Introduction
Running a company in the UK comes with a handful of legal responsibilities, and one of the most important ones is filing your confirmation statement. It’s a legal requirement, even if no changes occurred, and missing the deadline can result in penalties or a strike-off. This guide explains what a confirmation statement is, what it includes, who is responsible for filing it, and crucially, when it’s due.
Key Takeaways
- Directors are legally responsible for filing confirmation statements accurately and on time, regardless of who submits them.
- Filing late can lead to strike-off, fines, and reputational damage – even if no formal penalty is issued.
- You must update key company changes separately before submitting the confirmation statement to avoid errors or delays.
What is a confirmation statement?
A confirmation statement (Form CS01) is an annual snapshot of your company’s key details held at Companies House. Its purpose is to confirm that the information on the public register is accurate as of the end of your review period. If something has changed during the year (such as your registered office, directors, shareholders, or PSCs), you update those changes first, then submit the confirmation statement to verify that the register is now correct.
You must file a statement even if absolutely nothing has changed. The statement also includes newer requirements introduced as part of the UK’s corporate law reform programme, such as providing a registered email address and confirming that the company intends to operate lawfully.
What does a confirmation statement include?
Think of the confirmation statement as a final check of your company record. Most updates should already be filed separately. Form CS01 simply confirms that the details now shown at Companies House are correct. That said, there are a few things you can update within the statement itself. The statement confirms:
- Your company name and registered number
- Your registered office address
- Your registered email address (not publicly visible)
- Where your company records are kept, if not at the registered office
- Directors, secretary, and People with Significant Control (PSCs)
- Share classes, share capital, and shareholder details
- Your SIC code(s), which describe your business activities
- That the company’s future activities will be lawful
Within the CS01, you can update:
- SIC code(s)
- Statement of capital
- Trading status of shares
- Shareholder information
- PSC exemption statements
Any changes (especially those to directors, PSCs, your registered office, or registered email) must be updated separately before submitting the confirmation statement.
Who is responsible for filing?
Company directors are legally responsible for ensuring the statement is submitted on time and is accurate. Even if someone else files on your behalf (such as a company secretary, accountant, or formation agent), the legal duty remains with the directors.
Most companies file online through the Companies House service. And while many outsource it to a company formation agent for simplicity or to avoid mistakes, the responsibility ultimately still sits with the board.
When is a confirmation statement due?
You must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months. The 12-month window is referred to as your review period (or confirmation period). This runs from the date of incorporation, or from the date you filed your last confirmation statement. Once that period ends, you have 14 days to submit the new statement.
Example 1 – A newly formed company
- Incorporated: 1 June 2024
- First review period: 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025
- Statement date: 31 May 2025
- Filing deadline: 14 June 2025
Example 2 – An existing company
- Last confirmation statement date: 15 September 2024
- Next review period: 16 September 2024 to 15 September 2025
- Statement date: 15 September 2025
- Filing deadline: 29 September 2025
The deadline is fixed by law. Missing it can result in penalties, compliance notices, or Companies House beginning strike-off action.
Can I file my confirmation statement early?
Yes. You can file early at any point during your review period. When you do, a new 12-month review period begins the day after the one you filed. Companies often choose to file early when:
- They have just made several changes and want to ‘reset’ with a clean, confirmed record
- They want to align deadlines with other filings
- They want a simpler annual admin schedule
But remember, your payment period is separate from your review period. You pay the Companies House confirmation-statement fee once per 12-month payment period (currently £34 online or £62 on paper), even if you file more than one CS01 in that time.
What are the penalties for filing a confirmation statement late?
The consequences escalate quickly if you don’t file your confirmation statement on time.
- Your company goes into default. Companies House will flag the company as late and may write to the directors.
- Financial penalties may be issued. While there is no standard automatic fine, Companies House has greater powers to enforce compliance.
- Strike-off proceedings may begin. If Companies House believes the company is not operating compliantly, it can start the process to remove it from the register. This can happen surprisingly quickly, especially for small or dormant companies.
- Directors may be prosecuted. Filing late is a criminal offence for directors, and while prosecution is uncommon, it’s still entirely possible.
- Your public record and creditworthiness suffer. Late filings are visible to lenders, suppliers, and anyone performing due diligence.
There is no fixed ‘late filing fee’ for a confirmation statement in the way there is for late accounts, but that should not be seen as a soft option. Prosecution, personal fines and strike-off are much more serious outcomes.
How do I file a confirmation statement?
Most companies file online. The digital form is quicker, cheaper, and immediately acknowledged. The process looks like this:
- Update any changes first. If your directors, PSCs, shareholders, or registered office/email have changed, file those updates individually before starting the CS01.
- Prepare your statement. Review your SIC codes, share capital, shareholder information, and trading status. Have everything ready.
- Submit the CS01 online. Companies House will guide you through the process section by section. The system will also ask you to confirm that your future activities will be lawful.
- Provide verification details where required. As identity-verification requirements roll out, directors and PSCs will need to verify their identity and provide a personal code. As of 18 November 2025, a twelve-month transition phase begins, after which the CS01 cannot be accepted unless all directors have been verified.
- Pay the annual fee. The fee is £34 online (£62 by post). You pay once per payment period, not per filing.
If you don’t want to deal with the process yourself, you can ask a company formation agent to file on your behalf. Many providers offer a managed confirmation statement service, where they track the deadline, prepare the CS01, and submit it once you’ve approved the details.
Should I update company details separately?
Yes. A common misunderstanding is that the confirmation statement is where you make all your changes. In reality, its main function is to confirm that Companies House already has the correct information. That’s why you must update the following separately, before you file:
- Appointment or resignation of a director
- Changes to PSCs
- Changes to your registered office
- Changes to your registered email address
- Any share allotments or restructuring
Failing to update these first means your confirmation statement will be incorrect, which can cause delays or require a corrected filing later.
Can I correct a mistake on a confirmation statement?
Yes. If you realise something was wrong after filing, you submit a corrected version using a process called a ‘second filing’. This replaces the incorrect information and updates the public record.
Corrections don’t require a new fee if they fall within the same payment period, but they should be fixed promptly: errors on the register can cause real-world delays with banks, investors, and compliance checks.
Making your confirmation statement easy, every year
A confirmation statement is one of the simplest but most critical annual filings for British companies. It confirms that the information Companies House holds is accurate, complete, and up to date. Every company must file one at least once every 12 months, within the 14-day deadline, regardless of whether anything has changed.
Get those basics right, and your company will stay on the right side of Companies House – with a clean, accurate public record that supports your reputation with banks, suppliers and future investors. And if you want hands-off compliance, then why not join the one million businesses that 1st Formations has incorporated, and let us take care of the dates, paperwork, and filing for you?
Nicholas Campion
Nicholas is Director, Company Secretarial at 1st Formations, responsible for completing the company’s statutory filings and ensuring all the company secretarial department is fully trained on company law and company secretarial procedures. Nick is also Company Secretary for the BSQ Group and all subsidiary brands, an accredited industry leader and a Companies Act 2006 specialist.
