Confirmation statement

Also called CS01, Annual return

An annual check that the public record about your company is still correct. Cheap, quick, and easy to forget.

What it means

The confirmation statement confirms that the information Companies House holds — directors, registered office, shareholders, PSCs, SIC codes — is up to date. It replaced the annual return in 2016.

It is a confirmation, not a set of accounts. If nothing has changed you are simply confirming that.

Why it matters

Failing to file is an offence and can lead to the company being struck off, which dissolves it and passes its assets to the Crown. Companies have lost bank balances and trading histories this way, entirely by inattention.

What it looks like in practice

File within fourteen days of the end of your review period, once a year. The fee is small and covers unlimited statements in the period.

Companies must also maintain a registered email address and confirm the company's activities are lawful.

What to watch out for

Confusing it with the annual accounts. They are separate filings with separate deadlines.

Stale shareholder information. Share transfers must be reflected, and this is where the register quietly drifts out of date in owner-managed companies.

Where to get proper advice

Companies House. It is a fifteen-minute job you can do yourself.