Software Timeline

At Inform Direct we are always developing new features and improvements for our customers. Some of our favourite improvements from the past few years can be seen below:

2025
Apr 2025
Integration options

Our next steps towards providing an integrated experience for accountants and other agents, giving more flexibility to reuse data between Inform Direct and other software you use.

Mar 2025
Manage other entities in Inform Direct

A step towards being able to monitor and manage entities other than UK companies in Inform Direct, including sole traders businesses, offshore companies, limited partnerships etc.

Technical updates

Continued enhancements to the technical infrastructure underpinning Inform Direct, optimising performance and utilising updated tools

Feb 2025
Improved PSC management

Improved options to manage the impact of share capital changes on who needs to be recorded as a PSC, and to review the PSCs on newly formed and imported companies

Jan 2025
Additional document templates

Additions to our library of company secretarial and related templates, based on suggestions and designed to make it easier for advisers to find a compliant template for any situation.

2024
Dec 2024
Various small improvements

A number of small enhancements, including in how we enable users to verify addresses

Improved exception handling

An update to the process by which the few rejections from Companies House are reported to users, ensuring you have the right information as soon as possible to be able to amend and re-submit

Nov 2024
More control in dating transactions

Enhanced control over when transactions are dated, with more opportunity to enter a future date to set up future changes.

More flexible meeting minutes

New options to customise how minutes are produced, making it easier to defer the production of minutes or integrate multiple transactions in a single minute document.

Oct 2024
Technical enhancements

Behind-the-scenes enhancements, ensuring that Inform Direct uses up to date tools

Aug 2024
Technical updates

Improvements to the technical infrastructure that underpins Inform Direct, ensuring we make use of the best tools available and optimising system performance for users.

Miscellaneous small enhancements

A range of small improvements, including to the process for forming companies.

Automated client approval of confirmation statements

A dedicated mechanism for an accountant's clients who have been sent information comprised in a pending confirmation statement to be able to denote their approval of those details.

Jul 2024
Enhanced person synchronisation with Companies House

Further investment in two-way data integration, including making it even quicker for appointments and terminations made directly at Companies House to be imported into Inform Direct.

Jun 2024
Better handling of non-cash consideration

A better process to record non-cash consideration on share transfers and similar transactions, enhanced visibility in registers and reports. Improved templates for transfers and allotments.

May 2024
Miscellaneous improvements

A range of small improvements, many following requests from users to update processes or features.

Automation of dormant company accounts

Automation of the dormant company accounts process, enabling draft accounts (and a board minute, where desired) to be automatically produced and sent to a client for approval.

Apr 2024
Consolidated filing history

An integrated history of all Companies House filings, including those made via Inform Direct and other filings, going back to the formation of the company. Ability to search and filter transactions.

Mar 2024
Upload and file iXBRL accounts

Accountants can now upload accounts produced in accounts production software as iXBRL files and submit them using Inform Direct's interface with Companies House.

Further enhancements to Companies House synchronisation

Continued investment in the two-way data integration, including making it even quicker for updates made to director and PSC residential addresses to be imported from Companies House.

Small usability and other improvements

Small usability improvements, including more flexible settings on which emails users wish to receive, performance improvements on user management and technical changes.

Reporting the registered email address and other changes

The first expected changes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, including the need for companies to report the new registered email address to Companies House

Jan 2024
Miscellaneous improvements

A range of small usability enhancements, including a number of changes requested by users to further improve their Inform Direct experience.

Custom emails to clients

When accountants choose to automatically email clients when a confirmation statement is soon to be filed, you can now define your own template wording for the email to be sent.

2023
Dec 2023
Obtain client approval on historic transactions

A small update to facilitate the standard client approval option for those few historic transactions where an accountant still wishes to seek their customer's confirmation for a transaction.

Nov 2023
Introduction of the registered email address

Users can now record an email address for purposes of communication with the company, ahead of the forthcoming requirement to report an appropriate email address to Companies House.

