Pillar Guide · Updated July 2026
Companies House Confirmation Statement: A Complete Guide for 2026/27
Every UK limited company and LLP must file a confirmation statement at least once a year, regardless of whether it is trading. This guide explains what it covers, when it is due, what it costs, and what can happen if you miss the deadline.
What a Confirmation Statement Is
A confirmation statement is an annual filing that every UK limited company and limited liability partnership (LLP) must submit to Companies House, whether or not the business is actively trading. Its purpose is to confirm that the core information Companies House holds about the company — such as its registered office, directors, shareholders or members, and people with significant control — is accurate as at a particular date, or to update it if anything has changed.
Confirmation Statement vs Annual Accounts
It is easy to confuse a confirmation statement with annual accounts, but they serve different purposes and have separate deadlines and fees. Annual accounts report the company's financial performance and financial position for its accounting period. A confirmation statement, by contrast, is not a financial document at all — it simply confirms that Companies House's record of the company's structure and key details is up to date. Both must be filed, but missing one does not excuse missing the other.
What It Covers
A confirmation statement typically confirms or updates the registered office address, the standard industrial classification (SIC) codes describing what the company does, a statement of capital and shareholder information for companies with share capital, and details on the register of people with significant control (PSCs) — the individuals or entities who ultimately own or control the company.
Filing Deadline
Each confirmation statement is tied to a "statement date," and you must file at least once every 12 months, within a set period after that date. The exact number of days allowed for filing after the statement date is set by Companies House rules and should always be checked on the current Companies House guidance, since dates and periods are easy to get wrong if you are relying on out-of-date information.
Filing Fee
There is a fee payable each time you file a confirmation statement, and the fee is typically lower for online filing than for a paper filing. The fee only applies once per 12-month statement period, even if you need to update the statement (for example, to reflect a change in directors) more than once within that period. Check the current fee directly on the Companies House filing service, as fees are periodically reviewed and can change.
Penalties for Late or Missing Filing
Unlike late annual accounts, there is no escalating scale of automatic late filing penalty fees for a confirmation statement filed a few days late. However, failing to file a confirmation statement at all is a criminal offence, and Companies House can take steps to strike the company off the register for non-compliance, which can ultimately mean the company is dissolved and its remaining assets pass to the Crown. Directors can also face personal consequences, including potential disqualification, for persistent failures to meet Companies House filing obligations.
How to File
Most confirmation statements are filed directly through the Companies House online filing service, which is usually quicker and cheaper than paper filing and walks you through confirming or updating each section of the company's registered details. Many businesses have their accountant or a company secretarial provider handle the filing alongside other annual compliance tasks, particularly where the company structure is more complex.