What Is a Confirmation Statement?

Did you know that at the end of March 2024, the UK company register held 5.35 million companies?  Every single one of those companies must file a confirmation statement with Companies House every year. If you miss the deadline, your company could face penalties or even be struck off the register. This guide explains what a confirmation statement is, what information it includes, when you need to file it and how to stay compliant with Companies House.

What Is a Confirmation Statement?

A confirmation statement is a short annual report that every UK-registered company and LLP must send to Companies House. It confirms that your company’s details, such as directors, shareholders, registered address and business activity, are accurate and up to date.

The confirmation statement replaced the old “annual return” (form AR01) in 2016, but the purpose is still the same: keeping the public record about your company correct. Even if nothing about your business has changed, you must still file one each year, as it is a legal requirement for all limited companies.

If you would like help preparing or filing your statement, Prosper Accountancy’s confirmation statement service can take care of the whole process.

What Information Goes in a Confirmation Statement?

When you prepare your confirmation statement, you are confirming that the information held by Companies House is correct. This includes your registered office address, the details of company directors and secretaries, your share capital, shareholder information and anyone who has significant control of the company (known as a PSC, or Person with Significant Control).

It also covers your SIC code, which describes the type of work your business does. For companies incorporated after March 2024, you will also confirm that your company continues to have a lawful purpose.

If any of these details have changed during the year, you must make sure they are updated before or during the filing process.

Which Changes Can You Report in the Confirmation Statement?

Certain changes can be made directly when you file your confirmation statement. You can update your SIC code if your company has changed the kind of work it does. You can also make updates to shareholder information and adjust your statement of capital if new shares have been issued.

Which Changes Cannot Be Made via the Confirmation Statement

Some updates must be reported separately before you file. These include changing your registered office address, appointing or resigning a director or company secretary, and updating information about people with significant control. These updates can be made online through Companies House, or you can ask an accountant to handle them for you.

If you would rather not deal with these forms yourself, Prosper Accountancy’s company administration services can manage the whole process.

What If There Are No Changes to Report?

Even if nothing has changed since your last filing, you still have to file a confirmation statement each year. In that case, you simply confirm that all the details held by Companies House are still correct. It only takes a few minutes to complete online.

Failing to file a statement, even when there are no changes, is still considered a breach of the law and can lead to penalties or your company being struck off the register.

When Do You Need to File a Confirmation Statement?

Your first confirmation statement is due one year after your company was formed. After that, you must file one at least every twelve months.

Each company has what’s called a review period. This usually starts on the date of incorporation or on the date of your last confirmation statement. You then have fourteen days after that review period ends to submit your new statement to Companies House.

You can file early if you want the record to show new changes straight away. Many businesses choose to do this after a change in shareholders or a move to new premises.

Missing the deadline can cause serious problems, so it’s worth setting a reminder or letting your accountant take care of it.

Who Is Responsible for Filing the Confirmation Statement?

The company directors are legally responsible for making sure the confirmation statement is filed accurately and on time. Even if you hire an accountant to complete it for you, the legal duty remains with the directors.

If you want to avoid missing the filing deadline, Prosper Accountancy’s personal tax and compliance service can monitor your company’s obligations and submit your filings when they are due.

How to File a Confirmation Statement

Filing a confirmation statement is straightforward once you know what to expect. To do it yourself, visit the Companies House WebFiling service and log in with your company number and authentication code. You’ll then be able to check your company details, make updates where needed and confirm that the information is correct.

After reviewing the details, you pay the annual filing fee and submit form CS01. Once that’s done, you’ll receive an email from Companies House confirming that your statement has been filed successfully.

Confirmation Statement Annual Filing Fee

The annual fee is currently £34 for online filing or £62 if you send it by post. You only need to pay this once each year, no matter how many times you file during that twelve-month period.

If you’d like professional help managing your records, Prosper Accountancy’s bookkeeping service can make sure your details are always up to date.

What’s the Difference Between a Confirmation Statement and Annual Accounts?

Many business owners confuse the confirmation statement with annual accounts, but they are completely different.

Your annual accounts show your company’s financial performance, including income, expenses and profits. The confirmation statement, on the other hand, confirms your company’s key information such as directors, shareholders and business activities.

Both must be filed with Companies House, but they serve separate purposes and have their own deadlines. You can’t replace one with the other.

Do Dormant Companies Need to File a Confirmation Statement?

Yes, even if your company is dormant and not trading, you must still file a confirmation statement each year. This lets Companies House know that the company still exists but is not currently active.

If you have decided to close the business permanently, Prosper Accountancy’s company closure service can help you dissolve the company properly so that you don’t have to keep filing.

What Happens If You Forget to File a Confirmation Statement?

If you miss your confirmation statement deadline, you could face serious consequences. Companies House can start the process of striking your company off the register, which would legally close it. You might also face fines or personal prosecution as a director.

Late filings also show publicly on your company record, which can damage your reputation with clients, investors or suppliers. To avoid these risks, it’s worth having a reliable accountant track your filing dates for you.

For full peace of mind, Prosper Accountancy’s BoardView meetings help business owners stay on top of every compliance deadline, including confirmation statements, annual accounts and tax returns.

Stay on Top of Your Confirmation Statement

In conclusion, filing your confirmation statement on time is a straightforward but important part of running a company in the UK. It confirms that the information held by Companies House about your business is accurate, including details about directors, shareholders and your registered address.

Submitting your statement before the deadline helps you avoid penalties and keeps your business in good standing on the public register. Even if your company is dormant, you still need to file.

If you’d like professional support managing your confirmation statement, contact Prosper Accountancy today. Our team can handle your filings, track deadlines and make sure your company remains fully compliant all year round.