By
August 11, 2026
What Is a Companies House Confirmation Statement?
A confirmation statement is a filing that UK limited companies must submit to Companies House to confirm that important information held about the company is accurate and up to date.
Every company must file a confirmation statement at least once during each required review period, even if nothing has changed.
The confirmation statement replaced the old annual return, but it is not the same as annual company accounts.
It deals primarily with information about the company's structure, ownership and activities rather than its financial performance.
The process can broadly be understood as:
Review company information
↓
Update anything that has changed
↓
Confirm the remaining information is correct
↓
Submit confirmation statement to Companies House
Under the current Companies House regime, identity verification has also become an important part of the confirmation statement process. Existing directors are required to provide their Companies House personal codes through the relevant confirmation statement during the identity-verification transition period.
This guide explains what a confirmation statement is, when it is due, what information you need to check and what happens if you do not file it.
Yes.
UK limited companies generally need to file a confirmation statement with Companies House at least once every year.
This applies even if the company:
The purpose is to confirm that the information on the Companies House register remains correct.
Yes.
A dormant company generally still has Companies House compliance obligations, including filing a confirmation statement.
The fact that the company:
Has no sales
or
Has never traded
does not remove the confirmation statement requirement.
Dormant companies also generally continue to have separate accounts-filing responsibilities.
No.
These are two completely different Companies House filings.
Primarily confirms information about the company, such as ownership and business details.
Report financial information relating to the company's accounting period.
Therefore:
Confirmation statement ≠ Annual accounts
A company normally needs to comply with both requirements.
No.
A confirmation statement is filed with:
Companies House
A Company Tax Return is filed with:
HMRC
These are separate government bodies and separate legal obligations.
Filing your confirmation statement does not satisfy the company's Corporation Tax obligations.
The confirmation statement process requires the company to review information held on the Companies House register.
Depending on the company, this can involve information relating to:
The company should make sure the information is correct before confirming it.
Certain changes need to be made separately rather than simply waiting for the confirmation statement.
Companies House guidance specifically distinguishes information that should be updated before the confirmation statement is filed.
For example, changes involving areas such as:
may require the appropriate separate filing.
After making those updates, the confirmation statement can confirm that the register is accurate.
Yes.
The confirmation statement can be used to review and update the company's Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code where required.
A SIC code describes the nature of the company's business activities.
For example, if your company previously provided consulting services but now primarily operates an ecommerce business, its SIC code may need updating.
The SIC code should accurately describe the company's current activities.
Yes.
Where appropriate, a company can use multiple SIC codes to reflect different business activities.
For example, a company may operate:
Online retail
Software development
Business consulting
The codes should reasonably reflect what the business actually does rather than simply selecting unrelated categories.
Shareholder information can form part of the confirmation statement process.
For companies with share capital, you may need to check information relating to:
If the company's share ownership has changed during the review period, the appropriate company records and Companies House filings should also be completed.
No.
The confirmation statement records and confirms company information.
It does not itself create a share transfer.
If shares have been transferred:
Share transfer happens
↓
Company updates statutory records
↓
Relevant tax/documentation dealt with
↓
Updated shareholder information reflected through Companies House filings where required
Do not use the confirmation statement as a substitute for properly documenting a share transfer.
A company's confirmation statement operates around a review period.
Companies must file at least one confirmation statement during each required period.
Rather than assuming your due date, check your company's actual Companies House record.
The public register shows when the next confirmation statement is due.
Go to the official Companies House company register and search using:
Company name
or
Company registration number
Open your company and locate the section labelled:
Confirmation statement
This will show relevant information about the company's current confirmation statement position.
Checking the actual company record is safer than manually calculating the date.
Yes.
Companies House confirms that you do not have to wait until the current review period ends before filing a confirmation statement.
However, filing early starts a new review period.
For example:
Current statement due later in year
↓
Company files early
↓
New review period begins
This can be useful if the company wants to align its confirmation statement date with another annual compliance process.
You must generally file at least one confirmation statement during the required period.
You can file additional confirmation statements if necessary.
For example, a company may decide to file early following significant changes to its structure.
