Confirmation Statement Due-Date Checker

Why the confirmation statement matters more than people think

The CS01 is a small filing — £34 online, five minutes if nothing's changed. But missing it is the single most common way UK limited companies accidentally end up struck off. Every year Companies House dissolves tens of thousands of solvent companies purely because someone forgot to file, ignored the reminder emails, or moved their registered office without redirecting mail.

Restoring a struck-off company — if you catch it in time — costs £468 in court fees plus a solicitor. Miss the window (usually six years) and everything the company owned becomes bona vacantia: bank balances, property, IP, trademarks all pass to the Crown. The Treasury Solicitor's office collects £millions a year this way, almost entirely from people who thought they'd wound the company down but hadn't.

How the CS01 cycle actually works

1. Incorporation. Companies House sends a paper Authentication Code to the registered office. Save this — you'll need it to file.
2. 12 months later, your first "review period" ends. That's your first "made-up-to" date.
3. 14 days after the review period ends, the CS01 must be filed. Miss this and it's overdue.
4. File the CS01 via WebFiling: review the pre-populated data (directors, PSCs, share capital, SIC codes), correct any changes, submit, pay £34.
5. The cycle resets — next CS01 due 12 months later.

Common CS01 mistakes

• Assuming accountants file it for you. Some do, many don't. Ask.
• Ignoring Companies House emails. They send reminders to the email on file. If that email bounces, they still start strike-off.
• Using a formation-agent registered office and forgetting to renew. When the RO service lapses, mail stops arriving — including the CS01 reminders.
• Confusing CS01 with annual accounts. Different cycle, different form, different deadline. Both must be filed.
• Assuming dormant companies don't need CS01s. They do.

How to fix an overdue CS01

1. Log into Companies House WebFiling.
2. File the CS01 immediately — you can still file after the due date.
3. If a strike-off notice has already been issued (published in the Gazette), file an objection to the strike-off and the overdue CS01 at the same time.
4. If the company has already been dissolved, apply for administrative restoration (£468 + costs) via Companies House form RT01 — only available within 6 years.

Adjacent tools

• Accounts explorer — check the other annual deadline (AA filing).
• Credit score checker — see how a missed CS01 tanks a company's risk score.
• Free company checker for the full profile.