Every UK limited company must submit a confirmation statement to Companies House at least once a year, even if no business details have changed. This legal filing confirms that the official public records held about your company are completely accurate and up to date. Failing to file your statement is a criminal offence, so keeping track of this annual deadline ensures your business stays fully compliant. 🏢
What information is included?
The confirmation statement gives Companies House a quick snapshot of your general business structure, verifying details such as:
Your company directors and company secretary (if you have appointed one).
Your registered business office address.
Your current shareholders and share capital structure.
Any People with Significant Control (PSCs) within your business. 📋
When is the statement due?
Your annual filing date depends on how long your limited company has been running:
In your first year: The statement is due exactly one year after the date your company was first set up (incorporated).
In all subsequent years: It is due exactly one year after the date you last successfully filed a confirmation statement.
The official due date is calculated automatically from your registration history, and Companies House allows you a window of up to 14 days after this date to successfully submit your paperwork. 📆
How to check and file your statement
Before you submit your confirmation statement, you must make sure that all the data currently on record is perfectly correct.
If major details—such as your company directors, secretary, or registered office address—are out of date, you must update these with Companies House first. However, other smaller changes can be updated directly inside the confirmation statement itself, including your Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code, statement of capital, or shareholder lists.
Once you have verified your details, you can file your statement in one of two ways:
Online: This is the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective path, requiring an annual fee of £50. 📱
By post: This requires a physical paper form and carries a higher annual fee of £110. ✉️
You can easily review your records and complete your submission by logging into the official GOV.UK confirmation statement service.
⚠️ Important: While Companies House does not issue an automatic late payment fee for a missed deadline, failing to file your statement is a serious legal offence. If a company repeatedly ignores this requirement, directors can face personal fines, and the company risks being permanently struck off the official register.