Confirmation Statement: The Complete Guide for UK Companies
A practical guide to UK confirmation statements, including who needs to file, what information is required, Companies House filing deadlines, Director Personal Codes and how to keep your company record up to date.
Check your confirmation statement filing deadline
Search by company name or company number to see when your confirmation statement is due.
1. What is a Confirmation Statement?
A confirmation statement is a filing used to confirm that key information held about your company at Companies House is accurate and up to date.
It replaced the Annual Return and is focused on your company's statutory information rather than its financial performance. Your annual accounts are filed separately.
Keeping your company's Companies House record accurate helps maintain good corporate records and reduces the risk of important filing requirements being missed.
2. Who Needs to File a Confirmation Statement?
UK companies registered at Companies House generally need to submit a confirmation statement when required, including companies that have not traded during the period.
Dormant companies still need to consider their confirmation statement obligations. Dormancy does not normally remove the requirement to keep Companies House information up to date.
3. Information Included in a Confirmation Statement
Before filing, review the information held at Companies House and make sure the relevant company details remain accurate.
4. Director Personal Codes and Identity Verification
Companies House identity verification requirements mean that directors and certain other individuals may need to verify their identity and use the personal code issued to them when required for company filings.
Directors should complete the relevant verification requirements in sufficient time and keep their personal code secure. The code belongs to the individual, rather than to the company.
Make sure all relevant directors have completed any required Companies House identity verification and can provide the information needed to complete the filing.
5. Confirmation Statement Filing Deadline
Your confirmation statement has its own Companies House filing timetable. Missing the applicable filing date can result in compliance action and may create further problems for the company.
Use the deadline checker above to find your company's current confirmation statement information before you begin preparing the filing.
6. How to File a Confirmation Statement
Check your company details
Review the information currently held at Companies House and identify anything that needs updating.
Complete identity verification where required
Ensure directors and other relevant individuals have completed any required Companies House identity verification and have the information needed for filing.
Confirm or update company information
Make any required changes to company information before confirming that the record is accurate.
Review the confirmation statement
Check the final information carefully before approving the filing.
Submit to Companies House
File the confirmation statement by the applicable deadline and retain confirmation of submission.
7. What Happens if a Confirmation Statement is Filed Late?
Companies House compliance requirements should be taken seriously. If a confirmation statement becomes overdue, deal with the filing promptly rather than waiting for further action.
Continued failure to meet Companies House obligations may lead to enforcement action and could ultimately affect the company's status on the register.
8. Changes You Must Report
A confirmation statement is not a substitute for every other Companies House filing. Certain changes may need to be reported when they happen rather than waiting for the next confirmation statement.
Examples can include changes involving directors, registered office details, people with significant control, share capital and other company information.
9. Common Confirmation Statement Mistakes
Assuming nothing needs filing because nothing changed
A confirmation statement still needs to be filed even where the company's information has remained unchanged.
Waiting until the filing deadline to review company details
Changes may need to be dealt with separately before the confirmation statement can be completed accurately.
Using outdated shareholder or PSC information
Check ownership and control information carefully before confirming the company's record.
Leaving identity verification until the last minute
Where identity verification or personal-code requirements apply, deal with them before the filing becomes urgent.
10. Confirmation Statement FAQs
What is a confirmation statement?
A confirmation statement is a Companies House filing used to confirm that key information held about a company is accurate and up to date.
Does a dormant company still need to file one?
Dormant companies generally still have confirmation statement obligations unless a specific exception applies.
Can someone file a confirmation statement for me?
Yes. A company may authorise an accountant, company secretarial provider or other appropriate agent to assist with the filing.
What happens if information has changed?
Some changes must be reported separately to Companies House. Review the relevant change before submitting the confirmation statement.
How do I get the personal code needed for Companies House?
Personal codes are linked to Companies House identity verification. The relevant individual should complete the required verification process and retain the personal code provided to them.
11. Let an Experlu Expert Handle the Filing
If you would rather not prepare the confirmation statement yourself, an Experlu Expert can help review the required information, prepare the filing and submit it to Companies House as part of a clearly scoped fixed-fee service.