Confirmation Statement Filing in Cheadle Hulme

A confirmation statement is a filing made to Companies House, submitted as form CS01, that confirms the information already held about your company is accurate and up to date. It is not a financial document and does not report your profits, losses or tax position. Instead, it is a check on the public register: your registered office, directors, shareholders, people with significant control, SIC codes and share capital. You confirm that the details are correct, or make the necessary updates, and then submit the statement.

Most companies registered at Companies House need to file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, even if nothing has changed since the last one. This applies to trading companies, dormant companies, non-trading companies, companies limited by guarantee and companies with just one director and shareholder. The requirement is based on the company being on the register, not on its level of activity, so being quiet or dormant does not usually remove it. If you are unsure whether your company is due, it is worth checking your Companies House filing history.

A confirmation statement is generally due at least once every 12 months, based on the company's review period rather than its accounting period. That said, you are allowed to file more than one confirmation statement within the same review period if your company information changes and you want the register updated sooner. Some changes, such as appointing a director or moving your registered office, should be reported to Companies House separately rather than waiting for the confirmation statement, so it is worth checking what needs to be filed and when.

Before filing, it is sensible to review the information Companies House already holds about your company. That typically includes your registered office address, director and secretary details, shareholder information and share capital, people with significant control and the nature of their control, and your SIC codes. It also covers whether the company is still trading or has become dormant. Getting these details right matters because they appear on the public register and are used by banks, suppliers and other parties when they look your company up.

Yes, in most cases a dormant company still needs to file a confirmation statement. Dormancy affects your accounts and tax position, but it does not remove the obligation to confirm that the information on the public register is correct. Many directors assume that because there has been no trading and no accounts activity, there is nothing to file — that is a common misunderstanding. If your company is on the register, it is likely to have a confirmation statement requirement, even where the answer to every question is simply that nothing has changed.

A confirmation statement and annual accounts are two completely separate filings with different purposes. The confirmation statement confirms that the identity and structure information Companies House holds about your company is correct. Annual accounts, sometimes called statutory accounts, report the financial performance and position of the company for an accounting period. They are prepared under accounting rules and filed separately, and the deadline for accounts is based on your accounting reference date, not on your confirmation statement review period. Filing one does not satisfy the other.

No. A confirmation statement goes to Companies House and deals with company information. A Corporation Tax Return, known as form CT600, goes to HMRC and deals with the company's taxable profits and tax liability. They are filed with different bodies, cover different subject matter and have their own deadlines. A confirmation statement does not report income, expenses or tax, and filing one does not settle any Corporation Tax obligation. Many companies need to deal with both, plus annual accounts, within the same broad period.

If a confirmation statement is not filed, the company falls behind on its Companies House obligations, and the situation can escalate if it is left unresolved. Companies House can take action against companies that fail to file, and a persistent failure to keep the register up to date can have consequences for the company and its directors. Rather than guessing at what applies in your case, the safest approach is to check your filing history and deal with anything outstanding as soon as possible. Acting early is almost always simpler than dealing with an overdue position later.

With a professional service, you share the current details of your company — or confirm that nothing has changed — and the filing is prepared, checked and submitted to Companies House on your behalf. A good service will also flag anything that looks inconsistent or out of date, such as an old registered office address or a director who has since resigned, and help you put it right. From a Cheadle Hulme perspective, that means local, accessible support without you having to learn the ins and outs of the Companies House portal yourself.

Getting started is straightforward. Have your company number and authentication details to hand if you have them, along with any changes that have occurred since your last statement, such as a new director, a share transfer or a change of registered office. From there, we can review your company information, prepare the confirmation statement and handle the Companies House confirmation statement submission for you. If your circumstances are unusual — for example, a company limited by guarantee or a dormant company with an unexpected filing notice — just explain the situation and we can talk through the right approach.