Joint stock company

The most important form of business organisation in the UK is the joint stock company. Basically, it consists of an association of people who contribute towards a joint stock of capital for the purpose of carrying on business with a view to profit. A company may be defined as a legal person created to engage in business, capable of owning productive assets, of entering into contracts, and of employing labour in the same way as an individual. There are two kinds of joint stock company: the private company and the public company. In 1986 there were some 860 000 joint stock companies in the UK, of which about 6000 were public companies. The public companies are much larger units and account for about two-thirds of all the capital employed by companies. In general, private companies are small firms, often consisting of the members of one family. Both public and private companies must have at least 2 members. A public company must have a minimum allotted share capital of 50 000 pounds (sterling) of which at least one-quarter has been paid up. A private company must include the word 'limited" in its name while a public company must have the words 'public limited company' at the end of its name although this can be abbreviated to plc. The basic distinction between a private and a public company is that a public company can offer its shares and debentures for sale to the general public. In the case of a private company it would be a criminal offence to ask the public to subscribe to its shares. All companies must file annually, with the Registrar of Companies, details of their turnover, profits, assets, liabilities and other relevant financial information about their structures and activities.