By
August 10, 2026
What Is a Companies House Confirmation Statement?
If you run a UK limited company, one of your regular Companies House responsibilities is filing a confirmation statement.
A confirmation statement is used to confirm that important information Companies House holds about your company is correct and up to date. If something has changed, certain information may need to be updated before or as part of the confirmation statement process.
The confirmation statement is not the same as your annual accounts or Company Tax Return. It is a separate Companies House filing requirement.
This guide explains what a Companies House confirmation statement is, who needs to file one, what information needs to be checked and what happens if you do not file it.
A confirmation statement is a filing submitted to Companies House confirming that the information held about a company is accurate.
It replaced the old annual return.
The purpose of the confirmation statement is to ensure the public register continues to contain up-to-date information about UK companies.
When preparing a confirmation statement, you should review the company's registered information and make sure that anything requiring an update has been dealt with correctly.
CS01 is the form associated with a company's confirmation statement.
You may therefore see terms such as:
These generally refer to the same Companies House filing process.
For most companies, filing electronically is the simplest method.
UK companies registered at Companies House generally have confirmation statement obligations.
This includes many:
The requirement does not disappear simply because a company has not traded.
If you have incorporated a company but have not started doing business, you should not assume that there are no Companies House filing requirements.
Yes, a dormant company will generally still need to file a confirmation statement.
Dormant status relates primarily to the company's accounting activity. It does not automatically remove the company's Companies House obligations.
A dormant company may therefore still need to deal with:
Confirmation Statement + Annual Accounts + Other Companies House Requirements
depending on its circumstances.
No.
This is one of the most common areas of confusion for new company owners.
The confirmation statement confirms information held about the company's structure and registered details.
Annual accounts provide financial information about the company for an accounting period.
These are separate filings with separate purposes and deadlines.
Filing your annual accounts does not automatically satisfy your confirmation statement requirement.
Likewise, filing your confirmation statement does not mean your annual accounts have been filed.
No.
A Company Tax Return is associated with the company's Corporation Tax responsibilities with HM Revenue & Customs.
A confirmation statement is filed with Companies House.
A UK company can therefore have responsibilities involving different government bodies.
A simplified way of looking at it is:
Companies House → Company information and corporate filings
HMRC → Tax filings and payments
Business owners should avoid treating these obligations as interchangeable.
Before filing a confirmation statement, the company should review the information held on the Companies House register.
Depending on the company, this can include information relating to:
The exact information relevant to your confirmation statement depends on your company's structure.
Confirmation statements operate around a review period.
Broadly, this is the period during which the company reviews and confirms its registered information.
Companies normally need to file a confirmation statement at least once during the required review cycle.
Companies House determines the relevant dates based on the company's previous confirmation statement or incorporation.
Rather than relying on a generic calendar date, company owners should check their company's individual filing information on the Companies House register.
A company generally needs to file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months.
However, a company can choose to file confirmation statements more frequently.
Filing a confirmation statement can start a new review period, so businesses should understand the effect before submitting an additional statement.
The important point is that the confirmation statement is a recurring company obligation, not a one-time filing after incorporation.
Your confirmation statement has its own due date.
The easiest way to check is to search for your company using the official Companies House service and review its filing information.
Do not assume the confirmation statement is due on the same date as:
These obligations can have completely different deadlines.
A SIC code — Standard Industrial Classification code — describes the nature of a company's business activities.
For example, different SIC codes exist for activities such as:
When reviewing your confirmation statement, check whether the company's SIC code continues to accurately represent its business activities.
If the company has changed its activities, its SIC code may need to be updated.
Companies with share capital may need to confirm information about their shares.
The statement of capital can include information relating to:
Companies that issue shares, transfer shares or restructure their share capital should make sure the Companies House register accurately reflects the relevant information.
Shareholder information can form part of the confirmation statement process.
Companies should maintain accurate internal statutory records as well as ensuring that required Companies House information is correctly filed.
If shares have been transferred or new shares issued, additional filings may be required.
Do not assume that submitting a confirmation statement automatically replaces every separate filing requirement relating to shares.
Companies House maintains information about people with significant control, commonly known as PSCs.
A PSC is generally a person who meets one or more statutory conditions relating to ownership or control of a company.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include someone who:
The PSC rules can be more complicated where companies, trusts or other legal arrangements are involved.
Companies should make sure their PSC information is accurate and comply with any separate requirements for reporting changes.
Some information can be dealt with as part of the confirmation statement process, while other changes must be reported separately using the appropriate Companies House filing.
For example, changes involving certain company officers or registered details may have their own notification requirements.
The safest approach is:
Change happens → Check whether separate filing is required → Update Companies House → File confirmation statement when due
Do not wait until the next confirmation statement if Companies House requires a particular change to be reported earlier.
You still need to file the confirmation statement.
The purpose of the filing is to confirm that the information is correct.
Therefore, even where:
the company still needs to submit its confirmation statement when required.
"No changes" does not mean "no filing."
Confirmation statements can generally be filed electronically through Companies House.
A typical process involves:
1. Find your company
Locate the company on the Companies House register.
2. Review the company information
Check the registered details carefully.
3. Make required updates
Submit any changes that need to be reported separately.
4. Review confirmation statement information
Check information such as SIC codes, shareholders and capital where relevant.
5. Complete required confirmations
Provide any statements or confirmations required under the legislation in force when you file.
