A confirmation statement is an annual filing that tells Companies House the current snapshot of your company's key details — who the directors are, who owns the shares, and where the registered office is. It is not your accounts. It costs £34 to file online per GOV.UK, takes around five minutes if nothing has changed, and missing the deadline carries a £1,500 civil penalty.
What information does a confirmation statement include?
The confirmation statement is a statutory snapshot of your company's public record at a point in time — called the "review date". You are confirming that the information Companies House holds is accurate, or updating it where it has changed.
The form covers six main categories. Changes to most of these during the year are filed separately — the confirmation statement is the moment you confirm everything is current.
What the confirmation statement covers
- · Registered office address — must match the current address on file
- · Directors and secretaries — names, service addresses, and appointments
- · Persons with Significant Control (PSC) — anyone with 25%+ shares or voting rights
- · SIC codes — the nature of the company's business activities
- · Share capital and shareholder list — number of shares, class, and who holds them
- · Trading status — whether the company is trading or dormant
What it does NOT cover
- · Financial accounts (profit, loss, balance sheet) — these are filed separately
- · Corporation Tax return — filed with HMRC, not Companies House
- · VAT return — filed with HMRC separately
- · Director changes during the year (filed via AP01 / TM01 / CH01 when they happen)
- · Registered office changes during the year (filed via AD01 when they happen)
When is the confirmation statement due?
Every company must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, per Companies House requirements. The 12-month period runs from the date of incorporation (for a new company) or from the date of the last confirmation statement (for an existing company). This date is the "review date".
You have 14 days after the review date to file the confirmation statement, per GOV.UK. So if your company was incorporated on 1 June, your review date each year is 1 June, and you must file by 15 June. Companies House sends a reminder email before the deadline, but you should not rely on it — calendar the date yourself on the day you incorporate.
You can file the confirmation statement early (before the 12-month period ends) if you want to trigger a new review period. Some companies do this to align the confirmation statement deadline with their accounting year-end, making annual admin easier to batch.
| Filing method | Fee | Notes |
|---|
| WebFiling (online, direct) | £34 | Per GOV.UK; payable by debit/credit card |
| Software filing (via accountant/agent) | £34 | Same fee; agent may add a service charge |
| Paper (CS01 form) | £62 | Per GOV.UK; significantly slower |
| Late / missing filing | Up to £1,500 civil penalty | Plus risk of company being struck off |
All fees per GOV.UK / Companies House, May 2026.
How do you file a confirmation statement?
The easiest way is through Companies House WebFiling. Log in with your company's authentication code (sent by Companies House after incorporation), select the confirmation statement, review each section, confirm the information is correct or make any updates, and pay the £34 fee by card.
If nothing has changed since the last filing, the whole process takes around five minutes. You are simply confirming the record is accurate — you do not need to re-enter information that has not changed. Companies House pre-populates the form with what it holds on file.
Your accountant can file on your behalf using authorised agent software. This is common for companies that use an accountant for their full compliance stack — the confirmation statement is batched with the annual accounts and Corporation Tax return as part of annual admin. If your accountant files on your behalf, confirm with them that the filing has been completed and request a copy of the acknowledgement.
Do you need to file a confirmation statement if company details change?
No — changes do not trigger an early confirmation statement. Each type of change has its own separate form that should be filed when the change occurs, not held until the next confirmation statement. The confirmation statement is then used to confirm those changes are reflected correctly on the register.
The most common mid-year change forms are: AP01 (appoint a new director), TM01 (terminate a director), CH01 (change a director's details), AD01 (change the registered office address), and SH01 (allot new shares). Each must be filed within the statutory deadline — usually 14 days of the change — separately from the annual confirmation statement.
Where the confirmation statement does carry a specific update obligation is on the Statement of Capital and shareholder information — these sections require you to confirm the current position accurately, so any share transactions during the year that were not separately notified must be reflected here.
What are the most common confirmation statement mistakes?
Filing late or not at all. The £1,500 civil penalty is significant, but the more serious consequence is that Companies House can begin the process of striking the company off the register. A struck-off company cannot trade, and restoring it is expensive and time-consuming. Set a diary reminder for 30 days before the review date every year.
Confusing the confirmation statement with annual accounts.They are completely separate filings with separate deadlines. The confirmation statement confirms company information; the annual accounts confirm the company's financial position. Missing one does not affect the deadline for the other.
Outdated SIC code. If the company's activities have changed substantially since incorporation, the SIC code should be updated. Failing to do so is not a major penalty risk, but it creates an inaccurate public record and can confuse banks, insurers, and counterparties.
Wrong shareholder information. If shares have been transferred or new shares allotted during the year, the shareholder section must reflect the current position. Errors here can create problems with HMRC on dividend payments and complicate any future sale or investment process.
For more on the full post-incorporation compliance picture, the how to set up a limited company guide covers what to do in the weeks after incorporation. The Rajoka starting a business guides include ongoing compliance checklists for early-stage companies.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss the confirmation statement deadline?
Companies House can issue a civil penalty of up to £1,500, per GOV.UK. More seriously, persistent failure to file can lead to Companies House initiating a strike-off, which dissolves the company. Filing late is better than not filing at all — submit as soon as you realise it is overdue and pay the fee.
Is the confirmation statement the same as filing annual accounts?
No. They are separate filings with separate deadlines. The confirmation statement (due within 14 days of your review date, £34 per GOV.UK) confirms company information such as directors and shareholders. Annual accounts are financial statements showing profit, loss, and balance sheet — filed with Companies House and HMRC under different deadlines.
Can I file a confirmation statement if the company is dormant?
Yes — a dormant company must still file a confirmation statement every year, per Companies House requirements. Dormancy affects your accounting and Corporation Tax obligations, but it does not suspend the confirmation statement obligation. The fee (£34 online per GOV.UK) and deadline remain the same.
How do I get my Companies House authentication code?
Companies House sends the authentication code by post to the registered office address after incorporation. It is a six-character alphanumeric code used to authorise all online filings for that company. If you have lost it, you can request a new one via the Companies House WebFiling service — it will be posted to the registered office address again.