Filing your confirmation statement late with Companies House triggers an automatic penalty. The starting fine is £150. That is for a private limited company that files up to one month late. The penalty increases the longer you delay, and it compounds if you file multiple statements late in a row.
This is not a warning you want to ignore. Companies House has become far more aggressive on late filing enforcement in recent years. A single late confirmation statement can trigger a cascade of fines, credit rating damage, and ultimately compulsory strike off if left unresolved.
Here is exactly what the penalties look like, when they apply, and how to make sure you never pay one.
What Is a Confirmation Statement?
A confirmation statement (form CS01) is a statutory filing that confirms the information Companies House holds about your company is correct. It must be filed at least once every 12 months. It is not the same as your annual accounts. You file both, but they are separate obligations with separate deadlines and separate penalties.
The confirmation statement confirms:
- The company's registered office address
- The directors and their service addresses
- The company secretary (if you have one)
- The statement of capital (number and type of shares issued)
- The shareholders (people with significant control or PSCs)
- The SIC code (your business activity code)
You do not need to file a confirmation statement if the company is dormant and has not changed any of the above details since the last filing. But most active companies need to file every 12 months without fail.
Confirmation Statement Late Penalty: The Exact Fines
The penalty for filing a confirmation statement late is set by Companies House under the Companies Act 2006. For a private limited company, the fines are as follows:
- Up to 1 month late: £150
- 1 to 3 months late: £375
- 3 to 6 months late: £750
- More than 6 months late: £1,500
These are the standard penalty bands for a single late filing. If you file multiple confirmation statements late in a row, each late filing attracts its own penalty. A company that is two years behind on filings could face penalties totalling several thousand pounds.
Public limited companies (PLCs) face higher penalties, starting at £375 and rising to £5,000. But most readers of this article will be running private limited companies, so the figures above are the ones that matter.
When Does the Penalty Clock Start?
The confirmation statement is due within 14 days of the end of the company's "confirmation date". That date is the anniversary of either:
- The company's incorporation date, or
- The date of the last confirmation statement filing
Companies House sends a reminder email about 14 days before the due date, assuming you have a registered email address on file. But the legal obligation to file on time sits with you, the director. A missed email is not a valid excuse for late filing.
The penalty clock starts ticking the day after the due date. There is no grace period. File one day late and you incur the £150 penalty.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay the Penalty?
Companies House will send you a penalty notice. You have 28 days to pay it from the date of the notice. If you do not pay, Companies House can escalate enforcement action.
Continued non-payment can lead to:
- Compulsory strike off: Companies House can petition the court to strike the company off the register. That effectively dissolves the company. Any assets left in the company at that point become property of the Crown (bona vacantia).
- Director disqualification: Persistent late filing can lead to a director disqualification order of up to 15 years. This is rare for a first offence but becomes more likely if you accumulate multiple late filings across different companies.
- Credit rating damage: Late filings appear on the public record. Banks, lenders, and insurers check this. A late confirmation statement can damage your company's credit rating and make it harder to get finance.
None of these outcomes are theoretical. Companies House struck off over 200,000 companies in 2023/24 for failing to file confirmation statements or accounts. Do not let your company become a statistic.
How to Avoid the Confirmation Statement Late Penalty
The simplest way to avoid the penalty is to file on time. Here is how to make that happen without it slipping your mind.
Set a Calendar Reminder
Your confirmation date is fixed. It is the anniversary of your incorporation or your last filing. Put a recurring annual reminder in your calendar for 30 days before that date. That gives you time to gather the information and file before the deadline.
Use Accounting Software with Automatic Filing
Most modern accounting software can file your confirmation statement automatically. Xero and FreeAgent both offer direct integration with Companies House. You can file the confirmation statement with a few clicks, and the software tracks the due date for you. QuickBooks and Sage 50 also support confirmation statement filing, though the process varies by version.
If you use accounting software, check whether it supports Companies House filing. If it does, set it up. It takes 10 minutes and saves you the annual headache.
Authorise an Accountant to File on Your Behalf
If you work with an accountant, they can file the confirmation statement for you as part of your annual compliance. Most accountants include this in their standard monthly or annual fee. At Holloway Davies, we handle confirmation statement filings for all our limited company clients. We track the due date, prepare the statement, and file it. You never need to think about it.
If you are a director handling your own filings, you can still authorise an accountant to file on your behalf using the Companies House online authentication process. It is straightforward and gives you one less thing to worry about.
File Early, Not Late
You do not have to wait until the due date. You can file the confirmation statement as soon as the previous one is filed. Many companies file their confirmation statement at the same time as their annual accounts, even if the accounts are due earlier. That keeps everything in one place and reduces the chance of missing a deadline.
Filing early also means you do not forget. The confirmation statement is a simple form. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete if your details have not changed. If they have changed, you update them at the same time. Either way, filing early removes the risk entirely.
What If You Have Already Filed Late?
If you have already missed the deadline, file the confirmation statement immediately. The penalty is calculated from the due date, not from when you file. Filing late stops the clock on further escalation. It also prevents the penalty from increasing to the next band.
Once you have filed, pay the penalty within the 28-day window on the notice. If you cannot pay, contact Companies House and explain the situation. They have discretion to reduce or waive penalties in exceptional circumstances, but do not rely on this. Exceptional means something like a serious medical emergency or a natural disaster, not "I forgot" or "I was busy".
If you are a director of a company that has accumulated multiple late filings, speak to an accountant. We can help you bring the filings up to date and negotiate with Companies House if needed. The longer you leave it, the worse the outcome.
Confirmation Statement vs Annual Accounts: Different Penalties
Do not confuse the confirmation statement penalty with the penalty for filing annual accounts late. They are separate obligations with separate penalty regimes.
Annual accounts penalties are set by Companies House and are much higher. For a private limited company, the penalty for filing annual accounts late starts at £150 (for accounts up to 1 month late) and rises to £1,500 (for accounts more than 6 months late). But the key difference is that annual accounts penalties are calculated based on the length of the delay and the company's size, not a fixed band.
You can find full details of annual accounts penalties on the Companies House late filing penalties page. But the short version is: file both on time, and you avoid both sets of penalties.
Filing the Confirmation Statement: Step by Step
If you are filing the confirmation statement yourself, here is the process:
- Log in to the Companies House online filing service using your company's authentication code.
- Select "File a confirmation statement" from the menu.
- Review the information Companies House holds about your company. This includes directors, shareholders, registered office, and SIC code.
- Update any information that has changed since the last filing. You can do this directly in the confirmation statement form.
- Confirm that all information is correct and submit the form.
- Pay the £13 filing fee (or £27 for same-day filing).
The entire process takes 10 to 15 minutes if your details have not changed. If you need to update director details or share structure, it may take a bit longer, but it is still a straightforward online process.
If you do not have your company's authentication code, you can request a new one by post. It takes about 5 working days to arrive. Do not leave this until the last minute. Request the code well before your filing deadline.
Final Thoughts
The confirmation statement late penalty is avoidable. Set a reminder, use accounting software, or authorise your accountant to handle it. The £150 starting fine is not huge, but it is completely unnecessary. And the consequences of ignoring it are far worse.
If you are unsure about your filing obligations or need help bringing your company's filings up to date, contact our team. We are ICAEW qualified accountants and we handle confirmation statement filings for limited companies across the UK. We will make sure your filings are on time, every time.