What Is Companies House Filing?
Companies House is the UK's official register of companies. Directors are legally required to file certain documents each year — failure to do so can result in fines, prosecution, and even company strike-off.
Key Takeaways
- Every UK limited company must file a confirmation statement and annual accounts at Companies House each year.
- The confirmation statement is due within 14 days of the anniversary of incorporation.
- Accounts must be filed within 9 months of the company's accounting reference date (ARD).
- Persistent late filing can lead to automatic company strike-off and director prosecution.
What Companies House is and why filing matters
Companies House is the executive agency of the UK government responsible for registering companies and making company information publicly available. When you incorporate a limited company, you create a legal entity that exists independently of its directors and shareholders — and with that comes an ongoing obligation to maintain the public register with accurate information. Directors have a personal legal duty to ensure the company files its required documents on time. Information filed at Companies House is publicly accessible, which is why investors, banks, landlords, and customers routinely check it before entering into a business relationship. Neglecting your Companies House obligations has legal consequences and commercial ramifications: it signals poor governance to anyone who checks.
The confirmation statement
Every company must file a confirmation statement (formerly known as an annual return) at Companies House at least once every 12 months. The confirmation statement confirms that the company's registered information — including its registered office address, directors, shareholders, share capital, and SIC code — is accurate as of the confirmation date. It does not need to include detailed financial information. The filing fee is £34 online (or £62 by paper). The confirmation statement must be filed within 14 days of the confirmation date (usually the anniversary of incorporation). Missing the deadline does not attract an automatic fine, but persistent failure to file will trigger a strike-off process and can result in prosecution of the directors.
Annual accounts
Every limited company must also file annual accounts at Companies House each year. The accounts must be filed within nine months of the company's accounting reference date (ARD) — for most companies, the ARD is the last day of the month in which the company was incorporated. Small companies (turnover below £10.2 million, balance sheet below £5.1 million, fewer than 50 employees) can file abbreviated accounts (called 'filleted accounts') that exclude the profit and loss account, which limits the financial information that is publicly visible. Micro companies (turnover below £632,000, balance sheet below £316,000, fewer than 10 employees) can file even simpler micro-entity accounts. Late accounts attract automatic fines ranging from £150 for accounts up to one month late to £1,500 for accounts more than six months late.
Other key filings and notifications
Beyond the confirmation statement and accounts, companies must notify Companies House of various events within prescribed timescales: changes to directors or company secretaries (within 14 days), changes to the registered office address (effective immediately on filing), allotment of new shares (within one month), changes to the articles of association (within 15 days), and mortgage or charge registrations (within 21 days). From 2024, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act has introduced new requirements including identity verification for directors and persons with significant control (PSCs). Keeping your Companies House filings up to date is not merely a compliance exercise — it is a legal obligation that falls on every director personally.