Confirmation Statements: Everything You Need to Know

Most company directors can tell you when their annual accounts are due. Fewer can tell you when their confirmation statement is due. And yet, failing to file one can result in your company being struck off the Companies House register.

The confirmation statement (form CS01) is one of those filings that tends to slip through the cracks – not because it’s difficult, but because it’s easy to forget. There’s no dramatic tax bill attached to it. No accountant chasing you for figures. It’s a quiet obligation, and that quietness is exactly what makes it dangerous.

This guide covers what the confirmation statement is, what’s changed recently, and why it deserves more attention than most directors give it.

What Is a Confirmation Statement?

A confirmation statement is an annual filing that confirms to Companies House that the information they hold about your company is correct. 

You’re not submitting financial data. You’re not calculating tax. You’re simply confirming that the details on the public register – your directors, shareholders, registered office address, SIC codes, and people with significant control (PSCs) – are accurate and up to date.

Every limited company must file at least one confirmation statement every 12 months, regardless of whether anything has changed. Dormant companies must file one. Non-trading companies must file one. Even if you haven’t done a single day of business, the obligation remains.

The filing replaced the old annual return (form AR01) back in June 2016, and while the name changed, the underlying principle didn’t: Companies House needs to know that your company record reflects reality.

How the Deadlines Work

The timing of your confirmation statement is tied to something called your “review period.” This is a 12-month window that starts on either your date of incorporation (for new companies) or the day after your last confirmation statement was made up to.

Once that 12-month review period ends, you have exactly 14 days to file. Miss that window, and your statement is officially overdue.

Here’s an example. Say your company was incorporated on 1 June 2025. Your first review period runs from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026, and your filing deadline would be 14 June 2026. Straightforward enough – but it’s worth noting that you can file early at any point during the review period. When you do, a new 12-month period starts the day after, which can be useful if you’ve recently made changes and want the register updated sooner.

The fee for filing online is now £50 (increased from £34 as of 1 February 2026), or £110 if you file on paper. You only pay once per 12-month payment period, even if you file more than one confirmation statement in that time.

What Happens If You Don’t File

There’s no escalating fine structure that kicks in after 1, 3, or 6 months. Because of this, some directors assume it doesn’t matter much. 

What truly happens is less predictable but potentially worse. Under powers granted by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House can now issue financial penalties for late confirmation statements. 

The process typically starts with a warning notice giving you 28 days to file. If that’s ignored, a penalty can follow – ranging from £250 to £2,000 depending on the circumstances. 

Beyond penalties, Companies House can also begin proceedings to strike your company off the register. If they believe your company is no longer carrying on business – and an overdue confirmation statement is one of the triggers for that belief – they’ll send two letters. If they don’t hear back, the strike-off process begins.

Strike-Off and Its Consequences

Once a company is struck off, it ceases to exist. Its assets, including any money in its bank accounts, can become Crown property. 

For a company that’s actually trading, the damage extends well beyond losing a registration – you lose the ability to operate as a limited company, your bank accounts may be frozen, and any contracts entered into in the company’s name become problematic.

There are also personal consequences for directors to be aware of:

• Criminal offence: Failing to file is technically a criminal offence. Prosecutions are uncommon, but they do happen.
• Enhanced enforcement: Companies House has been given stronger powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, including the ability to issue financial penalties directly.
• Public visibility: Late filings appear on the public register, so lenders, suppliers, and anyone running a credit check on your company can see them.

The absence of an automatic fine creates a false sense of security. In reality, the consequences of ignoring a confirmation statement are far worse than a penalty notice.

The Big Change: Identity Verification

Since 18 November 2025, Companies House has introduced mandatory identity verification for all company directors and PSCs. This is part of the government’s push to crack down on fraud and improve the accuracy of the public register, and it directly affects how you file your confirmation statement.

Every director must verify their identity through either GOV.UK One Login (using a passport or driving licence) or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as your accountant. 

Once verified, you’ll receive an 11-character personal code from Companies House. This code must be included on your company’s next confirmation statement – and Companies House will not accept the filing without it.

If your company has multiple directors, each director must verify their identity and provide their personal code before the confirmation statement can proceed. One unverified director blocks the entire filing.

Verification Deadlines That Catch People Out

For directors who were already in post before 18 November 2025, there’s a 12-month transition period running until November 2026. In practice, existing directors must verify before the company files its next confirmation statement after 5 March 2026. 

So if your confirmation statement falls due in April 2026, all your directors need to be verified by then. If it was due in February 2026, the requirement wouldn’t have applied yet – but by the time your next one comes around, it will.

PSCs have their own verification windows too:

• PSC who is also a director – Their 14-day verification window starts from the company’s confirmation statement date.
• PSC who is not a director – Their window starts on the first day of their birth month as shown on Companies House records.
• New PSCs registered after 18 November 2025 – They’ll receive a letter from Companies House indicating the start of their 14-day period.

The verification process itself is free and takes around 10–20 minutes if you have the right documents ready. But coordinating it across multiple directors – particularly if some are overseas or hard to reach – takes planning. Don’t leave it until the week before your filing is due.

What You Need to Confirm

The confirmation statement covers several categories of company information. Some of these can be updated within the statement itself, while others must be filed separately beforehand and then confirmed as correct.

Changes that must be reported to Companies House before you file your confirmation statement include:

• New director or secretary appointments (or resignations)
• Changes to your registered office address or registered email
• Updates to your PSC register
• Corrections to director details such as name or address changes

The confirmation statement is not the place to report any of these for the first time. If you’ve appointed a new director during your review period, that appointment should already have been filed as a separate form. The statement simply confirms the register is now accurate.

Within the statement itself, you can update a few items directly: your SIC code, your statement of capital (shares issued, their types and values), shareholder information, and whether your company’s shares are traded on a stock exchange. 

You’ll also need to confirm that your company’s intended future activities are lawful, a new requirement introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, and to provide a registered email address if you haven’t already done so.

How to File

Filing a confirmation statement online through Companies House WebFiling is, in fairness, one of the simpler things you’ll do as a director. You log in, review each section, confirm whether anything has changed, and submit. If nothing has changed, the whole process can take under ten minutes.

Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:

• Your Companies House authentication code and WebFiling password
• The personal codes for all directors (and any PSCs whose verification window has opened)
• Confirmation that all company changes during the review period have already been filed separately

If you’ve never set up WebFiling access, you’ll need to register first, which involves receiving an authentication code by post. That alone can take a week or more, so it’s not something to leave until the last minute.

It’s also worth noting that Companies House now sends many compliance reminders to your registered email address rather than by post. If that email address is outdated or goes to an inbox nobody checks, you could miss important warnings until enforcement action is already underway. 

Before you file, take a moment to confirm that the registered email on your company record is actively monitored.

How Double Point Can Help

The confirmation statement might seem like a simple filing on the surface, but the compliance obligations surrounding it are becoming increasingly complex every year. 

Identity verification, registered email addresses, lawful purpose statements, PSC registers – there are more moving parts than there used to be, and missing any one of them can block your filing entirely.

If you’re not sure when your confirmation statement is due – or whether your directors have completed their identity verification – book a free consultation with Double Point today, and we’ll make sure your company stays fully compliant.