However, repeatedly filing confirmation statements is not normally required simply because ordinary company details changed during the year.
Many changes have their own specific Companies House filing processes.
CS01 is the Companies House confirmation statement form for companies.
Companies House provides a paper CS01 form, although online filing is generally quicker and cheaper.
For most ordinary limited companies, online filing is likely to be the simplest option.
Yes.
Companies House provides an online confirmation statement filing service.
Online filing is generally faster than sending the paper CS01 form, and Companies House states that most online filings are aimed to be processed within 24 hours.
You will typically need the appropriate access credentials and company information.
As of August 2026, the Companies House fee is:
£50 for online/software filing
and:
£110 for a paper confirmation statement
for the first confirmation statement in the relevant 12-month payment period.
Because Companies House fees can change, businesses should always check the current fee before filing.
Companies House structures the confirmation statement fee around a payment period.
The current published fee schedule refers to the fee being payable with the first confirmation statement in the 12-month payment period.
If you file additional confirmation statements within the same relevant payment period, check the current Companies House rules before assuming another fee is payable.
Identity verification is one of the most important recent Companies House reforms.
From 18 November 2025, identity verification became a legal requirement, beginning a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs.
For directors, the confirmation statement is now an important part of connecting a verified identity to an existing directorship.
Under current Companies House guidance, before filing the relevant confirmation statement, company directors must verify their identities.
The company then needs to:
Provide each director's Companies House personal code
and
Confirm each director has verified their identity
as part of the applicable confirmation statement filing.
This makes identity verification an essential preparation step.
After an individual verifies their identity, Companies House issues them a unique personal code.
Existing directors are required to provide this code through their company's next applicable confirmation statement from 18 November 2025.
The personal code belongs to the individual rather than to one particular company.
Keep it secure.
If the company has multiple directors, you may need the personal code for each director when filing the relevant confirmation statement.
Companies House's current filing service states that companies with more than one director must have each director's personal code.
Do not leave identity verification until the day the statement is due.
This can prevent the company from completing the confirmation statement correctly under the current process.
A sensible sequence is:
Check all directors
↓
Complete identity verification
↓
Collect personal codes
↓
Review company information
↓
File confirmation statement
Identity verification can be completed directly with Companies House or through an appropriately authorised service provider, depending on the chosen process.
PSCs are also subject to identity-verification requirements.
The timetable for providing PSC verification information can depend on their circumstances and roles.
If an individual is both:
Director
and
PSC
they may need to provide their personal code separately for each role under the applicable Companies House processes.
Being verified once does not necessarily mean there is no separate role-linking requirement.
A Person with Significant Control is someone who meets one or more statutory control conditions relating to the company.
This can include someone who has significant:
Companies should make sure their PSC information is accurate before submitting the confirmation statement.
Companies must maintain a registered email address with Companies House.
The registered email is used by Companies House to communicate with the company but is not normally displayed publicly.
If it needs changing, use the appropriate Companies House process rather than simply assuming the confirmation statement changes it automatically.
Companies House reforms introduced additional confirmation requirements connected with lawful activities.
Companies should read the current confirmation statement before filing and ensure they can truthfully provide all required statements and confirmations.
Do not mechanically tick confirmation boxes without understanding what is being confirmed.
You still need to file.
This is one of the most common misunderstandings.
The confirmation statement exists specifically to say:
“We have reviewed the company's information and confirm it is correct.”
Therefore:
No changes ≠ No confirmation statement
You still need to complete the required filing.
Failure to file a confirmation statement can create serious compliance problems.
Companies House can take enforcement action where companies fail to meet their filing obligations.
Persistent non-compliance can potentially threaten the company's status and lead to steps being taken toward removal from the register.
Directors should therefore not ignore an overdue confirmation statement.
Confirmation statements are different from annual company accounts.
Annual accounts have a specific automatic late-filing penalty regime.
You should not assume the exact same penalty structure applies to confirmation statements.
However, failing to file a confirmation statement remains a compliance breach and can lead to enforcement consequences.
The best action is to file an overdue confirmation statement promptly.
Persistent failure to meet Companies House obligations can expose a company to potential strike-off action.
