What is a confirmation statement: Companies House 101

4th December 2025

If you’ve recently registered a company or are considering doing so, you may have come across the term confirmation statement. While it sounds formal, and slightly intimidating, it is one of the simplest, most routine requirements for UK companies.

Filing your confirmation statement correctly and on time is important. And knowing exactly how to do it is equally important. Luckily 99p Company Formations has you covered.

What is a confirmation statement?

A confirmation statement, sometimes referred to by its form number CS01, is a document submitted annually to Companies House. Its main purpose is to confirm that the information held about your company is accurate and up to date.

The information includes:

• Company name and registration number

• Registered office address

• Details of directors and company secretary (if appointed)

• Shareholders

• Share capital and ownership or guarantee information

• Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code describing your company’s main business activities

Why confirmation statements are important

Confirmation statements are not optional. They are a legal requirement under the Companies Act 2006. Filing ensures that:

• Companies House has accurate, up to date information about your company

• Your company stays compliant and avoids late filing penalties

What happens if you fail to submit your confirmation statement?

Failing to submit your confirmation statement can result in:

• Fines starting from £150 for private companies (rising for repeated failures)

• The company being struck off the register if non compliance continues

• Increased administrative complications when trying to open bank accounts or sign contracts

How often do you need to file a confirmation statement?

A confirmation statement must be filed at least once every 12 months. The first statement is due 12 months after your company incorporation and subsequent statements are due every 12 months after the last filing date.

Companies House will send reminders, but it is your responsibility to ensure the statement is submitted on time.

Unlike accounts or tax returns, the confirmation statement is not dependent on trading or revenue; every company, whether active or dormant, must submit it.

Information required for a confirmation statement

When filing your confirmation statement, you will need to confirm or update details including:

Company details

• Registered office address

• Company name (must match Companies House record)

• SIC code describing business activities

People with Significant Control (PSC)

• Individuals or entities that own or control more than 25% of shares or voting rights

• People with the right to appoint or remove directors

• Anyone else with significant influence over company decisions

Director and secretary information

• Name

• Service address (public)

• Date of birth

• Nationality

• Occupation

Shareholders 

• Number and type of shares held

• Nominal value of shares

• Changes in shareholdings since the last confirmation statement

Statement of Capital or Statement of Guarantee

• For companies limited by shares: statement of capital including share classes and ownership

• For companies limited by guarantee: statement of guarantee, confirming each guarantor’s contribution

How to file your confirmation statement

You can submit your confirmation statement both online and via post. Online submissions are faster and usually processed within a few hours.

If you are submitting online, you can either use the Companies House WebFiling service or enlist the services of a third party formation agent like 99p Company Formations. Online submissions cost £34 annually.

If you are submitting by paper, you need to send a completed CS01 form to Companies House. Paper submissions cost £62 annually.

Do you need to file a confirmation statement if nothing has changed?

Yes, you still need to file a confirmation statement if none of the information has changed in the last 12 months. This confirms to Companies House that your records are up to date.

Should you wait until your filing date to update information?

Not all changes to your company must wait for the annual confirmation statement. Certain updates should be reported immediately.

• New directors or secretaries

• Resignations of directors or secretaries

• Changes to shareholdings or guarantors

• Changes in PSCs

• Registered office address changes

These changes are filed separately via Companies House forms and are reflected in the public register immediately.

The confirmation statement itself is essentially a snapshot of the company at the time of filing. It captures all changes since the last confirmation statement, including any mid-year updates that have already been reported.

Do directors need to verify their identity on Companies House?

As of the 18th November 2025, new directors and PSCs (people with significant control) must verify their identity when submitting their confirmation statement.

Existing directors will have to confirm that they have verified their identity at the same time as they filed their next annual confirmation statement.

GOV.UK says: ‘We are phasing in identity verification over 12 months to provide the best support to all companies and individuals in scope of this new requirement. We estimate that 6 to 7 million individuals will need to verify their identity by mid-November 2026. For most people this will be a one-off process that can be done in a few minutes. We will contact companies to tell them what their directors and PSCs need to do to meet identity verification requirements. We encourage individuals to verify their identities as early as possible.’

Filing a confirmation statement via a third party

Filing a confirmation statement is a simple but essential part of running a limited company. It keeps your company legally compliant, ensures the public register is accurate, and helps you avoid fines or potential complications. While the process itself is straightforward, ensuring that all information is correct, from directors and shareholders to PSCs and share capital, can be time consuming and easy to get wrong.

With 99p Company Formations, submitting your confirmation statement is fast, reliable, and far more cost effective than filing directly with Companies House. For just £69.99, we handle the entire process on your behalf, helping you stay compliant without the stress or risk of errors.