Confirmation statement explained: what changes trigger an update and what happens if you miss it
If you run a UK limited company (or an LLP), the confirmation statement is one of those Companies House jobs that feels minor… right up until it’s overdue.
At its simplest, it’s the annual “yes, these details are correct” filing that keeps your company’s public record accurate. If anything is wrong, you update it first, then you file the confirmation statement to confirm what’s on the register.
Done on time, it’s straightforward. Miss it, and you can end up with a public “overdue” flag, enforcement action, and (in the worst cases) a strike-off process starting.
If you’d rather keep this off your to-do list entirely, it’s exactly the sort of ongoing compliance task covered under Company Secretarial Services.
What is a confirmation statement (and what isn’t it)?
A confirmation statement (CS01) is a Companies House filing where you confirm that your company information is correct and up to date.
It is not your year-end accounts and it is not your Corporation Tax return. Think of it as the “company details snapshot” that sits alongside your other statutory compliance jobs like Annual Statutory Accounts and Company Tax Returns.
If you want the quick, plain-English version first, FHP has a simple guide to the confirmation statement.
When is it due?
Companies House works on a 12-month review period.
- Your review period starts on the date you incorporated or the date you filed your last confirmation statement.
- When that review period ends, you have 14 days to file your next confirmation statement.
Two common traps:
- It’s not linked to your financial year-end. Your accounts might be due at a completely different time.
- You still have to file even if nothing has changed. If everything is the same, you file to confirm the register is correct.
You can also file early during the review period. If you do, it starts a new 12-month review period from the day after the statement date—useful if you want to reset your filing cycle to a quieter time of year.
How much does it cost?
The Companies House fee is:
- £50 to file online
- £110 to file a paper CS01 by post
One detail many people miss: the fee works on a separate 12-month payment period. In most cases, you only pay the fee on the first confirmation statement you file in that payment period. If you file another one later in the same payment period (for example, because you’ve had changes and you want to confirm again), you typically won’t pay again.
What changes “trigger an update”?
Here’s the key principle that keeps you out of trouble:
Event-driven changes should be updated when they happen. The confirmation statement is your annual check that everything on the register is accurate.
Some updates can be made as part of the confirmation statement process (via the “additional information” section), but many changes should be filed separately as soon as they happen.
Below are the big ones to watch.
Changes you should update as they happen
1) Registered office address
If your registered office changes, update it straight away. This is where official notices go. If it’s wrong, you can miss important mail and reminders.
If you don’t have a stable registered address (or you’ve moved recently), this is one of the easiest compliance gaps to avoid.
2) Directors, secretaries, and officer details
Appointments, resignations, name changes, and service address changes should be updated promptly.
This matters more than people think. Banks, lenders, and counterparties often check Companies House before approving finance, onboarding suppliers, or signing contracts. If your statutory record is messy, it can slow things down at exactly the wrong time.
If you’re building reporting packs for finance conversations, it’s worth treating this as part of your “trust the numbers” toolkit alongside Xero reporting packs for lenders and investors.
3) People with Significant Control (PSC)
PSC records need to be accurate. If someone gains or loses significant control (commonly around the 25% ownership or voting threshold), you must update your PSC register and file changes with Companies House.
PSC issues are one of the first things flagged in due diligence, so it’s worth keeping it clean even if you’re not planning a sale anytime soon.
4) Share structure and ownership changes
Any of these should trigger a careful review of your Companies House record:
- issuing new shares
- transferring shares
- changing share classes
- altering voting rights
- bringing in an investor
- reorganising ownership between founders/family members
Your confirmation statement includes shareholder information and statement of capital details. If those are wrong, you’re essentially confirming incorrect information on the public record—something you want to avoid.
If you’re doing shared work as part of a restructure, it’s also sensible to align it with your wider compliance routine so you’re not scrambling at year-end (FHP’s broader compliance support sits under Fundamentals).
5) Internal admin changes that affect compliance
Even if a change doesn’t feel “financial”, it can still cause compliance problems later.
For example, if your business processes are disorganised and you can’t clearly evidence what changed, when, and why, you end up guessing under pressure. This is where decent systems help. Clean day-to-day records via Bookkeeping make it much easier to keep statutory filings accurate.
Changes you can confirm/update when you file the confirmation statement
When you file your confirmation statement, you can typically confirm or update certain items in the filing itself, including:
- SIC codes (your business activity codes)
- statement of capital
- shareholder information
- trading status of shares
- certain PSC-related exemptions (where applicable)
SIC codes are often overlooked. If you’ve pivoted or expanded into new activities, make sure your SIC code reflects what you actually do—because it’s part of your public footprint, and it’s used in risk checks by banks and providers.
What is the “registered email address” and does it show publicly?
Companies House requires a registered email address. It’s used so Companies House can contact you about your company.
The important reassurance: the registered email address is not published on the public register.
That said, it still needs to be an inbox you actually monitor. If reminders go to an old email, you’re much more likely to miss the deadline.
What happens if you miss the confirmation statement deadline?
Missing the deadline can escalate quickly. Here’s what typically happens.
1) Your company shows as “overdue”
This is visible on the Companies House record. It can create friction with banks, finance providers, suppliers, and anyone running checks—especially if you’re already in the middle of a funding conversation or contract renewal.
2) Enforcement action can follow
Companies House can take action against the company and its officers if you don’t file. That can include prosecution, and it can also lead to the company being struck off the register.
3) Strike-off is where things get serious
If strike-off action begins, it can disrupt far more than admin. In practice it can affect banking, contracts, client confidence, and your ability to operate normally.
If you’re juggling multiple compliance demands (for example, if you manage property structures like SPVs or RMCs), it helps to treat confirmation statements as part of a broader compliance checklist—similar to what’s covered in Managing agent handovers where statutory admin is often one of the first risk points during a transition.
A simple “2-minute” checklist before you file
Before you submit, quickly check:
- Is your registered office correct?
- Is your registered email correct and monitored?
- Are all directors/officers correct?
- Are PSC details accurate?
- Are shareholders and share capital accurate?
- Do your SIC codes reflect what you actually do?
If any answer is “no”, update the record first, then file your confirmation statement.
If you want the process to be genuinely low-effort, your day-to-day records need to be tidy too. Using tools properly (and consistently) makes this easier—see Xero Bookkeeping and practical workflow improvements like Automations in Xero.
Want to stop worrying about deadlines?
If you’d like someone to keep your Companies House record clean, handle updates properly, and file your confirmation statement on time (without last-minute stress), FHP can take this on as part of your ongoing support.
Have a look at Company Secretarial Services or get in touch via Contact Us, and you’ll know it’s sorted.
I lead FHP Accounting, an accountancy practice specialising in Commercial and Residential Property Accounting. Our goal is to make the administration of running property portfolios easier for landlords, managers, and investors — allowing you to focus on what you do best, while we take care of everything behind the scenes.
