Introduction
Every UK limited company must file a confirmation statement with Companies House at least once a year. It is one of the simplest filings a company makes, but it is also one of the easiest to forget, because it is not tied to the financial year end and it often falls at a different time of year to the accounts and the Corporation Tax return.
The confirmation statement has also changed more in the last two years than at any point since it replaced the annual return in 2016. Companies must now give a registered email address and a lawful purpose statement, the fee rose to £50 from 1 February 2026, and since 18 November 2025 every director must verify their identity and provide a personal code when the company next files.
This guide explains what the confirmation statement is, how to work out your deadline, what information you are confirming, how identity verification fits in, what it costs, and what happens if you do not file.
What Is a Confirmation Statement?
A confirmation statement (form CS01) confirms that the information Companies House holds about your company is correct and up to date. It is not a financial filing: it contains no profit, turnover or balance sheet figures. Instead, it is a snapshot of the company's details on the public register at a particular date.
Every company must file one, whether it is trading, dormant, or has never traded. This includes private limited companies, public limited companies, and limited liability partnerships (LLPs), which file a version suited to LLPs.
Key Point
The confirmation statement and annual accounts are two separate filings with two separate deadlines. Filing one does not satisfy the other. A private company usually files accounts 9 months after its year end, while the confirmation statement follows its own 12-month review period.
Confirmation Statement Deadline
The deadline is based on your company's review period. The review period is 12 months long and starts from:
- The date of incorporation, for your first confirmation statement
- Your last confirmation statement date, for every statement after that
You must file within 14 days after the end of the review period (GOV.UK confirmation statement guidance). The end of the review period is your confirmation statement date, and the 14 days that follow are your window to file.
Worked Examples
| Scenario | Confirmation Statement Date | Filing Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Company incorporated 15 September 2025 (first statement) | 14 September 2026 | 28 September 2026 |
| Last statement made up to 30 September 2025 | 30 September 2026 | 14 October 2026 |
| Last statement made up to 31 March 2026 | 31 March 2027 | 14 April 2027 |
The easiest way to confirm your exact dates is to look the company up on the Companies House register, which shows the next statement date and the date it is due. The TaxOnTime Deadline Generator pulls these dates directly from the register for you.
What the Statement Confirms
When you file, you are confirming that the following details on the register are correct as at the confirmation date:
- Registered office address: This must be an appropriate address, meaning post sent there should come to the attention of someone acting for the company
- Registered email address: An email address Companies House can use to contact the company. It is not shown on the public register. If you have not provided one yet, you must give it in your confirmation statement
- Directors and company secretary: Names, service addresses and other details of current officers
- People with significant control (PSCs): Anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or otherwise has significant control
- SIC codes: The Standard Industrial Classification codes that describe what your company does
- Statement of capital: The number, class and value of shares issued
- Shareholder information: Details of shareholders where these have changed, or where the company's shares are not traded on a market
- Lawful purpose statement: A confirmation that the company's intended future activities are lawful
Changes Since 2024
The registered email address, the lawful purpose statement and the stricter rules on appropriate registered office addresses all came in under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. If your company has not filed since these changes, expect a few extra questions when you next file.
Identity Verification for Directors and PSCs
Identity verification is the biggest change to company filings in years, and it is closely linked to the confirmation statement. Since 18 November 2025, it has been a legal requirement for directors and people with significant control to verify their identity with Companies House.
Existing Directors
Directors who were already in office on 18 November 2025 must provide their personal code when the company files its next confirmation statement. In practice, this means your company's next confirmation statement date is the deadline for every director to be verified. If a director does not have a personal code ready, the statement cannot be completed as required.
People with Significant Control
Each PSC has their own 14-day period to provide their personal code. The dates depend on whether they were registered before 18 November 2025 and whether they are also a director of the company. Companies House publishes the exact rules, so check the guidance for each PSC rather than assuming their dates match the company's confirmation statement.
How to Verify
- GOV.UK One Login: Free. You can verify using the GOV.UK ID Check app, by answering security questions, or in person at a Post Office
- Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): An accountant, solicitor or formation agent registered with Companies House can verify you. They may charge a fee
Once verified, you receive a personal code. The code belongs to you rather than the company, so a director of several companies only needs to verify once and can use the same code for each.
