A confirmation statement (form CS01) is the yearly check-in every UK limited company files with Companies House to confirm its details are correct. You must file at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of your review period. It costs £50 online. Skip it and you risk a £5,000 fine or your company being struck off.
Most founders have never heard of it until the reminder email arrives from Companies House — and then they panic-search “what is a confirmation statement” at midnight. This guide answers everything in plain English: what the statement does, what you need to check, exactly when yours is due, the £50 fee, how to file in about ten minutes, and what really happens if you ignore it.
What is a confirmation statement, exactly?
Your confirmation statement is the document that tells Companies House: “yes, the information you hold about my company is correct” — and corrects it if anything has changed. It covers the basics of your company’s public record: its registered office address, its directors and secretary, its shareholders and share capital, its SIC code (the code describing what the business does), and its people with significant control (PSCs).
It replaced the old annual return back in 2016. If you stumble on an old guide that still says “annual return”, it means the same yearly check-in — only the name changed.
Three things the confirmation statement is not, because this is where founders get confused:
- It is not a tax return. It goes to Companies House, not HMRC, and it contains no financial figures. Corporation Tax, VAT and Self Assessment are completely separate jobs.
- It is not your annual accounts. Accounts report your company’s finances; the confirmation statement only confirms who runs the company and where it is based.
- You cannot skip it because nothing changed. Even a dormant company with identical details must file every year. Silence is not confirmation — Companies House will not assume your records are still right.
The CS01 checklist: what you must review
Before you file, walk through everything the statement covers. Here is the actual checklist:
| What you check | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Registered office address | The public address Companies House shows for your company |
| Directors and secretary | Names, service addresses and appointment details |
| Shareholders and statement of capital | Who owns the shares, how many there are, and their value |
| SIC code | The standard code describing what your business does |
| People with significant control (PSCs) | Anyone owning over 25% or exercising significant influence |
| SAIL address (if you have one) | The alternative address where your company records are kept |
| Registered email address | Mandatory since March 2024 — kept private, never published |
| Lawful purpose statement | Mandatory since March 2024 — confirming the company’s intended activities are lawful |
Some changes — like SIC codes or share information — can be corrected inside the statement itself. But bigger changes must be filed separately before you submit, which we cover below.
When is your confirmation statement due?
Every company has a 12-month review period. For your first statement it starts on the day you incorporated; after that, each new period starts the day after your last confirmation statement date. You must file within 14 days of the end of that period — no exceptions, no extensions.
| If your review period ends… | You must file by… |
|---|---|
| 15 March 2027 | 29 March 2027 |
| 30 June 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| 1 October 2027 | 15 October 2027 |
You can also file early if you want — for example, to report changes partway through the year. Filing early simply starts a fresh 12-month review period from your new confirmation statement date, so note the new date carefully. To find your exact deadline, look up your company on the Companies House register or sign up for their free email reminders.
How much does it cost? The £50 fee explained
Since 1 February 2026, Companies House charges:
| How you file | Fee |
|---|---|
| Online through the Companies House service | £50 |
| Paper form CS01 by post | £110 |
| Any extra statements in the same 12-month payment period | £0 |
That last row is the detail most guides bury: the £50 is an annual fee, paid with your first statement in each 12-month payment period. If you file a second statement mid-year to report changes, the extra filing costs nothing — the year still costs £50 in total.
A quick worked example. A company files its yearly statement online: £50. The same company filing by post pays £110 — £60 more, for a slower process without the automatic validation checks that catch errors before submission. And if either company then files an extra statement in October to update its share information: still £50 total for the year. Online is cheaper, faster and safer — there is rarely a good reason to choose paper.
How to file: a 10-minute walkthrough
Most small companies file online through the Companies House WebFiling service. The steps are:
- Update anything the statement cannot change. Director appointments or resignations, PSC changes and registered office moves must be filed on their own forms first.
- Log in to the Companies House service with your company authentication code.
- Review every item in the checklist above against your actual records — directors, shareholders, addresses, SIC code, PSCs.
- Confirm the registered email address and make the lawful purpose declaration.
- Pay the £50 fee by debit or credit card and submit. You get an email confirmation, usually within minutes.
The whole job takes most founders about ten minutes once their records are in order. For the current fee and the official step-by-step, see GOV.UK’s official guide to filing your company’s confirmation statement.
Changes you must file separately first
The confirmation statement can only confirm information — it cannot make certain changes. These must be filed on their own forms before (or alongside) your statement:
- Appointing or removing a director, or changing a director’s details
- Changes to people with significant control (PSCs)
- Changing your registered office address
- Changing your registered email address
Filing the statement without updating these first leaves incorrect details on the public register — and puts you in breach of the rules the statement was meant to confirm.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
Unlike late annual accounts, there is no fixed automatic fine for a late confirmation statement. The consequences are worse in a different way: failing to file within 14 days of the end of your review period is a criminal offence committed by both the company and every officer in default. GOV.UK states you can be fined up to £5,000, and Companies House can begin proceedings to strike your company off the register — meaning the company ceases to exist.
In practice, persistent non-filing is treated as a sign the company may no longer be active, which is what triggers strike-off action. Since late 2025, directors of companies that have not filed can also face restrictions on making other filings. For a ten-minute, £50 job, the downside of ignoring it is entirely disproportionate.
Two recent rule changes to know
Two changes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act catch out founders following old guides. First, since 5 March 2024 every confirmation statement must include a registered email address (private, not published) and a lawful purpose statement — neither is optional. Second, since November 2025 every director must verify their identity with Companies House and receive a personal code: your CS01 cannot be filed until all directors have done this, so an unverified director will block the whole filing.
If you have not set up a company yet, walk through our step-by-step guide to register a limited company in the UK first — it covers identity verification and every other day-one requirement, so the confirmation statement is just routine from year two onwards.
FAQ
Is a confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?
No. Annual accounts report your company’s finances and go to both Companies House and HMRC; the confirmation statement only confirms company details (directors, shareholders, address) and goes to Companies House alone. You must file both, on different deadlines.
Do I need to file a confirmation statement if nothing changed?
Yes. Every active company must file at least once every 12 months, even dormant companies with identical details. Silence is not confirmation — you still have to submit the statement.
Can I file my confirmation statement early?
Yes. Filing early starts a fresh 12-month review period from your new confirmation statement date, and any extra statements within the same payment period are free — the £50 annual fee is only charged once per year.
What happens if I file my confirmation statement late?
Missing the 14-day deadline is a criminal offence by the company and its officers: you can be fined up to £5,000 and Companies House can strike the company off the register. File early in the window rather than risking the last day.
Conclusion
The confirmation statement is the simplest filing in company life: one yearly check-in, £50 online, about ten minutes of work — and the whole point is proving your public record is accurate. Set a calendar reminder for your statement date, keep your directors’ identity verification current, file inside the 14-day window, and this is one compliance job that will never trouble you. Ignore it, and a £50 admin task can turn into a £5,000 problem.