This can create serious consequences.
If a company is dissolved while it owns assets, those assets can potentially pass to the Crown subject to the relevant legal rules.
A company should never simply stop filing because it no longer wants to trade.
Use an appropriate formal closure process instead.
The company's directors are ultimately responsible for ensuring the company's statutory obligations are met.
An accountant, company formation agent or company secretary may assist with the filing.
But:
Accountant files it
does not mean:
Director has no responsibility
Directors should verify that the confirmation statement has actually been submitted and accepted.
Yes, an authorised accountant or company agent can often file the statement on the company's behalf.
Provide them with accurate information and any required director identity-verification details.
After filing, check the company's public Companies House record to make sure the confirmation statement appears in its filing history.
Yes.
Before submitting a confirmation statement:
Search your company
↓
Review public company information
↓
Check directors
↓
Check registered office
↓
Check PSCs
↓
Check SIC codes
↓
Check share information
↓
Correct errors
↓
File confirmation statement
This is much safer than simply submitting the statement without reviewing the register.
Not necessarily.
Some information needs to be corrected using a separate Companies House form or process.
For example, if a director's address is wrong, simply filing a confirmation statement does not necessarily correct that underlying officer record.
Identify the incorrect information and use the correct amendment procedure first.
No.
The confirmation statement is a Companies House filing.
It does not replace updates required with HMRC.
If your company information changes, you may separately need to update:
Companies House and HMRC should be treated as separate compliance systems.
No.
A company can successfully file:
Confirmation statement
while still having:
Overdue annual accounts
The opposite is also possible.
Monitor both obligations separately.
Yes.
The director's residence does not remove the UK company's Companies House obligations.
For example:
UK limited company
Director living overseas
still means the company must maintain its confirmation statement filings.
Identity-verification requirements can also apply to overseas directors.
Before filing, check:
Is the registered office correct?
Is the registered email correct?
Are all directors correct?
Have all directors completed identity verification where required?
Do I have each required personal code?
Is the company secretary information correct?
Are PSC details correct?
Are SIC codes accurate?
Is share capital correct?
Are shareholder details correct?
Have all changes requiring separate filings already been submitted?
Then:
File confirmation statement
↓
Pay applicable fee
↓
Confirm Companies House accepted filing
↓
Record next review period
Company owners should avoid:
It is a filing used to confirm that the information Companies House holds about a company is accurate and up to date.
Yes. Companies generally need to file a confirmation statement at least once every year.
Yes. Dormant status does not generally remove the company's confirmation statement obligations.
The paper confirmation statement form is CS01.
Yes. Online filing is available and is generally cheaper and faster than paper filing.
As of August 2026, Companies House lists the confirmation statement fee as £50 online/software and £110 by paper for the first statement within the relevant payment period.
Yes. You still need to confirm that the existing information is correct.
Yes. SIC-code information can be reviewed and updated through the confirmation statement process where appropriate.
Yes. Identity verification is now a legal requirement, with the transition regime beginning on 18 November 2025.
Under the current process, the applicable confirmation statement requires the personal code for each director and confirmation that they have verified their identity.
No. They are separate Companies House obligations.
So, what is a Companies House confirmation statement?
It is essentially an annual check of the important information Companies House holds about your limited company.
The process is:
Review company information
↓
Correct anything that is wrong
↓
Complete director identity-verification requirements
↓
Confirm the information is accurate
↓
File confirmation statement
↓
Check Companies House accepted it
Even if your company has:
No changes
No employees
No new shareholders
or
No trading activity
you generally still need to file the confirmation statement.
The most significant recent change is Companies House identity verification.
Under the current system, directors need to verify their identities and their personal codes must be provided through the applicable confirmation statement process.
The best approach is to treat the confirmation statement as an annual company compliance review rather than simply another form.
Use it as an opportunity to check:
Directors + PSCs + registered office + SIC codes + shareholders + share capital + filing history
and correct any inaccurate information before confirming the company's record.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal, accounting, tax or financial advice. Companies House fees, identity-verification requirements and filing procedures can change. Always check current official Companies House guidance before filing.