Automatically email confirmation statements

As part of the expansion of automation options, the ability for accountants to choose to automatically email clients with appropriate details when a confirmation statement is soon to be filed.

Technical updates

Improvements to the technical infrastructure that underpins Inform Direct, maximising the performance of system tasks that generate alerts and messages for users.

Bulk changes

Improved functionality to process bulk changes, allowing you to make changes to multiple people and addresses across your client companies

Oct 2023
Enhanced company import

Updates to the company import process when there are inconsistencies in the data provided by Companies House, so it's easier to defer changes being submitted until a client is consulted.

Sep 2023
Manage VAT deadlines

New functionality for accountants to import and view VAT filing dates from HMRC at a glance, making it easy to keep on top of important due dates.

Aug 2023
Enhanced custom fields

As well as the existing functionality to add custom fields to companies, you can now record bespoke information for shareholders and other people in your companies.

Jun 2023
Technical updates

Behind-the-scenes enhancements, further improving the performance of Inform Direct for all users

May 2023
Merging person records - further enhancements

Further enhancements to person management, adding in the functionality to merge multiple records for a single person in an LLP or company limited by guarantee.

Automatically submit confirmation statements

For companies which never have reportable changes, you want to submit the annual confirmation statement as simply as possible. You can now send confirmation statements entirely automatically!

Add bespoke notes

As requested by lots of accountants, new options to record and manage notes on companies and extract them on reports.

Merging person records

More enhancements to person management, making it easier to merge multiple records for a single person in a company into a single, consolidated person.

Apr 2023
Improved reporting suite

New ability to include custom fields you've created on reports, giving accountants and others even more control over your company secretarial workload.

Confirmation statement automation

The first phase of new automation options for the confirmation statement, enabling accountants to automate the process of producing confirmation statement documentation for clients.

Mar 2023
Invoice download option and other small changes

A range of small improvements based on user feedback, including the ability to download invoices from within Inform Direct.

Feb 2023
Enhanced person management

Improved ability to manage people in Inform Direct, so users can now more easily convert between individual, corporate and joint persons.

New look sign up process

An update to the sign up process for new Inform Direct users, better tailored to help accountants, other agents and directors of companies to get started.

Various small updates

Miscellaneous usability and other updates, with more ergonomic management of company authentication codes, additional helpful validation and various other enhancements.

Jan 2023
Updates to accounts filing

New functionality to file micro-entity accounts for companies limited by guarantee with Companies House, with ixbrl produced to make it easier also to file with HMRC.

2022
Nov 2022
Enhanced data reconciliation

Further improvements to reconciliation of data with Companies House, with more changes made automatically and enhanced visibility of updates made by clients where reconciliation is required

More flexible share class management

Greater flexibility to record changes to share classes, particularly where a significant reorganisation of shares has taken place since the most recent confirmation statement

Sep 2022
Additional cosec templates

More additions to Inform Direct's suite of company secretarial template documents covering a range of situations, including corporate compliance when loans are made to a director.

Miscellaneous small improvements

A range of small usability and other improvements, saving users more time and making it even easier to achieve company secretarial compliance.

Aug 2022
Identification of duplicate PSCs

Occasionally, a company may mistakenly have appointed a PSC twice when using Companies House's website. We make it easier to identify duplicates to then resolve.

Upload of members of companies limited by guarantee

Without a list of members available to be imported from Companies House, a new ability for users to upload membership history for a company limited by guarantee.

Jun 2022
Easier process to add new PSCs

Enhancements to the process of adding people with significant control, to reduce manual data entry where a person or address from an existing company is being selected.

Technical updates

Further behind-the-scenes enhancements, part of our ongoing commitment to excellent system performance, security and scalability.

Usability enhancements

Miscellaneous improvements and fixes, saving you effort and helping you get everything right first time

May 2022
New company secretarial template documents

A number of additional new compliant templates, covering a range of scenarios requested by Inform Direct users.

New document templates

A further tranche of template documents, professionally produced and reviewed to ensure compliance. These new templates encompass varied company secretarial situations.

