Compliance

What is Confirmation Statement?

A Confirmation Statement (formerly Annual Return) is a yearly filing to Companies House confirming your company details are up to date.

Current Rate (2025/26)

£34 filing fee (online)

Example

Every year, you check Companies House has correct info about directors, shareholders, registered address, and confirm it online.

Key Dates

Due within 14 days of anniversary of incorporation (or last confirmation statement)

How Confirmation Statement Works in Practice

The Confirmation Statement replaced the Annual Return in June 2016 and is a mandatory yearly filing with Companies House. It confirms that the information Companies House holds about your company is accurate and up to date. It is not a tax filing and has nothing to do with HMRC. It is a company law requirement under the Companies Act 2006.

The statement covers key company information including: the registered office address, the principal business activity (SIC code), directors and secretaries, shareholders and share capital, and persons with significant control (PSCs). When you file, you are confirming that all of this information on the Companies House register is correct as at the date of the statement. If anything has changed and you have not already filed the relevant change notifications, you must update the information as part of filing the confirmation statement.

The filing fee is £34 online or £62 on paper. Most directors file online through the Companies House WebFiling service. The filing itself takes about 10 minutes if your records are already up to date. However, if you have made changes during the year that you have not yet reported (such as a change of address or issuing new shares), you will need to file those changes first.

Failure to file your confirmation statement is a criminal offence. Companies House can and does take enforcement action, and persistent failure to file can lead to the company being struck off the register. Directors of struck-off companies can face personal consequences including disqualification.

Step by Step

Your confirmation statement review period runs from the date of your last statement (or incorporation date for new companies) to the date you choose to make the statement, which must be within 12 months. You then have 14 days after the end of the review period to file.

To file, log into the Companies House WebFiling service, review each section of company information, confirm or update as needed, and pay the £34 fee. The system walks you through each section: registered office, SIC codes, directors, shareholders, share capital, and PSCs.

If you need to make changes, some can be done within the confirmation statement filing itself, while others (like appointing new directors or changing your registered office) require separate filings before you can complete the confirmation statement. It is good practice to file changes as they happen throughout the year rather than leaving everything to the confirmation statement deadline.

Practical Tips

Set a calendar reminder for two weeks before your confirmation statement review date so you have time to review and update any company information
File changes to directors, shareholders, and registered office throughout the year as they happen, rather than leaving everything to the confirmation statement deadline
Keep your Companies House authentication code safe, as you need it to file online and requesting a new one takes several days
Check your PSC register is up to date before filing, as this is an area Companies House has been actively enforcing

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing the confirmation statement with annual accounts or the CT600 tax return, which are completely separate filings with different deadlines
Missing the 14-day filing window after the review date, which can lead to late filing penalties and potential prosecution
Not updating shareholder or PSC information during the year and then discovering the register is out of date at confirmation statement time
Assuming your accountant files the confirmation statement automatically when many accountants only handle tax filings, not Companies House compliance

Frequently Asked Questions

When is my confirmation statement due?

Your confirmation statement must be filed within 14 days of the anniversary of your incorporation date or the date of your last confirmation statement. For example, if your company was incorporated on 15 March, your confirmation statement review date is 15 March each year, and you have until 29 March to file.

How much does a confirmation statement cost?

The filing fee is £34 if you file online through the Companies House WebFiling service, or £62 if you file on paper. Most directors file online. This fee is paid each year as part of the filing.

What happens if I do not file my confirmation statement?

Failure to file is a criminal offence. Companies House may take prosecution action against the company and its directors. They can also start the process of striking the company off the register. This would mean the company ceases to exist and its assets pass to the Crown.

Is the confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?

No. The confirmation statement confirms your company information is up to date with Companies House. Annual accounts are your financial statements filed separately. Both are filed with Companies House but they serve different purposes and have different deadlines.

Source: Companies House Guidance: File your confirmation statement (CS01)

Related Terms

Annual Accounts

Annual accounts are the financial statements your company must file with Companies House each year, showing your financial position.

Registered Office

Your registered office is the official address of your company, filed with Companies House. All official correspondence goes here.

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