Confirmation statement deadline (UK)

Every UK limited company and LLP must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months. The filing window is 14 days from the company's confirmation date — and Companies House only sends one reminder, on the day it's already due.

What is this filing?

A confirmation statement (form CS01) confirms that the information Companies House holds about a company — registered office, directors, shareholders, SIC codes, PSCs — is accurate as of the confirmation date. It is not an accounting filing. The £34 online filing fee is payable each year.

When is it due?

The confirmation date is initially the company's incorporation anniversary; thereafter it rolls forward 12 months from the previous confirmation date. The filing deadline is 14 days after the confirmation date. Filing early is allowed and rolls the next confirmation date forward.

What's the penalty for missing it?

Missing the confirmation-statement deadline does not trigger an automatic monetary penalty in the same way late accounts do. However, persistent failure to file can — and frequently does — result in Companies House initiating strike-off proceedings against the company. Directors who fail to file may also be prosecuted personally.

What it actually costs

The financial risk from a missed confirmation statement is indirect but severe. Companies House does not issue an automatic fine, but after several months of non-compliance it typically initiates a compulsory strike-off. A struck-off company loses legal existence immediately: bank accounts are frozen, contracts become unenforceable, and any assets pass to the Crown under bona vacantia. Restoring a struck-off company via an administrative application costs £468 (plus a court order if that route is not available), and restoration can take months — time your client does not have if there is an urgent transaction. Directors can also be prosecuted under section 853L of the Companies Act 2006, with fines up to £5,000 per offence.

Why this catches practices out

• Companies House sends only one reminder — on the day the deadline has already arrived.
• Early filing resets the clock, so clients with rolling dates quickly diverge from the incorporation anniversary.
• A sole-director company can be struck off without the director ever receiving a letter if the registered office is a virtual address.
• The £34 filing fee is easy to overlook; unpaid fees can block the submission at the last minute.

How PenaltyProof helps

PenaltyProof reads the public Companies House API once a day for every company on your client list and emails you 30, 14, and 7 days before each confirmation-statement deadline (paid plans) — plus on the morning it's due. One signup covers your full client list; no per-company registration like the free CH email reminders.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file early?

Yes. Filing before the confirmation date is allowed and resets the 12-month clock — the next confirmation date becomes 12 months from the new filing date, not from the old confirmation date.

What if the company has no changes since last year?

You still have to file. The confirmation statement confirms accuracy — even when nothing has changed. There's a tick-box on form CS01 to mark 'no changes'.

Does PenaltyProof file the statement for me?

No. PenaltyProof only monitors and alerts. Filing happens on the Companies House WebFiling service or via your practice management software.

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