What is a Confirmation Statement? The Companies House Guide

Every business owner running a Private Limited Company (LTD) in the United Kingdom has a set of statutory duties to maintain active and compliant standing. While most directors are aware of their annual accounts and tax filings, there is another critical annual requirement that frequently catches people off guard: the Companies House Confirmation Statement.

Formerly known as the "Annual Return", the Confirmation Statement (form CS01) is a legal document verifying your company's core administrative and structure details.

In this definitive guide, we explain exactly what is confirmation statement CS01, who needs to file it, upcoming deadlines, filing fees, and how to submit yours seamlessly without incurring late penalties.

1. What is a Confirmation Statement?

A companies house confirmation statement is a document filed annually with Companies House, the UK’s registrar of companies. Its primary purpose is to confirm that the basic public administrative data Companies House holds about your company is completely accurate, up to date, and verified.

Unlike Annual Accounts, the Confirmation Statement is not a financial document. It contains zero information regarding sales turnover, cash flow, profits, or balance sheets. Instead, it acts as an official status check verifying the administrative structure of the company.

Even if your company has had absolutely zero structural changes over the past 12 months, you are still legally required to review the active record and formally file the statement to confirm its accuracy.

2. What Information Must Be Verified?

When you or your agent prepares the CS01 statement, you must review, update, and confirm the following company details:

• Registered Office Address: The official address where physical legal correspondence and notices are delivered.
• Director and Officer Details: Active director names, residential addresses, service addresses, and appointments.
• Shareholder and Member Structure: The names of active shareholders, share quantities, share classes, and nominal values.
• People with Significant Control (PSC): Individuals who own or control more than 25% of the company's shares or voting rights.
• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes: Five-digit industry codes describing the primary business activity (e.g., 62020 for IT consulting).
• Principal Business Activity: A brief description of what the company does.

3. The CS01 Filing Window & Deadlines

Every active and dormant UK company has a specific 12-month filing period:

• The Review Period: This is a 12-month cycle starting from either your company's date of incorporation or the date you filed your last confirmation statement.
• The Filing Window: You must submit your CS01 within 14 days of the review period ending.
• For example, if your company was incorporated on 15th June 2025, your first review period ends on 14th June 2026. Your deadline to submit the statement is 28th June 2026.

If you file early (prior to the 12-month mark) to report a major structural update, a new 12-month review cycle will reset from that new date.

4. Government Filing Fees Explained

To process and register your confirmation statement, Companies House charges a mandatory statutory filing fee.

Under current 2026 guidelines:

• Online/API Filing Fee: £100 (having been increased under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act).
• Paper Filing Fee: £100 (which is strongly discouraged by the registry due to manual processing delays).
• The "Payment Window" Advantage: The registry fee is only charged once per calendar year. If you need to submit multiple confirmation statements in a single 12-month period to report ownership updates, you do not pay the fee again.

5. Penalties for Late or Non-Filing

Failing to submit your confirmation statement on time carries severe legal and financial consequences:

• Criminal Prosecution: Failing to file the statement within the 14-day window is a criminal offense under the Companies Act 2006. Directors can be prosecuted and fined personally.
• Forced Strike-Off & Dissolution: If you ignore subsequent reminder letters from the registrar, Companies House will assume your company is no longer active. They will initiate automatic strike-off procedures, dissolving the company.
• Loss of Assets: Once a company is dissolved, its legal existence ends. All assets held by the business—including intellectual property, physical equipment, and corporate bank balances—automatically forfeit to the Crown (Bona Vacantia).

6. How to File Your CS01 Online

Filing your confirmation statement online is rapid and secure. Follow these steps:

1. Obtain Company Authentication Code: You must have your 6-character Companies House code. If you do not have it, request a replacement online to be mailed to your registered office.
2. Log into Companies House WebFiling: Enter your company number, email address, and authentication code.
3. Verify Existing Records: Review all directors, shareholders, PSCs, registered offices, and SIC codes.
4. Make Necessary Edits: If you need to report updates (such as a new shareholder or changed director service address), input the adjustments.
5. Pay & Submit: Pay the mandatory statutory fee and submit. You will receive an instant email receipt.

Summary Checklist:

• [ ] Track down your company's unique 6-character Authentication Code.
• [ ] Log into your founder dashboard to check your official CS01 review date.
• [ ] Audit your directors, share structures, PSCs, and registered address.
• [ ] Submit your CS01 filing online within 14 days of the review date.

Let Us Handle Your Annual Compliance

Neglecting a confirmation statement deadline is one of the leading reasons UK companies are dissolved against the owners' wishes. Protect your business, assets, and reputation by letting our professional compliance desk handle your filings.

Our CS01 annual submission service covers the entire audit, drafting, and direct API submission—fully inclusive of the mandatory government filing fee.

File your Confirmation Statement with us today →