Mar 2022
Payment service updates

Updates to support the requirements of Strong Customer Authentication, offering improved security when making payments. New integration with Stripe to collect card payments.

Jan 2022
Better officer appointment process

An improved process for appointments of directors, secretaries and LLP members, making it easy to select from people and addresses already used on other companies in your account.

2021
Nov 2021
Improved Companies House synchronisation

The synchronisation process has been further improved, with more automatic updates in Inform Direct when a client makes changes directly at Companies House.

Further technical improvements

More behind-the-scenes enhancements, part of our ongoing investment in the technical architecture that underpins Inform Direct

Technical enhancements

Behind-the-scenes improvements to Inform Direct, part of our commitment to system performance, scalability and security.

Updated validation on incorporations

Improved validation on company formations, making it easier to enter the correct People with Significant Control for a company, particularly where there is a single shareholder.

Oct 2021
Service address change process improvements

Enhancement to the process of updating the service address of a director, secretary, PSC or LLP member, so you can select an address which is already used on another company in your account.

Better user experience for share transfers and allotments

Enhanced process for share transfers, allotments and similar activities to be able to easily select from people and addresses already used on other companies in your account.

Improved backdating of historic transactions

An improved process where certain transactions need to be backdated before the date of the last confirmation statement, starting with officer and shareholder related changes.

Aug 2021
Share certificate amendments

Improved functionality to re-date, re-number and make other amendments to share certificates.

Easier process to amend personal addresses

An improved process when updating people's addresses, allowing you to choose from addresses used on any company you manage.

Various technical updates

A range of improvements to the technical infrastructure which supports Inform Direct.

Improved registered office changes

When updating a registered office, select from addresses used on other companies in your account. Greater ability to make cosmetic address changes without updating Companies House.

Jul 2021
Better address and person selection in formations

When forming a new company, choose people and addresses to use from your existing companies in Inform Direct, making it quicker and easier to enter all the required details.

May 2021
Updated alerts

Alerts now split into high, medium and low priority, better enabling you to prioritise required action on your companies.

Miscellaneous improvements

A range of small usability improvements, including to sorting columns on the portfolio screen, better integration of help guides and "chat with us" and various others.

Dividend voucher enhancements

A range of new dividend voucher templates to choose from to delight your clients and shareholders. Also choose whether or not to include the company's logo on dividend vouchers.

Incorporations update

Updates to accommodate changes at Companies House for formations, including amended method to produce a company's memorandum of association.

Apr 2021
Performance improvements

A number of small performance improvements in processes to enhance the user experience

Mar 2021
Share option certificates

Create and manage certificates for the holders of company share options, available on a range of attractive templates.

Jan 2021
Amend historic share allotments and transfers

More flexibility to amend details of transactions to correct errors. Amendments can be made via a tailored process, with prompts to make any required submissions to Companies House.

Micro-entity accounts

Produce and file compliant micro-entity accounts with Companies House, with corresponding pre-populated minutes. Copies of accounts available for shareholders and for you to send to HMRC.

'Brexit' updates

Changes required by law to support amended requirements in company registers and Companies House submissions for non-UK corporate directors, secretaries and LLP members

2020
Dec 2020
Share management enhancements

A range of enhancements to better manage shares and shareholders. Includes fixes, process enhancements and new features, including a greater range of certificate templates.

Sep 2020
Standalone templates for managing share options

A selection of templates to help manage the company secretarial aspects of share options, made available as standalone documents.

Jul 2020
Collected small improvements

A range of improvements, including many enhancements suggested by Inform Direct users to further help them.

Jun 2020
Share options

Record and manage different types of share options. Monitor the impact on a company's share capital of options. Produce related board minutes and other documentation.

Apr 2020
Enhancements for accounts filing

Great new features for filing limited company accounts, including the ability to produce dormant accounts for companies limited by guarantee.

Mar 2020
Workflow improvements for share reorganisations

More flexibility for all share reorganisation processes- produce draft documents and save part-completed transactions in draft, then edit/continue and complete once client approval is received.

