Confirmation Statements Explained: How to File, Fees and Deadlines

Every limited company must file a confirmation statement with Companies House, even if nothing has changed or the company has never traded.

It confirms that the information on the register is correct, including who runs the company, who owns it and where it is registered.

You normally need to file at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of your review period. The Companies House fee is £50 online or £110 by post, charged with the first statement in each 12-month payment period.

Here’s how to check your deadline, prepare your information and file your confirmation statement.

What is a confirmation statement?

A confirmation statement confirms that Companies House holds accurate information about your company as at a particular date. This is your confirmation statement date.

Before filing, review the company’s details and report any changes through the appropriate filings. You must also confirm that the company’s intended future activities are lawful.

The confirmation statement replaced the annual return in 2016. You may still hear it called an annual return, or see it referred to as form CS01, the paper version.

When is your confirmation statement due?

There are two dates to understand:

• Confirmation statement date: the date up to which you are confirming the company’s information.

• Filing deadline: the last date for delivering that statement to Companies House, normally 14 days later.

For example, if the register shows a confirmation statement date of 10 October 2026, the filing deadline would normally be 24 October 2026. You are confirming the information as at 10 October, even if you submit it a few days afterwards.

Find your company on the Companies House register to check the exact dates. Don’t assume they match your annual accounts or Corporation Tax deadlines.

Can you file early?

Yes. You can choose an earlier confirmation statement date. Your next review period starts the following day, changing when your next statement is due.

Filing early does not reset your separate payment period.

Is a confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?

No. They are separate filings.

Submitting one does not complete the others.

For the financial filings, read our guides to annual accounts and Corporation Tax.

What do you need before filing?

Get these ready before you start:

• Your company name and registration number.

• Your confirmation statement date and filing deadline.

• Access to the filing service you intend to use.

• Your company authentication code, where required.

• Each director’s Companies House personal code where required for the filing.

• An accurate record of shareholders, shareholdings and company information.

• A payment method for any fee due.

If someone else is filing for you, agree who will check the information, provide the required codes and confirm that the submission has been accepted.

Your company authentication code and personal code are different. The authentication code relates to your company. A personal code belongs to an individual who has verified their identity.

Read our guide to filing your first confirmation statement.

Read our guide to getting or recovering your Companies House authentication code.

What company information should you check?

Review the register against your own company records, including:

• Registered office address.

• Directors and any company secretary.

• People with significant control, or PSCs.

• Shareholder information and the statement of capital.

• SIC codes describing the company’s activities.

• Where company records are kept, where relevant.

• Registered email address.

Your registered email address is used by Companies House to contact the company and is not published on the public register.

For a founder-owned company, you may be both a director and a PSC. These are different roles, so check that the information for each is correct. Our guide explains what a person with significant control is.

Which changes need a separate filing?

Some changes must be reported separately before you confirm that the register is correct.

The statement can also update share trading status and any exemption from providing PSC information.

For example, if you have moved your registered office, submitting a confirmation statement alone does not register the new address. Complete the address change first.

Read more about registered-office requirements and choosing or updating SIC codes.

How does identity verification affect filing?

Prepare identity verification before the filing deadline, particularly if your company has several directors.

Companies House requires directors to verify their identity and provide their personal codes when required through the confirmation statement process. A missing code or incomplete verification can prevent the filing from being accepted.

You can find your personal code through your Companies House account. If you are collecting codes from other directors, use a secure method and share them only with someone authorised to file.

PSCs have their own verification requirements and deadlines. Don’t assume that completing the confirmation statement deals with every PSC requirement.

Our Companies House identity-verification guide explains the process.

How much does a confirmation statement cost?

As of October 2026, the Companies House fees are:

You pay with the first confirmation statement filed in each 12-month payment period. Additional statements within that same payment period do not attract another Companies House confirmation statement fee.

The payment period controls when another annual fee becomes payable. The review period controls the information you are confirming and when you next need to file.

If you use an accountant, agent or filing provider, check whether a separate service charge applies.

How to file your confirmation statement

1. Check your dates and company details

Find your company on the register. Confirm the statement date, filing deadline and information held about the company.

Compare the register with your own records rather than assuming that an earlier filing included every change.

2. Submit any separate changes

Report changes that cannot be made through the confirmation statement, such as a new registered office or a director’s departure.

Check that those updates have been accepted before confirming the register is correct.

3. Prepare identity-verification details

Make sure each director has completed the required verification and that the person filing has the personal codes needed.

Allow time to resolve missing codes or verification problems.

4. Choose your filing route

You can file directly with Companies House or use a provider such as FOUNDRS.

To file directly, start with the official Companies House service and follow the sign-in and authentication instructions.

5. Review and submit

Check the information carefully, make any updates supported through the statement and complete the required declarations.

Pay the fee if one is due, then submit.

6. Check acceptance

Keep the submission receipt and check that Companies House has accepted the filing.

A rejected submission still needs to be corrected and filed successfully. Save the acceptance confirmation with your company records and note the next deadline.

Common problems and how to avoid them

You cannot find your authentication code

Start the recovery process before the deadline. Check our authentication-code guide for the available routes.

A director has not verified their identity

Ask them to complete verification and provide the required personal code promptly. Don’t leave this until the day you intend to file.

The register contains old information

Identify which changes need separate filings and submit them first. Don’t confirm that information is correct when you know it is outdated.

You have submitted but cannot see acceptance

Check your receipt, messages from the filing service and the company’s filing history. Follow up on any rejection or outstanding action.

What happens if your confirmation statement is overdue?

File as soon as possible and resolve anything preventing submission.

Confirmation statements do not use the same automatic late-filing penalty bands as annual accounts. However, Companies House can issue financial penalties, failure to file can lead to prosecution, and the company may be struck off the register. GOV.UK states that you can be fined up to £5,000.

If you have received a warning or strike-off notice, follow the instructions promptly. Don’t wait until the next annual filing date.

Do dormant companies need a confirmation statement?

Yes. A dormant company must still file, even if it has never traded and none of its details have changed.

The same Companies House confirmation statement fees apply. Dormancy can affect accounts and tax responsibilities, but it does not remove this filing requirement.

File and manage your company with FOUNDRS

FOUNDRS brings company information, documents and compliance reminders together in one dashboard. You can file your confirmation statement and supported registered-office changes through the platform.

Already formed your company elsewhere? You can link an existing limited company using its Companies House authentication code. As part of setup, we check your identity and authority to instruct filings on the company’s behalf.

You can then review company information, see relevant deadlines and manage supported filings from one place.

Manage your company with FOUNDRS.

Sources

• Filing your company’s confirmation statement — Companies House

• File your confirmation statement with Companies House