6. Submit the confirmation statement
Complete the filing and retain evidence of submission.
Companies using Companies House online filing services may need the appropriate company authentication details.
The authentication code acts as an important security credential for online company filings.
It should be treated carefully.
Do not publish it, place it on your website or share it with people who do not need access to your company's filings.
Companies House charges a fee for filing a confirmation statement.
Fees can change, particularly as Companies House services and filing systems develop.
For an evergreen article, it is better not to rely on a fixed fee that may later become outdated.
Before filing, check the current confirmation statement fee directly with Companies House on GOV.UK.
Yes. Many companies ask an:
to handle confirmation statement filings.
However, directors remain responsible for ensuring that the company complies with its legal obligations.
Using an accountant does not mean directors should ignore Companies House correspondence or filing deadlines.
Yes.
Many straightforward limited companies file their confirmation statements directly using Companies House online services.
For a simple company with one or two shareholders and no complicated share transactions, the process can often be relatively straightforward.
Professional assistance may be useful where the company has:
Failing to file a required confirmation statement is a serious compliance issue.
The company and its officers can face consequences for failing to comply with Companies House requirements.
Persistent non-compliance can also put the company's status at risk and may contribute to Companies House taking action against the company.
Company directors should therefore treat the confirmation statement as an important statutory obligation.
Companies House has powers relating to companies that appear not to be operating or complying with their statutory responsibilities.
A company should never ignore warnings, filing reminders or notices concerning potential strike-off action.
Being struck off can have significant consequences, including the company ceasing to exist as a legal entity and issues relating to company assets.
If your company has overdue filings, deal with them promptly.
No.
The confirmation statement should not be confused with a declaration that the company is actively trading.
A dormant company may still file confirmation statements.
The purpose is primarily to confirm required company information rather than provide a financial record of trading activity.
Yes, newly incorporated companies should plan for confirmation statement obligations as part of their ongoing compliance.
Company formation is only the beginning of running a limited company.
After incorporation, a company's ongoing responsibilities can include:
Companies House filings → Accounting → Corporation Tax → VAT where applicable → Payroll where applicable → Statutory records
New company owners should create a compliance calendar rather than waiting for reminders.
If information shown at Companies House is incorrect, determine the correct process for updating it.
Some information can be changed through specific online filings, while other corrections may require a particular form or procedure.
Do not simply file a confirmation statement assuming that it will automatically correct every historical error.
Where the company register contains a significant mistake, consider professional advice if you are uncertain how it should be corrected.
Before submitting your confirmation statement, review:
Also check whether changes that required separate notification have already been filed.
A simple annual checklist can help:
Step 1 — Check your deadline
Confirm when your next statement is due.
Step 2 — Review Companies House
Compare the public register with your company's records.
Step 3 — Check directors
Make sure officer information is correct.
Step 4 — Check PSC information
Review ownership and control.
Step 5 — Check shareholders and shares
Confirm relevant shareholder and capital information.
Step 6 — Check SIC codes
Make sure they still represent your business activities.
Step 7 — Check registered details
Confirm the registered office and other required information.
Step 8 — Make separate updates
File any changes that cannot be made through the confirmation statement.
Step 9 — Complete required confirmations
Provide any statutory statements required at the time of filing.
Step 10 — Submit and keep records
File the confirmation statement and retain confirmation of submission.
UK company owners should avoid:
A confirmation statement should be treated as a genuine review of the company's registered information rather than simply an administrative box-ticking exercise.
It is a filing used to confirm that required information Companies House holds about a company is correct and up to date.
CS01 is the form associated with filing a confirmation statement for a company.
Companies generally need to file a confirmation statement at least once during each 12-month review period, although statements can be filed more frequently.
Yes. You still need to confirm that the company's information is correct.
Yes. Dormant companies generally continue to have Companies House filing obligations, including confirmation statements.
No. They are separate statutory filings serving different purposes.
Companies House provides online services for filing confirmation statements.
Yes. Accountants and other authorised service providers can assist with filing, although company directors remain responsible for ensuring compliance.
Companies House charges a filing fee. Because fees can change, check the current amount on GOV.UK before filing.
SIC code information can be reviewed and updated as part of the confirmation statement process.
A useful way to remember the difference is:
Confirmation Statement = Who the company is
It deals primarily with information about the company's registered structure, ownership, control and activities.
Annual Accounts = How the company performed financially
They provide financial information for the relevant accounting period.
Company Tax Return = Company's tax position
This is dealt with through HMRC rather than Companies House.
A limited company may therefore need to deal with all three.
A Companies House confirmation statement is one of the core ongoing compliance requirements for UK limited companies.
Its purpose is straightforward: to ensure that important information held about the company remains accurate and up to date.
Company owners should regularly review their:
Directors → Registered Details → PSCs → Shareholders → Share Capital → SIC Codes
and make sure required changes are reported correctly.
Most importantly, remember:
No changes does not mean no confirmation statement.
Even if everything about your company remains exactly the same, the required confirmation statement still needs to be filed.
Because Companies House procedures, fees, identity requirements and filing systems can change, always check the latest official Companies House guidance on GOV.UK before submitting a filing.
This article provides general information only and should not be treated as legal, accounting or company secretarial advice. Filing requirements depend on the company's circumstances and the rules in force at the time of filing.