Consequences of Not Verifying
Someone who does not verify can face prosecution and a fine, or a financial penalty from Companies House. They cannot be appointed as a new director or register a new company, and a note can be added to the public register. Verify well before your confirmation statement date so the filing is not held up.
Confirmation Statement Fees 2026
Companies House increased its fees from 1 February 2026 to fund its new powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
| Filing Method | Fee Before 1 Feb 2026 | Fee From 1 Feb 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Online | £34 | £50 |
| Paper | £62 | £110 |
The fee is payable once per 12-month payment period. If you file a second confirmation statement in the same period, for example to report a change early, you will not be charged again. The fee is the same for dormant companies.
How to File Your Confirmation Statement
Most companies file online, which is cheaper and faster than paper. You will need:
- Your company number
- Access to the company's Companies House account (or the company authentication code, depending on the service you use)
- The personal code for each director, if they have not already provided it
- A registered email address, if you have not provided one before
- Details of any changes to shareholders, share capital, SIC codes or PSCs
- A debit or credit card to pay the £50 fee
Step by Step
- Sign in to the Companies House service and choose to file a confirmation statement
- Review each section of the company's details and confirm they are correct
- Report any changes that can be made in the statement, such as SIC codes, shareholder information or statement of capital
- Provide directors' personal codes where requested
- Confirm the lawful purpose statement
- Pay the fee and submit
Your accountant or another ACSP can also file on your behalf. If they do, make sure they have your directors' personal codes in good time.
Filing Early and Reporting Changes
You do not have to wait until the end of the review period. You can file a confirmation statement at any point, and when you do, you choose a new confirmation statement date. Your next review period starts the day after that date.
Filing early is useful if you want to line up the confirmation statement with your accounts or other year-end tasks, so that all your Companies House filings happen at the same time of year.
Changes That Need a Separate Form
Some changes cannot wait for the confirmation statement and must be reported to Companies House separately, usually within 14 days:
- Appointing or removing a director or secretary
- Changes to a director's details, such as their service address
- Changing the registered office address
- Adding, removing or updating a PSC
- Allotting new shares (a return of allotment must be filed within one month)
The confirmation statement then confirms that these updates are reflected on the register.
What Happens If You Do Not File
Unlike late accounts (which you can estimate with our late filing penalty calculator), there is no automatic scale of late filing penalties for a confirmation statement. That does not make it optional. The consequences can be more serious:
- Criminal offence: Failing to file is an offence by the company and every officer in default
- Fines: The company and its directors can be fined up to £5,000, and Companies House can issue financial penalties
- Strike-off: Companies House may assume the company is no longer operating and begin the process to strike it off the register. If that happens, the company's assets pass to the Crown
- Credit and reputation: An overdue confirmation statement is visible on the public register, which lenders, suppliers and customers can see
If You Have Missed the Deadline
File as soon as possible. There is no extra fee for filing late, and filing promptly is the best way to stop strike-off action. If you have received a strike-off notice, file the overdue statement immediately and contact Companies House if you need more time.
Confirmation Statement Checklist
Work through this list a few weeks before your confirmation statement date:
- Check your confirmation statement date and filing deadline on the Companies House register
- Make sure every director has verified their identity and has their personal code
- Check each PSC's verification deadline
- Confirm the registered office is an appropriate address
- Have a registered email address ready if you have not given one
- Review your SIC codes against what the company actually does
- Gather any share transfers or new share issues since the last statement
- File any separate change forms (officers, PSCs, registered office) first
- Diary the date so you do not miss next year's statement
Conclusion
The confirmation statement only takes a few minutes to file, but the stakes for missing it are high. Strike-off and prosecution are real risks, and the new identity verification rules mean you now need to plan ahead rather than file on the last day.
For 2026, remember three things: your deadline is 14 days after your confirmation statement date, the online fee is £50, and every existing director needs a personal code by the time the company next files.
Use the TaxOnTime Deadline Generator to see your company's confirmation statement date alongside its accounts, Corporation Tax and VAT deadlines, and export them to your calendar so nothing is missed.
