{"id":1462,"date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/structure\/how-to-write-annual-general-meeting-minutes\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:27:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:27:52","slug":"how-to-write-annual-general-meeting-minutes","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/how-to-write-annual-general-meeting-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write annual general meeting (AGM) minutes \u2013 and why they’re important"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If your business is incorporated, you need to hold general meetings. These are meetings attended by company shareholders, where you can pass majority or unanimous decisions. These decisions are known as resolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you hold a general meeting, you need to take minutes. These records need to follow a specific format.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What are AGM meeting minutes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meeting minutes help you track what happened at your annual general meeting (AGM) and who attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes are crucial for keeping a record of any decisions made, next steps, and who\u2019s responsible for them. By law, you must keep minutes of general meetings for at least 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use a meeting minutes template as a base for capturing your notes. The document doesn’t need to be complicated, but it must follow a set formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When might you call an annual general meeting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many private limited companies hold an annual general meeting, but in most cases there\u2019s no legal requirement to do so. The Companies Act 2006<\/a> removed this rule for private companies. But you must still hold one if your articles of association say you have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An AGM will usually include a summary of the organisation’s recent activity, a range of resolutions, and updates on the appointment of new directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AGMs are often used to discuss company accounts. But it\u2019s perfectly legal to simply distribute the accounts to shareholders without holding the meeting \u2013 unless your articles of association say something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an EGM?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Under the Companies Act 2006, the term ‘extraordinary general meeting’ (EGM) is technically obsolete. Any meeting that isn\u2019tan AGM is now officially just called a general meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many businesses still use the term EGM out of habit and company directors can call one whenever they wish. They can also be forced to call one if shareholders holding at least five per cent of the voting shares request it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are meeting minutes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meeting minutes are an official record of a general meeting. The company secretary or another designated person usually takes them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking minutes means that people who were unable to attend the meeting can catch up with all the key discussion points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes can also help make sure that no agenda points are missed. They are a useful resource for people to follow up on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to take meeting minutes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When taking minutes for a general meeting, you don\u2019t need to make a note of everything that\u2019s said. Instead, you\u2019ll just need to record the key events of the meeting. This means you need to record the details of any resolutions, objections, and results of any votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, during a general meeting a company secretary will use the minutes to record things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n