Accountant For A Limited Company

How to File a Confirmation Statement with Companies House

Every UK limited company must file a confirmation statement with Companies House at least once every 12 months to confirm key company details are up to date. Online filing costs £50 and paper filing costs £110, and the statement must be submitted within 14 days of the review period ending. Failure to file is a criminal offence and can lead to the company being struck off the register.

By Jordan Macey MAAT Reviewed by Noor Fiaz Updated 16 Apr 2026 5

Key takeaways

A confirmation statement must be filed with Companies House at least once every 12 months by every active and dormant UK limited company and LLP.
Online filing costs £50 and paper filing via form CS01 costs £110, with current fees in place since 1 May 2024.
The statement is due within 14 days of the end of the 12-month review period, which starts at incorporation or the date of the last confirmation statement.
There are no financial late-filing penalties, but failing to file is a criminal offence and repeated non-compliance can lead to the company being struck off the register.
Changes to SIC codes, shareholders, share capital, trading status, and PSC register exemption can be reported at the same time as filing the confirmation statement.

How to File a Confirmation Statement

Filing your confirmation statement with Companies House is a legal requirement that every business owner needs to undertake. It is an annual requirement for all active companies and ensures that Companies House has the latest information about your company, including details of directors, shareholders, and registered office address. This guide aims to simplify the complexities, answering your questions and guiding you through each step of the How to file Confirmation Statement journey.

Purpose of a Confirmation Statement

Every company, including dormant and non trading companies, must file a confirmation statement. The purpose of submitting the Confirmation statement (previously known as annual return) is to confirm that important company information recorded with Companies House is up-to-date and accurate at a specific date. If the recorded company information is changed, incorrect or out of date, the company must update it before or at the time of submitting the confirmation statement.

Why File a Confirmation Statement?

Filing the annual confirmation statement is a legal requirement, providing public registers with important company data.

Legal Compliance: Filing a Confirmation Statement is a statutory requirement, mandated by the Companies Act. Failure to comply can result in severe consequences, including financial penalties or even the dissolution of your company.
Transparency and Trustworthiness: Beyond mere compliance, the Confirmation Statement serves as a tool for transparency. It provides stakeholders, including clients, investors, and partners, with an overview of your company's current structure and ownership. This transparency is foundational for building and maintaining trust in the business world.
Accurate Record-Keeping: The Confirmation Statement acts as a snapshot of your company's details at a specific point in time. It ensures that the information held by Companies House is up-to-date and accurate.
To avoid Penalties and Legal Consequences: Timely filing of the Confirmation Statement is crucial to avoid penalties. Late submissions can result in fines, and repeated non-compliance may lead to more severe legal actions.
Preserving Good Standing with Authorities: Regularly filing the Confirmation Statement demonstrates your commitment to corporate governance and regulatory adherence. This proactive approach helps maintain a positive standing with regulatory authorities, contributing to a smooth and trustworthy relationship with governmental bodies.

What is Included in a Confirmation Statement?

Before submitting the confirmation statement, you must check your company's data registered at Companies House, which includes following:

Company name and registered office address or Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL address)
Current company officers (i.e., directors, company secretary, LLP members)
Location of the company’s statutory registers (i.e., at the registered office or held at Companies House)
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes stating the principal business activities
Name of each shareholder
Shares held by each shareholder (class, quantity, and details of any transfers)
Statement of capital
Trading status of shares
People with Significant Control (PSCs)
Exemption from keeping a PSC register

How to File Confirmation Statement with Compnies House?

There are 2 ways to submit confirmation statement to Companies House:

Online via WebFiling - You’ll need your password and authentication code. If you do not have these, you’ll need to register for online filing
By post using form CS01 - Download and fill in parts 1 to 4 if you’re updating information about your company.

Confirmation Statement Filing Fee

The annual filing fee for submitting the confirmation statement is as below:

Online filing fees - £34
Paper filing via post - £62

Your payment of annual fee due based on your payment period:

12 months starting with the date of incorporation
For older companies, each payment period covers 12 months and ends on the anniversary of the return date of your last annual return (AR01)

The above fees are paid annually and only once a 12 months. During each 12 months period, you can file as many confirmation statement as you want for no additional charge.

Confirmation Statement Filing Deadline

You must file a confirmation statement once a year. Your 12 months review period starts on either:

your company incorporation date
last confirmation statement filing date

Make sure to file your confirmation statement within 14 days of the end of your review period. For example, if your company is incorporated on 1st January 2026, your 12 month review period starts from 1 January 2026 and ends on 31st December 2026.

Overdue Confirmation Statement

Even though there is no late filing penalties for an overdue confirmation statement, you must file it without missing your confirmation statement filing deadline.

If you don't submit on time, the Companies House will issue an automatic warning to submit the late confirmation statement ASAP. Not filing confirmation statement on time and ignoring the warnings is a criminal offence. If you don't take immediate actions, you company can be struck off the register (closed down) and you will no longer be able to trade. We recommend signing up for email reminders from Companies House to ensure that your confirmation statements are filed on time.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a confirmation statement and who has to file one?

A confirmation statement is an annual filing that confirms Companies House has up-to-date information about a UK limited company or LLP, including directors, registered office, shareholders, SIC codes, and people with significant control. Every active and dormant company registered at Companies House must file one at least once every 12 months, regardless of whether the business is trading or has made a profit.

How much does it cost to file a confirmation statement?

The Companies House confirmation statement fee is £50 if you file online through WebFiling or software, and £110 if you submit a paper CS01 form by post. These fees have applied since 1 May 2024, when Companies House raised its filing fees to fund new enforcement powers. One fee covers a 12-month period, so you can file multiple statements within that window if details change, at no extra cost.

When is the confirmation statement deadline?

A confirmation statement must be filed within 14 days of the end of the 12-month review period. The first review period starts on the date the company was incorporated, and each subsequent period starts the day after the previous statement was due. Companies House sends email reminders if you sign up for them, which helps avoid missing the filing deadline.

Who is responsible for filing the confirmation statement?

Filing the confirmation statement is the legal responsibility of the company directors, or designated members in the case of an LLP. Directors can delegate the filing to an accountant, company secretary, or formations agent, but they remain personally accountable for making sure the filing is complete and on time. Failure to file is a criminal offence that can result in prosecution and disqualification as a director.

What information needs to be confirmed in a confirmation statement?

The statement confirms or updates the company's registered office and SAIL address, directors and company secretary, SIC codes, statement of capital, shareholder details, people with significant control, trading status of shares, and any exemption from keeping a PSC register. Changes to shares, shareholders, and SIC codes can be reported on the statement itself, but changes to directors or registered office must be filed separately using the relevant form.

What happens if I file a confirmation statement late?

There is no automatic financial penalty for filing a confirmation statement late, unlike annual accounts. However, late or missed filings are a criminal offence. Companies House issues automated reminders, then warning letters, and can begin the strike-off process if the statement remains outstanding. Once a company is struck off, its assets pass to the Crown and the directors lose the ability to trade through that company.

Do dormant and non-trading companies have to file a confirmation statement?

Yes. Dormant and non-trading UK limited companies and LLPs must still file a confirmation statement every 12 months, even if nothing has changed and the business has not traded. The filing confirms that the public record at Companies House is still accurate. The fee is the same as for an active company, and failing to file can lead to strike-off even if the company has never traded.