PO Box or Official office address

[Clariman]

I am on the committee for a charity that has no premises or office. However, we need to give an official address for all sorts of purposes e.g. bank, HMRC, charity commission, invoices, general correspondence etc.

We have always used the peronsal home addresses of President, Treasurer, and Secretary, but this causes issues when people change post and means giving personal information publicly.

What options are out there for the provision of some kind of PO Box or pseudo office address, which provides some kind of mail forwarding to the appropriate post holder?

Many thanks
Clariman

[Lootman]

What options are out there for the provision of some kind of PO Box or pseudo office address, which provides some kind of mail forwarding to the appropriate post holder

I have mentioned this on TLF before but I have used a mailbox service for the last 14 years, and have been very happy with it.

As you say it is very handy if you move house, as no address changes are needed. It appears that you have had a stable residence even if in fact you have not.

Importantly this has not caused any problems with any banks, tax or government authorities, or other entities and institutions. It helps that this mailbox service looks like a normal street address rather than a Royal Mail post office box number. Businesses just assume that I live at this mailbox address and I see no reason for them to know where I live, merely where they can reach me.

The service is from a business service office and they can accept and sign for packages, will forward post regularly if you want, and even answer the phone in my name if I wanted. Plus the usual fax, copying, scanning, shredding, typing etc. services. It is staffed during weekday working hours.

Cost is about £30 a month and I plan to keep it forever.

[Mike4]

Importantly this has not caused any problems with any banks, tax or government authorities, or other entities and institutions. It helps that this mailbox service looks like a normal street address rather than a Royal Mail post office box number. Businesses just assume that I live at this mailbox address and I see no reason for them to know where I live, merely where they can reach me.

This subject gets discussed on the boating forums at lot as living on a continuously-cruising boat without a postcode creates all manner of address difficulties. The world just isn't arranged to cope with such lifestyles. But most difficulties can be overcome with a mail service as you describe, except car insurance. Car insurance forms usually want to know where the car is left overnight, i.e. is it garaged, on the drive or in the street at the address given by the applicant. Continuously cruising boaters mostly just use a relative's address but in the event of a big claim, they are giving the InsCo an easy get-out in my opinion. Have you landed on a better solution by any chance?

Apologies for the thread drift.

[DrFfybes]

What options are out there for the provision of some kind of PO Box or pseudo office address, which provides some kind of mail forwarding to the appropriate post holder?

Many thanks
Clariman

Do you use an accountant to audit the accounts? Tey might be willing to do it.

Paul

[Tedx]

What options are out there for the provision of some kind of PO Box or pseudo office address, which provides some kind of mail forwarding to the appropriate post holder

I have mentioned this on TLF before but I have used a mailbox service for the last 14 years, and have been very happy with it.

As you say it is very handy if you move house, as no address changes are needed. It appears that you have had a stable residence even if in fact you have not.

Importantly this has not caused any problems with any banks, tax or government authorities, or other entities and institutions. It helps that this mailbox service looks like a normal street address rather than a Royal Mail post office box number. Businesses just assume that I live at this mailbox address and I see no reason for them to know where I live, merely where they can reach me.

The service is from a business service office and they can accept and sign for packages, will forward post regularly if you want, and even answer the phone in my name if I wanted. Plus the usual fax, copying, scanning, shredding, typing etc. services. It is staffed during weekday working hours.

Cost is about £30 a month and I plan to keep it forever.

I used to have an office space in a lovely old (refurbished) building. As well as the resident business occupants, there were a large number of 'virtual tenants' that had their own mailboxes alongside ours in the mail room. I think the receptionist used to message them if anything came in. I did consider retaining the address @£25pm when we moved, but never did. Which was a shame as it was quite a prestigious location in the town.

[Lootman]

Importantly this has not caused any problems with any banks, tax or government authorities, or other entities and institutions. It helps that this mailbox service looks like a normal street address rather than a Royal Mail post office box number. Businesses just assume that I live at this mailbox address and I see no reason for them to know where I live, merely where they can reach me.

This subject gets discussed on the boating forums at lot as living on a continuously-cruising boat without a postcode creates all manner of address difficulties. The world just isn't arranged to cope with such lifestyles. But most difficulties can be overcome with a mail service as you describe, except car insurance. Car insurance forms usually want to know where the car is left overnight, i.e. is it garaged, on the drive or in the street at the address given by the applicant. Continuously cruising boaters mostly just use a relative's address but in the event of a big claim, they are giving the InsCo an easy get-out in my opinion. Have you landed on a better solution by any chance?

Apologies for the thread drift.

Yes, insurance might be the one area where care is needed. So for your home insurance you'd want to give them the physical address of the property.

For car insurance too, as you note, although my business centre address is very close to my residential address so I am not sure the underwriting risk would be different. My vehicle is old and cheap, and I only carry third party insurance.

I would not put myself on the electoral roll at my mailbox address, but then I am not on that register anyway, by choice.

[Clariman]

What options are out there for the provision of some kind of PO Box or pseudo office address, which provides some kind of mail forwarding to the appropriate post holder?

Many thanks
Clariman

Do you use an accountant to audit the accounts? Tey might be willing to do it.

Paul

We have an independent assessor buy not a firm of accountants.

[Clariman]

Cam anyone recommend some mailbox service providers?