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Contents

  1. 1. What is a confirmation statement?
  2. 2. Who needs to file a confirmation statement?
  3. 3. When is the confirmation statement due?
  4. 4. I missed my company confirmation statement filing deadline. What now?
  5. 5. How to file an overdue confirmation statement
  6. 6. How to avoid filing your confirmation statement late

Confirmation statement overdue? Here’s what to do

November 21, 2022
Have you just received a message informing you that your confirmation statement is overdue? Or are you unsure about when the confirmation filing deadline is, and worried about incurring a late filing penalty?If so, you’re in the right place. We’ll be glossing over what exactly confirmation statements are and what happens if you make a late submission.

What is a confirmation statement?

If you’ve never come across the term confirmation statement before, head over to our article How to file a confirmation statement for everything you need to know about filing your next confirmation statement.

As a quick recap, a confirmation statement, also known as the CS01, is a form filed to Companies House confirming the information held about the company is correct and up to date. It replaced the annual return form (AR01) back in 2016.If this is the first confirmation statement you’re filing, you’ll need to include the following information:
    Your registered office addressCurrent company officers, including company directors, company secretary and LLP membersPeople with significant control (PSC)Single Alternative Inspection Location, or SAILLocation of the company’s statutory registersStandard Industrial Classification code (SIC code)Statement of capitalTrading status of sharesExemption from keeping a PSC registerShareholder information, including shareholder names and the total shares held by each shareholder
If this isn’t your first time filing, you’ll need to check the information Companies House is accurate and up to date.

Who needs to file a confirmation statement?

It’s a legal requirements for limited company directors to file confirmation statements at least once a year, even for dormant companies.
Sole traders, on the other hand, don’t need to worry about filing a confirmation statement, as they aren't required to register with Companies House.

Do I still file a confirmation statement if my company information is still the same?

If your company information is the same as the information on your last confirmation statement, you’ll still need to file a confirmation statement confirming your company information is up to date.

When is the confirmation statement due?

Confirmation statements must be filed at least once a year. New companies must file theirs no later than 14 days after the one-year anniversary of the date of incorporation of their company. For subsequent statements, the deadline will be the date the last statement was confirmed, plus a leeway of 14 days.

Can I file my confirmation statement early?

You can file your confirmation statement early, but in doing so you’ll change your annual confirmation statement filing date, meaning that the following year you’ll have to send off your confirmation statement within 14 days of the date you sent it off the year before.

I missed my company confirmation statement filing deadline. What now?

If you file your confirmation statement more than 14 days after the due date, your confirmation statement will officially be classified as a late filing.If you’ve missed the filing deadline, however, you won’t have to pay any late filing penalties. Companies House has a ‘better late than never’ stance on company confirmation statements, so if you’ve only just noticed that you’ve missed the filing deadline, you can relax.However, failing to file your confirmation statement altogether is a criminal offence, which can result in:
    The company being struck off the registerThe company and its directors being prosecutedA fine of up to £5,000

How to file an overdue confirmation statement

The process for filing an overdue confirmation statement is identical to filing a statement on time. There are 3 ways you can do this:Online: You can file your confirmation statement online using HMRC’s WebFiling service. This method is pretty straightforward since your company details have already been filled in, but you’ll need to set aside £13 to cover the filing fee.By post: If you prefer to file a paper statement, you can download a CS01 paper form and file your confirmation statement via post. This option is, however, the more expensive option of the two, costing £40 to send off.Get an accountant to file your confirmation statement online for you: If you’re worried about making a mistake on your company accounts, you can hand them over to qualified professionals who can take care of everything for you.At Ember, our team of qualified accountants are on hand to draft and file your accounts for you, only needing your input to confirm the information is correct or state any changes. If you’re on our Unlimited plan, you don’t even have to worry about the £13 filing fee — it’s on us.

How to avoid filing your confirmation statement late

Once you have all your documents on hand, filing your confirmation statement only takes 15-20 minutes, so it’s best not to put it off.Companies House has made it easy to keep track of this important deadline with its WebFiling Service. In a few clicks, you can find out when your deadline is — just remember to put it in your calendar.
Alternatively, Ember’s handy in-app notifications can keep you on top of all your important deadlines, with accountants on hand to gloss over and file your company accounts for you, guaranteeing you peace of mind. Book a demo today.

Blessing Lola A.
Blessing Lola A.Freelance Copywriter & CX Specialist

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