How to File a Confirmation Statement Online Step by Step

A confirmation statement is a yearly check-in with Companies House that confirms your company's details are correct. You file it online using your authentication code or your Companies House account, pay the filing fee, and submit it within 14 days of the end of your review period. If nothing has changed it takes a few minutes, but the details you confirm are public and legally important.

Many directors treat it as a box-ticking exercise, then discover an old address or a former shareholder is still on the register. This guide shows you how to file it properly, what to check first and what happens if you miss the deadline.

Quick answer: log in to Companies House, check the registered office, SIC codes, directors, shareholders and people with significant control, make any updates, pay the fee and submit within 14 days of your review period ending. We can file it for you for a fixed fee.

What a confirmation statement actually confirms

The statement replaced the old annual return. It confirms that the information Companies House holds is up to date as at a chosen date, called the review date. You confirm these items:

• The registered office address
• The registered email address
• The SIC code or codes describing your business
• The directors and company secretary, if any
• The statement of capital and shareholder details
• The people with significant control (PSCs)
• Where your registers are kept, if not at the registered office
• That the company's intended activities are lawful

If anything is wrong you must correct it, not just file the statement. Some changes, such as a new director, need their own form earlier in the year.

When is it due?

Your first confirmation statement is due within 14 days after the first anniversary of incorporation. After that it is due every 12 months, again within 14 days of the review period end. The deadline is shown in your Companies House account and on the company overview page. You can file early, but the review period then restarts from the date you file.

Use our filing deadline calculator or the free tax deadline reminder to keep every date in one place.

Step-by-step: how to file online

1. Sign in. Use your Companies House account or the company number and authentication code. If you no longer have the code, you can request a new one by post to the registered office, or use the account if you have set it up.
2. Choose the review date. The service proposes a date. You can usually accept it.
3. Check each section. Go through the office address, SIC codes, directors, shareholders and PSCs. Update any wrong entry.
4. Confirm the statement of capital. Make sure the shares and holders shown match your share register.
5. Make the statement. Tick the box confirming the intended activities are lawful.
6. Pay the fee. Use a card or Companies House account. The fee is shown on screen before you pay.
7. Submit and keep proof. You receive an email acknowledgement. Save it with your company records.

Common mistakes

• Filing without checking the shareholders after a share transfer
• Leaving a former director or old address on the register
• Using outdated SIC codes that no longer match your trading
• Forgetting to confirm PSC details
• Assuming the statement also updates your registered office with HMRC - it does not

If you spot the registered office is wrong, fix it first. Our guide to registered office addresses explains the rules.

Identity verification now matters

Directors and PSCs are being required to verify their identity with Companies House. If you or a co-director have not completed this, you may be blocked from filing or flagged on the register. Read our guide to identity verification before you start so you do not get stuck at the final step.

What happens if you are late?

Failing to file a confirmation statement is a criminal offence for the company and its officers, though prosecution is rare. In practice Companies House may send reminders, then begin the process of striking the company off the register. A struck-off company loses its bank account access and can be difficult to restore. Reinstatement requires a court order or administrative restoration and costs far more than filing on time.

Confirmation statement versus accounts

They are separate filings with separate deadlines. The confirmation statement confirms who you are; the accounts show how the company performed. Many companies file both in the same month so nothing is missed. We can handle both together; see our confirmation statement filing service and the annual accounts filing page.

What to have to hand before you start

A confirmation statement takes five minutes only if you are prepared. Gather these before you sign in:

• Your Companies House login or the six-character authentication code
• The current share register, showing who holds how many shares and of what class
• A list of everyone with significant control, including any trusts or other companies that control yours
• The latest SIC code descriptions, if your trade has changed
• Confirmation of where your statutory registers are physically kept

If you cannot find the authentication code, request a new one from the Companies House website before you do anything else. It is posted to the registered office, so allow several working days. Starting early avoids a rushed filing that misses the 14-day window.

Changes during the year versus changes at confirmation

Some updates must be filed straight away rather than saved for the annual statement. Director appointments and resignations, changes of registered office and changes to PSC details each have their own form and a 14-day deadline. A new share allotment needs a return of allotment. The confirmation statement then simply confirms that the register is right. Treat it as a final check, not as the place where you first record changes.

Who should sign off?

Any director or authorised agent can file, but the person submitting takes responsibility for the statement being true. If you are using an accountant, make sure they have written authority and that you have read what is being confirmed. Directors remain personally responsible for the accuracy of what is on the public register, so a quick read-through is always worthwhile.

A simple annual routine

Put the review date in your calendar a month ahead. Check shareholders, check directors, check the address and SIC codes, and file in the first week. Do the same with your accounts and tax dates using the deadline reminder tool. Companies that follow a routine rarely face reminders, strike-off notices or paying more to restore a company than the compliance would have cost in the first place.

Let us file it for you

If you would rather not log in, check registers and chase deadlines, our fixed-fee service covers the review of your details, the filing and a confirmation email. See the confirmation statement service or get an instant quote today.