How to File a Companies House Confirmation Statement for a Limited Company

Who has to file a confirmation statement?

Every company registered with Companies House must file a confirmation statement at least once every year. This includes dormant and non-trading companies.

The confirmation statement replaced the old annual return. Its purpose is to confirm that the information Companies House holds about the company is correct and up to date.

If you are setting up a company rather than completing its annual compliance, see Helpydo's guide to registering a private limited company with Companies House.

When is the confirmation statement due?

You must review the company's records and file at least one confirmation statement every 12 months.

For the first confirmation statement, the review period ends 12 months after incorporation. For later statements, it ends 12 months after the confirmation statement date shown on the previous statement.

You then have up to 14 days after the review period ends to file.

You can check the company's confirmation date and filing deadline on the Companies House register.

Can you file before the review period ends?

Yes. You do not have to wait until the review period has finished.

If you file early, you choose a new confirmation statement date and the next review period starts on the following day. This changes the company's future annual confirmation cycle.

What details should you check first?

Before filing, review the information Companies House holds about the company. This includes:

• registered office address;
• directors and company secretary;
• where company records are kept, where applicable;
• people with significant control, known as PSCs;
• the company's SIC code;
• statement of capital and shareholder information for companies with shares; and
• registered email address requirements.

Do not simply submit the statement because nothing appears to have changed. The filing confirms that the information on the register is correct.

Which changes must be reported separately before filing?

Some information cannot be corrected merely by entering it in the confirmation statement. Companies House says you must report changes to the company's:

• directors and company secretary;
• people with significant control;
• registered office address; and
• existing registered email address

before confirming that the company's records are up to date.

What information can you update through the statement?

The confirmation statement includes an additional-information section for certain changes. You can use it to update:

• Standard Industrial Classification, or SIC, codes;
• the statement of capital;
• the trading status of shares;
• exemption from providing certain PSC information; and
• shareholder information.

The paper CS01 uses additional parts for these changes.

Do directors need to verify their identity before filing?

Yes. Identity verification became a legal Companies House requirement from 18 November 2025.

Companies House states that all current company directors must verify their identity before the confirmation statement can be accepted.

For the company's next applicable confirmation statement, you need to provide the Companies House personal code for each director and confirm that each director has verified their identity, unless the required verification details have already been provided for that role.

If one director has not completed the required verification, Companies House says it will not accept the company's confirmation statement.

What is a Companies House personal code?

When a person successfully verifies their identity, Companies House gives them a unique personal code.

A person generally verifies their identity once and uses the same personal code when connecting that verified identity to different Companies House roles. A director with appointments at several companies must still connect the verification to each relevant appointment.

The code can be found in the individual's Companies House account after successful verification.

How can a director complete identity verification?

A director can verify directly through Companies House using GOV.UK One Login or use an authorised corporate service provider that is permitted to carry out Companies House identity checks.

The direct GOV.UK One Login route is free. Depending on the documents and checks available to the person, verification may be completed online or may involve an identity check at a participating Post Office.

Do PSCs also have to verify their identity?

Yes. People with significant control are also subject to mandatory identity verification.

However, the deadline and process for a PSC's verification details are not necessarily the same as the confirmation statement deadline. Companies House gives PSCs a specific 14-day period for providing their personal code and verification statement, with the dates depending on their circumstances and roles.

Do not assume that entering director codes on the confirmation statement completes a separate PSC verification obligation.

Do you need to provide a registered email address?

If the company is required to provide a registered email address and has not already done so, the confirmation statement is the route used to supply it.

Companies House uses this address to contact the company. The registered email address is not displayed on the public register.

If a registered email address has already been supplied and you need to change it, use the separate Companies House email-address update process rather than treating the confirmation statement as the normal change route.

What is the lawful activities statement?

The company must confirm that its intended future activities are lawful.

This statement is required as part of the confirmation statement process. It applies even when the company's other registered information has not changed.

How do you file the confirmation statement online?

Companies House provides online confirmation statement filing. You normally need the relevant Companies House account or WebFiling access and the company's authentication code.

