former director?**

The internal data of a company that employed 50 people or more (Slack or Microsoft Teams archive, documentation, project histories) may still be an asset of the estate after liquidation or administration.

[See whether the data qualifies →](/pro.md) We are paid by the buyer if a partnership is signed, never by the estate. Whether personal data in those archives can be transferred is a legal question for the office-holder. Not affiliated with Companies House.

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Página: https://uk-insolvency-company-records.pages.dev/how-to-read/
Fonte: https://download.companieshouse.gov.uk/en_output.html
Recolha: 2026-10-01