How to remove your occupation from Companies House

To remove your occupation from Companies House, you tick "business occupation" on form SR01 and list the documents that show it. Each document costs £34, and the occupation is blanked out on the public copy.

Occupation is the fourth detail you can ask to have removed, after home address, signature and the day of your date of birth. It sounds harmless, but "Retired police officer" or "Head teacher, Kirkstall Primary" next to a name and a month of birth is a very easy way to pick one person out of a crowd. You can see where yours appears with our free scan.

Which Companies House documents show your occupation?

Occupation turns up on the forms that introduce a person to a company: incorporation papers, appointments and the old annual returns. The official list of documents Companies House can suppress has an Occupation column, and these are the forms it marks Yes:

• IN01, the application to register a company (Companies Act 2006)
• AP01, appointment of a director
• CH01, change of details of a director
• 288a, appointment of a director or secretary (Companies Act 1985)
• 363a, annual return (Companies Act 1985)
• OS IN01, 641, 21, 371, 296, 642(1)(b), BR4 and 692(1)(b), the overseas and Northern Ireland equivalents

The list says it gives examples and isn't exhaustive, so a form that isn't on it can still be raised with Companies House. Some forms that look similar are marked No, which catches people out.

The pattern is worth noticing. Occupation is removable on the 2006-Act director forms (AP01, CH01, IN01) where the date of birth isn't, and on 288c it's the other way round. That's why we check every document one by one rather than assuming a form is all-or-nothing.

When can occupation be removed, and when can't it?

Occupation can be removed from documents where giving it was part of the form. GOV.UK's pages simply list business occupation as something you can remove, and the Occupation column on the suppression list is what we work to. If the column says Yes for your form, it qualifies. If it says No, we leave it out.

You apply as the individual. If you were an officer, PSC, subscriber or member on the filing, you can apply for your own details. Our guide to the SR01 form covers who is eligible in full.

Why would you want your occupation removed?

Most people we speak to have one of three reasons:

• A previous profession that identifies them. Teachers, police officers, solicitors and clinicians often start a company on the side, then find their day job sitting on a public record.
• A misleading job title. "Company director" in 2004 may mean nothing now, and "Sales manager" next to your name can send the wrong signal to a lender or a client who searches you.
• Combining details. An occupation, a name and a month of birth narrow the field fast, especially in a small town. That matters more if the filing also shows an address.

None of this is dramatic, and for many people occupation isn't the priority. It earns its place in an application because, in most cases, it costs nothing extra.

Can you remove occupation in the same application as other details?

Yes, and that is how we'd do it. The £34 fee applies per document, so a 288a showing your occupation, home address, signature and day of birth is one fee for all four.

Adding occupation to an application you're already making is the cheapest way to clear it. Filing a separate application later means paying £34 again for the same documents. See our guide to removing the day of your date of birth, or the one on old annual returns, for the documents that tend to carry several details at once.

How do I remove my occupation from Companies House?

The process is the same SR01 used for a home address, so we won't repeat every field. The occupation-specific parts are below.

1. 01List the documentsGo through your appointments, incorporation papers and annual returns and note each form number and registration date where an occupation appears.
2. 02Check the listMatch each form to the Occupation column on GOV.UK's list of documents Companies House can suppress. Drop any marked No.
3. 03Pay £34 per documentPay through GOV.UK Pay first and keep the payment reference.
4. 04Tick business occupationIn Part 2 choose business occupation, plus any other details you want removed from the same documents. If occupation is all you're removing, you can skip the address part.
5. 05List and sendPut each document in Part 4, print your name in Part 5 (no signature needed) and email it to dsr@companieshouse.gov.uk. Turnaround is usually 2 to 6 weeks.

Our walkthrough of how to complete the SR01 covers each part in detail. If you'd rather hand it over, we scan every filing from 2003 onwards, including handwritten paper forms, and file the application for you. See how to remove your home address from Companies House for what that involves and the prices (VAT included).

Sources

• Apply to remove your personal details from the Companies House register (SR01), GOV.UK
• How to complete the form SR01, GOV.UK
• List of documents Companies House can suppress, GOV.UK