A newer confirmation statement service is available for certain private companies limited by shares with a simple company structure. Companies that do not meet that service's criteria can use Companies House WebFiling.

Online filing includes validation checks and Companies House sends an acknowledgement shortly after receiving the submission.

Which companies can use the simplified online service?

The current Companies House confirmation statement service is available only where the company:

• is a private company limited by shares;
• has one shareholder;
• has between 1 and 5 officers;
• has no more than 5 PSCs; and
• has already provided the Companies House personal code for all directors.

If those conditions are not met, Companies House directs the company to WebFiling instead.

How much does online filing cost?

From 1 February 2026, the Companies House fee is £50 for an online confirmation statement.

This is an annual fee linked to the company's payment period rather than a charge for every confirmation statement submitted.

Do you pay £50 every time you file?

No. The payment period is separate from the review period.

You pay the annual confirmation statement fee with the first statement filed in each 12-month payment period. Once that fee has been paid, you can file additional confirmation statements in the same payment period without paying another annual fee.

A new fee becomes due when the company enters its next payment period.

Can you file a confirmation statement by post?

Yes. Use the current CS01 confirmation statement form.

The paper filing fee in 2026 is £110. Companies House instructs paper filers to include a cheque and write the company number on the back.

The CS01 package includes additional pages for certain company information and director identity verification details.

How long does Companies House processing take?

Companies House says it aims to process most online filings within 24 hours.

Paper documents sent by post can take a week or more to process. This is why online filing is normally the safer option when the deadline is close.

An online acknowledgement is not the same as final acceptance. Companies House sends a further confirmation when the filing has been accepted or tells you if it has been rejected.

What if your confirmation statement is rejected?

Correct the problem and resubmit it promptly.

Companies House warns that a rejection does not give the company extra time beyond its filing deadline. Online filing includes built-in checks that can reduce common filing errors, but you should still review the acceptance confirmation.

What happens if you miss the deadline?

Failure to file a confirmation statement is a compliance issue. Companies House says the company can face a financial penalty and may be struck off the register.

Current Companies House guidance also states that a company can be fined up to £5,000 for failing to file its confirmation statement.

Do not wait for Companies House to send a reminder. The company remains responsible for knowing and meeting its filing deadline.

Does a dormant company still have to file?

Yes. A dormant or non-trading company must still submit at least one confirmation statement every 12 months.

Dormancy does not remove this Companies House filing obligation.

Is a confirmation statement the same as company accounts?

No. A confirmation statement and annual accounts are separate Companies House obligations with different purposes and deadlines.

The confirmation statement checks registered company information. It does not replace the company's accounting and financial-reporting duties.

What happens after you incorporate a new company?

For a newly incorporated company, the first review period ends 12 months after the incorporation date. The company must then file its first confirmation statement within the following 14 days.

If your business is still at the incorporation stage, use Helpydo's guide to registering a limited company online.

Does filing the statement replace HMRC registrations?

No. Companies House confirmation statement filing is separate from tax registrations and returns administered by HM Revenue and Customs.

For example, if the company needs to register for VAT, follow the separate process in Helpydo's guide to registering a business for VAT with HMRC.

Common confirmation statement mistakes to avoid

• Assuming no filing is required because nothing changed.
• Missing the 14-day filing window after the review period ends.
• Confirming records as accurate before separately updating directors, PSCs or the registered office.
• Trying to file before all directors have completed required identity verification.
• Not having the required director personal codes available.
• Forgetting the lawful future activities statement.
• Using the confirmation statement to change an existing registered email address instead of the separate service.
• Confusing the review period with the separate payment period.
• Paying the annual fee again unnecessarily for an additional statement within the same payment period.
• Assuming an online acknowledgement means the filing has already been accepted.

What should you check before you submit?

Check the company's filing deadline, review the information shown on the Companies House register and make any required separate changes first. Confirm that every current director has completed identity verification and that you have the required personal codes.

Make sure the company has dealt with its registered email address requirement, include any permitted SIC, capital or shareholder updates, confirm that the company's intended future activities are lawful and pay the applicable £50 online or £110 paper annual fee if it is due for the current payment period.