- Private limited companies have not been legally required to appoint a company secretary since the Companies Act 2006 came into force in April 2008.
- Public limited companies must appoint a qualified company secretary and cannot operate without one.
- Directors of a private company automatically absorb the secretarial duties if no secretary is appointed, which increases their compliance workload.
Filing a confirmation statement with Companies House is a legal requirement for every UK limited company, due at least once every 12 months. It costs £34 online and must be submitted within 14 days of your review period ending. Miss the deadline and your company risks being struck off the register.
This is not the same as filing your annual accounts. The confirmation statement is a separate obligation, and it applies even if nothing about your company has changed during the year.
Need someone to handle it for you? Sleek’s company compliance service keeps your filings on track so you never miss a deadline.
What is a confirmation statement?
A confirmation statement is an annual filing that tells Companies House your company’s key information is accurate and up to date. It replaced the old annual return in June 2016 and covers details including your registered office address, directors, persons with significant control (PSCs), and share capital.
You are not reporting new information. You are confirming that what Companies House already holds is correct, and updating anything that has changed.
Who needs to file a confirmation statement?
Every UK limited company and limited liability partnership (LLP) must file a confirmation statement. There are no exemptions based on size, trading status, or industry.
This includes:
- Active trading companies
- Dormant companies with no recent activity
- Holding companies and SPVs
- Companies incorporated but not yet trading
If your company is on the Companies House register, you must file.
When is the confirmation statement due?
Your confirmation statement deadline falls 14 days after the end of your 12-month review period. The review period begins on either your incorporation date or the date your last confirmation statement was made up to.
Here is how the timeline works:
Event | Timing |
Review period start | Incorporation date or last statement date |
Review period end | 12 months later |
Filing deadline | 14 days after review period end |
Companies House reminder | Usually sent by email or post |
Companies House will send a reminder, but it is your legal responsibility to file on time. Do not rely on the reminder arriving.
What information does the confirmation statement cover?
The confirmation statement asks you to review and confirm the following:
- Registered office address — must be a valid UK address where official correspondence can be received. See our guide to choosing a registered office address if yours needs updating.
- Directors and secretaries — names, addresses, and appointment dates
- Persons with significant control (PSCs) — anyone owning more than 25% of shares or voting rights
- Share capital and shareholder details — the number and class of shares issued
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code — the code that describes your company’s main business activity
- Statement of capital — only required if changes have been made during the review period
Any changes to these details must be updated at Companies House before or alongside your confirmation statement submission.
How much does it cost to file a confirmation statement?
Filing online costs £34 per 12-month review period, regardless of how many times you update your record within that period. Filing by post using the CS01 paper form costs £62.
You only pay once per review period. If you file two confirmation statements in the same 12-month window, for example to update a mid-year change, the second filing carries no additional fee.
Always file online. It is faster, cheaper, and you receive instant confirmation of receipt from Companies House.
How to file a confirmation statement with Companies House
Filing takes around 10 to 15 minutes if your information is already up to date. Here is the process step by step:
- Log in to Companies House WebFiling at ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk using your company number and authentication code.
- Select the confirmation statement option from your filing dashboard.
- Review each section covering your registered office, directors, PSCs, and share capital.
- Make any necessary updates to information that has changed during the review period.
- Confirm the statement is accurate and submit.
- Pay the £34 fee online by debit or credit card.
- Save your confirmation — Companies House will issue a filing acknowledgement which you should keep for your records.
If you have lost your authentication code, you can request a new one from Companies House. Allow up to five working days for it to arrive by post.
For a more detailed walkthrough of the WebFiling process, see our step-by-step confirmation statement filing guide.
What happens if you file a confirmation statement late?
A late confirmation statement does not trigger an automatic financial penalty in the same way a late VAT return does. However, the consequences of persistent non-filing are serious.
If Companies House believes a company is no longer active, it can begin the process of striking it off the register. Directors of companies that fail to file can also face prosecution.
The key points to know:
- Late filing is still accepted and will stop strike-off proceedings if submitted promptly
- Companies House typically issues warning letters before taking action
- Once a company is struck off, restoring it is a lengthy and expensive process
- Directors can be held personally liable for debts incurred after strike-off if trading continued
If your statement is already overdue, file it as soon as possible. Do not wait.
What other annual filings does your company need?
The confirmation statement is one of several recurring obligations for UK limited companies. It is easy to confuse it with others or to miss one if you are managing compliance without support.
The main annual filings are:
Filing | Deadline | Cost |
Confirmation statement | Within 14 days of review period end | £34 online |
Annual accounts | 9 months after financial year end (private companies) | Free to file |
Corporation tax return | 12 months after accounting period end | Free to file |
Your corporation tax filing and your director’s self assessment tax return are separate again, each with their own deadlines. Keeping all of these in one place is where most small business owners start to struggle.
How Sleek helps with confirmation statements
Sleek manages your confirmation statement filing as part of a full company compliance service. We track your deadlines, prepare the filing, and submit it on your behalf so you are never at risk of missing a Companies House deadline.
We also handle your annual accounts, corporation tax, and ongoing company administration, giving you one less thing to think about as your business grows.
Disclaimer: The preceding information is not legal advice. This content is aimed to provide general guidance. For more formal or legal advice, contact Sleek directly.
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FAQs on confirmation statements
Is a confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?
No. They are two entirely separate filings with different deadlines, different purposes, and different consequences for missing them. The confirmation statement tells Companies House that your company’s registered details are accurate. Annual accounts report your financial performance over the year. You must file both, and filing one does not satisfy the obligation for the other.
Who can file a confirmation statement for a company?
Any director, company secretary, or authorised agent can file on behalf of the company. Many small business owners file it themselves using Companies House WebFiling. Alternatively, an accountant or company secretarial service can be authorised to file on your behalf, which is common when managing multiple compliance deadlines at once.
What is the Companies House authentication code?
The authentication code is a six-character code issued by Companies House that acts as your company’s electronic signature. You need it to file anything through WebFiling, including your confirmation statement. It is sent by post to your registered office address when you incorporate. If you have lost it, you can request a replacement through the Companies House website, but allow up to five working days for delivery.
Can you file a confirmation statement early?
Yes. You can file your confirmation statement at any point after your review period begins, not just in the final days before the deadline. Filing early resets your review period start date to the date of the new statement, which effectively moves your next deadline forward. This is worth knowing if you want to consolidate your filing calendar or get ahead of a busy period.
Do you need to file a confirmation statement if nothing has changed?
Yes. Filing is mandatory regardless of whether any details have changed during the review period. The purpose of the statement is to confirm accuracy, not to report new information. A company that has been completely dormant with no changes to directors, address, or shareholders still has a legal obligation to file on time every year.
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How do you correct mistakes on a confirmation statement?
If you spot an error after submitting, you cannot amend the confirmation statement itself. Instead, you need to file a separate update with Companies House to correct the specific detail. For example, a director’s address can be updated via a CH01 form and a registered office change via an AD01 form. If the mistake involves PSC details, a PSC04 or PSC05 form is required. Acting quickly limits the period during which incorrect information sits on the public register.
How do I get help filing an overdue confirmation statement?
If your confirmation statement is overdue, the most important step is to file it as soon as possible. You can do this yourself through Companies House WebFiling or instruct an accountant or compliance service to file on your behalf. Sleek can handle overdue filings as well as setting up a managed service to make sure future deadlines are never missed. Explore Sleek’s company compliance package to see how we can take this off your plate.
