If you own or are with a company that normally submits an annual return to Companies House, since 30 June 2016, you can no longer do this. Instead you must file a Confirmation Statement no later than 14 days after the anniversary of your last review date. This grace period is reduced from the 28 days previously allowed for the annual return. If you set up a new company, the first Confirmation Statement filing will be due one year after the date of incorporation, together with your first People with Significant Control (PSC) Register.
Failure to comply could mean prosecution for yourself and any other directors or officers of the business as well as the company itself. Late filing can carry severe financial penalties.
How to Submit
The Confirmation Statement is filed on form CS01 which consists of 62 pages, but it will only be necessary to complete it all the first time. The pages cover the company details; the date the confirmation is due, the business activities; the statement of capital held; the trading status of its shares and shareholder information; and details about PSCs. Confirming all this information assists Companies House to keep the public register up to date.
The Confirmation Statement is to be filed each year, following the due date, with a payment that is currently £13 for online filing or £40 if you send it by post. You can send in changes as they occur during the year without any additional payment. When the confirmation date comes round again, you need to check whether any further changes need to be made.
What to Check
These changes might be to:
- Company directors – any new appointments or terminations or changes in personal details
- The Company Secretary or registered office
- Shareholder information
- The SIC code or changes to the business activities
- Information in the PSC register
- Previously reported statement of capital
- Where the statutory books are kept
This second and future statements will be made on a 2 page document that confirms or amends these details. It’s not a good idea to file early, because this will adjust the next due date to 12 months from this filing.
After the first Confirmation Statement, this should be a simple chore, but it must not be forgotten. Your local bookkeepers will be happy to remind you to get your filing done at the right time and to assist with all the submissions.