Feb 2020
Miscellaneous enhancements

A wide range of small usability and other enhancements requested by users, including the ability to date more transactions earlier than the last confirmation statement.

Jan 2020
Company register enhancements

A number of tweaks to company registers, including several user suggestions making them more flexible. It's also now easier to add historic transactions in a wide range of registers.

Workflow enhancements for share transactions

Create draft documents for share allotment, transfer and dividend generation processes - save a part-completed transaction, obtain client approval then seamlessly pick up and edit/complete it.

2019
Dec 2019
Various improvements

A package of assorted improvements to make company secretarial work even easier for accountants and business owners, helping you work smarter and get more done.

Oct 2019
Further workflow enhancements

Save processes relating to accounting reference date and company name changes in draft, create documents for review and then return to the transaction when a client has confirmed the correct details.

Miscellaneous enhancements

A number of minor usability improvements, including some requested by users.

Sep 2019
Workflow enhancements for company officers and PSCs

Save part-completed processes relating to officers and PSCs, produce documents for review and then return to and complete the process once the client has confirmed the correct details.

Portfolio screen enhancements

Further enhancements to the popular portfolio screen, giving users the opportunity to see more information about their companies at a glance and choose what they want to see.

Aug 2019
Additional template documents

In response to customer requests, a further selection of template documents to help manage various company secretarial situations.

Apr 2019
Multi-factor authentication

An optional additional level of security for users to supplement your existing username and password with a further check.

More flexible process for confirmation statements and dormant company accounts

Save part-completed confirmation statements and dormant accounts, produce documents for review and then return to and complete the process once the client has confirmed the correct details.

Feb 2019
Further user reports

A further number of reports for users, giving subscribers a full suite of 25 reports to extract a huge range of data about their clients and Inform Direct activity.

User reports

A selection of ready-made reports allowing subscribers to export data from Inform Direct in key areas.

2018
Nov 2018
Free trial

The ability for accountants and other agents to request a no-obligation free trial directly from the Inform Direct website. During the month-long trial, you can explore all the software's features.

Enhanced registered office address service

We're working with a new partner to provide registered office and other address services to new companies. We now have a choice of different prestigious addresses in London and an Edinburgh address.

Company formation updates

The ability for non-agents to complete identity verification checks as part of the online company formation process

Aug 2018
Miscellaneous enhancements

A range of small improvements requested by users

Jul 2018
Template library enhancement

Updates to include various documents related to company shares and shareholders, already available within share transaction processes

New PSC documents

A range of new board minutes available to help manage various situations involving persons with significant control

Jun 2018
Further share enhancements

Further useful documents can be produced as part of processes involving shares, including when paying dividends.

May 2018
Unlimited companies with share capital

Updates to enable targeted support for unlimited companies which have share capital

New template documents

Even more company secretarial template documents to help manage a wide range of situations, including company re-registrations, winding up and changes to articles of association

Further GDPR and miscellaneous updates

Including updates required by Companies House, some small security enhancements and a range of other minor improvements based on customer requests

Apr 2018
Share capital reduction

Support for the process of reducing share capital covered by Companies House form SH19

Dissolving companies

Dissolve companies using Inform Direct, producing the necessary Companies House forms and supporting documentation

Mar 2018
Mortgage filing and management

Submit the details of new and changes to existing mortgages to Companies House, produce required minutes and other documentation

GDPR updates

Inform Direct will be fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation ahead of the required compliance date of 25 May 2018

Jan 2018
Updates for Companies House changes

Support for changes Companies House are implementing to what is acceptable as a nationality and country of residence for officers and PSCs

More template documents

Lots more template documents to help with company secretarial work, based on requests from our users

2017
Nov 2017
Changes to PSC reporting

Support for additional changes that Companies House are making to the information that must be submitted to them in relation to PSCs

Jun 2017
Companies House PSC updates

Updates to support changes to the way in which PSCs must be reported to Companies House

Mar 2017
Making multiple allotments

Submit multiple allotments electronically on a single SH01 form, ideal if you're issuing shares to multiple shareholders simultaneously

Jan 2017
Forming plcs, LLPs and companies limited by guarantee

Incorporate LLPs, guarantee companies and plcs online using a straightforward step-by-step wizard.

