UK business owners must understand all their statutory requirements to remain legally compliant. One of them is the confirmation statement UK, which must be filed annually with Companies House to keep their company information accurate and up to date. Here, we outline all that UK-registered businesses need to know. Read on.
What Is a Confirmation Statement UK?
Confirmation statements ‘confirm’ that the company information held by Companies House is accurate. Every limited company, including private limited company (PLC), and limited liability partnership (LLP) is obliged to file, regardless of if they are dormant or no longer trading.
The mandatory filing was introduced by the Small Business, Enterprise, and Employment Act 2015, with the confirmation statement UK form replacing the annual return in 2016. This new version is easier and quicker to file, as it eliminates the need to re-enter previously filed information if nothing has changed in the past 12 months.
UK businesses must file even if their company details have not changed, simply by checking and confirming the information held at Companies House and submitting the statement. If any information needs updating, the necessary changes must be filed before submitting the confirmation statement.
Failure to file a confirmation statement may result in severe consequences, including fines, prosecution, and the potential striking off of the company from the register.
What Is the Purpose of a Confirmation Statement?
The confirmation statement is essential for UK businesses, verifying that important company data recorded at Companies House is accurate as of a specific date. It serves several key purposes.
It confirms key information in the company, including the registered office address, company registers and officers, business description (Standard Industrial Classification – SIC), share capital, shareholders, and People with Significant Control (PSCs).
From 5 March 2024, businesses must also include a ‘statement of lawful purposes’ in their confirmation statement UK companies houseto confirm that their intended future activities are lawful. This authenticates their business is legally compliant throughout.
Who Files a Confirmation Statement?
In limited companies, the board of directors holds the legal responsibility to submit all the statutory requirements to the UK authorities within the deadlines, including the annual confirmation statement.
Whilst they may delegate this task to a company secretary, directors must see to it that confirmation statements are submitted. In the case of limited liability partnerships, they can designate some members to take charge of the filing.
What Do You Include in a Confirmation Statement?
The following details must be checked and confirmed where relevant:
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes
- Shareholder Information
- Statement of Capital
- Trading Status of Shares
- People with Significant Control (PSCs)
- Registered Office Address
- Registered Email Address
- Company Officers
- Location of Statutory Registers
- Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL) Address
The first four in the above list, including exemption from keeping a PSC register, can be updated in the confirmation statement form. All the other changes must be reported separately using the relevant Companies House forms.
On the first confirmation statement, providing the details of People with Significant Control (PSC) is most crucial, as they hold significant influence in the company. This includes information such as their name, birthday, nationality, country of residence, addresses, starting date as a PSC, their role, and why they are chosen as one of the PSCs.
What Is the Deadline for Filing Confirmation Statement?
Companies are given a 12-month review period. They start counting from either of the following, whichever is the most recent and applicable:
- company’s incorporation date (for newly incorporated companies)
- previous confirmation statement filing date (for established companies that have already made at least one filing)
The deadline (end of review period) is the day before the anniversary of either date mentioned. For instance, if a company was incorporated on 1 July 2024, its filing deadline is 30 June 2025. The company must submit the confirmation statement 14 days before their review period ends.
How Do You File a Confirmation Statement?
There are three main ways to file a confirmation statement:
- By post (form CS01 for limited companies; form LL CS01 for limited liability partnerships)
- Online (Companies House’s Software Filing or WebFiling Services)
- Using an agent
Filing online using the Companies House online service is highly recommended for its efficiency, simplicity, and affordability, as it has built-in checks and pre-populated data. This method will require the filer to have a password and an authentication code to proceed with the filing. Accounting and bookkeeping agents can also help streamline the filing process.
In the UK government website, the latest fees for submitting a confirmation statement are:
- £34 for online filing (paid via credit card or online payment like PayPal)
- £62 for paper filing (paid via paper cheque or echeque)
The annual fee is only paid once within a 12-month payment period. The due date of payments is the 12th month from when the company was incorporated, and it cannot be changed.
What Happens If You Do Not File a Confirmation Statement?
UK companies must file their confirmation statements on time to avoid serious consequences. Whilst there is no financial penalty for late filing, failing to submit a confirmation statement is a criminal offence. Directors, secretaries, and officers may face personal fines of up to £5,000.
Companies House may assume the company is no longer trading, leading to it being struck off the register and dissolved. This means the company ceases to exist, and its assets pass to the Crown. Company officers or LLP members could also face prosecution.
What to Do If You Miss the Deadline for Filing?
It is best practice to ensure the statement is filed within 14 days before the end of the review period. However, if the filing deadline is missed, companies must file the confirmation statement as soon as possible to avoid criminal charges and potential dissolution of the company.
To avoid missing the deadline, companies may want to sign up for the free Companies House email reminder service. This service allows up to four people to receive reminders about upcoming filing deadlines. The reminder email includes a link for easy submission of the confirmation statement.
How Can Legend Financial Help?
Confirmation statement UK is not the only statutory requirement companies must take care of to maintain good standing with Companies House and HMRC. They will also have to keep in mind filing tax returns, auditing, and more. For an owner-managed business, they can be a lot to handle.
Knowing the deadlines does not guarantee you can file on time, especially if you have a lot to juggle all at once. Legend Financial is here to help your business to be compliant in all aspects, from accounting practices to tax affairs. Talk to us today!
