What Is a Confirmation Statement and How Do You File One?

That email from Companies House is easy to ignore. It looks routine, and you've got clients to deal with — so it sits there. But a confirmation statement is one of the few filings that can genuinely put your company at risk if you let it slide: miss it and Companies House can fine you up to £5,000 and start striking your company off the register. The good news? When your details are up to date, filing takes about fifteen minutes. Here's what it is, what's in it, and how to get it done this week.

What a confirmation statement actually is

Your confirmation statement (form CS01) is your company's annual check-in with Companies House. Once every twelve months, you confirm that the information Companies House holds about your company is correct and up to date — you're confirming the public record, not reporting your finances.

It's easy to mix this one up with your other filings, so let's be clear about what it is not:

• It's not your annual accounts — those go to Companies House separately, nine months after your year end.
• It's not your corporation tax return or VAT return — those go to HMRC.

Every limited company has to file one, including dormant companies. You also have to state that your company's intended future activities are lawful.

What's in a confirmation statement?

Companies House pre-fills most of the form, so in practice you're checking rather than writing. Go through each section and make sure it still matches reality:

• Registered office address — is it still where your company's mail actually goes?
• Directors and secretary — are the appointments and service addresses right?
• People with significant control (PSCs) — typically anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights.
• SIC codes — the codes describing what your business does.
• Statement of capital and shareholder information — share classes, numbers of shares, and who holds them.
• Registered email address — if you haven't given Companies House one yet, you must provide it here. It won't be published on the public register.

Changes you must file first — and changes you can make in the statement

This trips people up. If a director has joined or left, a PSC has changed, or your registered office or email address has moved, you must file those changes before you send the statement — they're separate filings, and the statement itself can't update them. But SIC codes, statement of capital, trading status of shares, PSC exemptions and shareholder details can be updated inside the statement itself. So before you start, check your company's record and file any outstanding director or address changes first.

When it's due and what it costs

You must file at least one confirmation statement every twelve months. Your review period runs for twelve months from incorporation (for your first statement) or from the date of your last statement, and you then have 14 days after it ends to file. Don't rely on the reminder email alone — put the date in your own calendar.

It costs £50 to file online or £110 on the paper CS01 form, so file online unless you have a specific reason not to. The fee is charged once per twelve-month payment period, so a second statement in the same period costs nothing extra.

Filing early is allowed: file early and your next twelve-month period simply starts the day after your new statement date.

The identity check that can now block your filing

This is the part that's changed recently. Before you file, every director of the company must have verified their identity with Companies House. Companies House will not accept your confirmation statement until all directors are verified.

Verifying is free through GOV.UK One Login — you prove who you are with a biometric passport or UK driving licence, usually via the app on your phone, and you receive an eleven-character Companies House personal code, which you provide for each director in the statement. PSCs must verify too, within their own fourteen-day window. The transition period for existing directors and PSCs ends on 18 November 2026, so if you haven't verified yet, don't leave it until the week your statement is due — one unverified director can hold up the whole filing.

The official guidance is on GOV.UK's identity verification page and confirmation statement guidance.

How to file your confirmation statement in five steps

1. Check your record first. Look up your company on the Companies House register and note anything out of date.
2. File any director, PSC, office or email changes as separate filings before you start.
3. Make sure every director has verified their identity and has their Companies House personal code ready.
4. Sign in to WebFiling with your company number and authentication code, select the confirmation statement, and work through each pre-filled section.
5. Confirm, pay the £50 fee by card, and save the acknowledgement — it's your proof the filing landed.

What happens if you miss it

There's no gentle version of this one. Companies House can fine you up to £5,000, and if filings stay outstanding it can begin striking your company off the register. Directors can also face prosecution for failing to file. If your statement is already overdue, file it as soon as you can — filing late stops strike-off proceedings in their tracks.

Do this week

Your short list: check your confirmation statement date on the Companies House register today; if any director hasn't verified their identity yet, get that started now, not next month; and if a statement is due within the next few weeks, file it early and bank the acknowledgement. Fifteen minutes now beats a strike-off notice later.

If you'd rather hand the whole compliance calendar over — confirmation statements, accounts, corporation tax and VAT — take a look at our services or get in touch with us. We keep the deadlines so you don't have to. You can also browse our blog for more plain-English guides.