Advanced company formation packages

A great range of handy options to help you start your next new company in style.

2016
Nov 2016
Standalone document templates

Use our extended range of compliant templates to complete a huge range of company secretarial tasks

Oct 2016
A new range of share certificate options

Companies and their accountants can choose from a range of beautiful share certificate templates

Fully prepopulated PSC templates

Create fully compliant notices to PSCs, templates replies and board minutes when setting up or amending your PSC register

Sep 2016
More pre-populated document templates

Minutes, resolutions and other documents that can be effortlessly produced when changing the details of a company and its officers

Aug 2016
Minutes and resolutions for share transactions

Produce a whole range of minutes and resolutions as you complete share transfers, allotments and capital reorganisations.

Jun 2016
Companies House updates

Changes to support the new confirmation statement, amended statement of capital and other Companies House changes

Apr 2016
Persons with significant control register

Easily maintain the new PSC register, as required of most companies from 6 April 2016

Feb 2016
Updated company registers

Company registers get a fresh new look. They can also be branded with the company's or an accountant's details.

Adding historic transactions

Add historic transactions into Inform Direct so all a company's records are held in one place.

Jan 2016
Document library

View all the documents you've generated for companies in Inform Direct. Subscribers can upload and tag additional documents into the document library.

2015
Nov 2015
Enhanced incorporations

Form companies with multiple share classes, bespoke articles of association and a same day service. Save part-complete formations and return later.

Oct 2015
Officers' consent to act

Full support for the changes Companies House have implemented for how officers consent to act for a company.

Jul 2015
Customise reminders

Subscribers can customise the emails they receive, including the types of company reminders they want to see.

Limited liability partnerships

Manage LLPs, their members and related Companies House filing requirements.

Jun 2015
Minutes for dividends

By popular demand, a pre-populated meeting minute when paying a dividend.

Community interest companies

Take control of the statutory requirements of community interest companies, whether set up as private companies limited by shares, guarantee companies or plcs.

Companies limited by guarantee

Manage companies limited by guarantee and maintain up to date member lists.

Third party access

Accountants can choose to give a client access to their own company records and make limited changes.

Tailored user rights

Subscribers can customise the rights of different users to view and make changes to companies.

Apr 2015
Unpaid and partly paid shares

Manage shares that are unpaid or partly paid, including making call payments.

Feb 2015
Share reorganisations

Process share splits, consolidations, cancellations, redemptions and a whole host of other share capital reorganisation transactions.

2014
Nov 2014
Recording dividends

Record dividend payments and issue dividend vouchers to shareholders, with full support for dividend waivers.

Oct 2014
Dormant company accounts

Keep on top of deadlines and submit accounts for dormant companies electronically.

Sep 2014
Adding multiple users

Subscribers can add multiple people to their account, each with their own secure login.

Jul 2014
Help guides

Comprehensive guides added to using all the features in Inform Direct

Subscription pricing option

For those who prefer the convenience of a single monthly payment, our subscription package bundles together all the great Inform Direct features

Jun 2014
Change of company name

Make changes to a company's name electronically and get quick acceptance from Companies House.

Mar 2014
Managing multiple companies

Manage two or two thousand companies from a single account, with a handy portfolio view to see approaching deadlines at a glance.

2013
Aug 2013
Incorporations

Form a company online the easy way with Inform Direct's simple step-by-step wizard.

May 2013
Public release

With core features completely free to use, Inform Direct now makes it easy for companies limited by shares to manage their records.

Mar 2013
Initial launch

The first version of Inform Direct's revolutionary company secretarial software.

Mar 2013 Inform Direct Launched

Welcome to the new way of managing company records. Starting here, everything we do is aimed at making things easier for businesses and their accountants.