A confirmation statement is a filing that every UK limited company and limited liability partnership must submit to Companies House at least once every 12 months. It confirms that the information Companies House holds about the company is up to date, rather than reporting new financial results. This guide explains what it is, who must file it, what it contains, and how it differs from annual accounts.
What a confirmation statement actually does
Companies House holds a public register of company information: the registered office, the officers, the people with significant control, the share structure and more. A confirmation statement is the mechanism by which a company formally confirms, on a set date each year, that this information is correct as it stands. It does not create the information itself. If something has changed, that change should already have been filed separately (for example, a change of director or registered office), and the confirmation statement simply confirms the register reflects reality.
Because of this, a confirmation statement is sometimes confused with an annual return, which it replaced in 2016. The confirmation statement is a lighter-touch filing designed to be quicker to complete, but the underlying obligation to keep the register accurate has not changed.
Who must file a confirmation statement
Every UK limited company, whether trading or dormant, and every limited liability partnership, must file a confirmation statement. There is no exemption for small or inactive companies. If a company is registered at Companies House, it has this obligation for as long as it remains on the register, until it is formally dissolved or struck off.
This applies equally to companies run by overseas or non-resident directors. Being based abroad does not change the filing obligation, and Companies House expects the same standard of accuracy regardless of where the directors live.
What information it covers
A confirmation statement covers:
- The registered office address
- The names of current directors and, where applicable, the company secretary
- Details of people with significant control (PSCs), meaning anyone who owns or controls 25% or more of shares or voting rights, or who otherwise has significant influence
- The standard industrial classification (SIC) codes describing what the company does
- The statement of capital, covering share numbers, classes and shareholders
If any of this needs to change at the point of filing, most items can be updated as part of the statement, though some changes, such as moving the registered office, require their own separate filing rather than being handled inside the confirmation statement itself. For the mechanics of updating each section and submitting on WebFiling, see our step-by-step guide on how to file a confirmation statement.
Confirmation statement vs annual accounts
These two filings are often confused, but they serve entirely different purposes:
- Confirmation statement: confirms the company's registered details (directors, PSCs, registered office, share structure) are accurate. Filed with Companies House. Costs £50 per 12-month payment period for digital filing, £110 for paper.
- Annual accounts: reports the company's financial position for the year (or period since incorporation). Filed with Companies House and, separately, a Corporation Tax return with HMRC. Deadlines and requirements are different from those for the confirmation statement, and the two run on independent timetables.
A company can be entirely up to date with one and overdue on the other. Both are legal obligations in their own right, and neither substitutes for the other.
Why it matters for overseas and non-resident directors
If you are running a UK company from abroad, the confirmation statement is one of the few recurring obligations you cannot delegate away by accident. It needs someone checking the register each year, someone who knows when the review period ends, and someone able to log in and file on time. Postal reminders sent to a UK registered office can easily be missed or delayed if no one is physically checking that address, and a missed reminder does not excuse a late filing.
This is exactly the gap our Registered Office + Company Secretarial Support service at £70 a month is built to close: a named UK qualified lawyer prepares and files the confirmation statement, maintains your registers, and sends reminders so nothing is missed. The same fixed fee also covers keeping the registered office itself current, since the address on the confirmation statement has to meet the "appropriate address" rule that has applied since March 2024, meaning it must be a physical UK address capable of receiving and acknowledging documents rather than a PO Box used on its own.
Why the confirmation statement still matters even when nothing has changed
It is tempting to assume that if a company has had a quiet year, with no new directors, no share transfers and no change of address, the confirmation statement is a formality that barely needs attention. In practice it is still worth treating as a proper review each time it falls due. Identity verification requirements introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 mean directors and PSCs now need to be verified, with new directors verifying before incorporation from 18 November 2025 and existing directors and PSCs given a 12-month transition period. Reviewing the register at confirmation statement time is a natural checkpoint to confirm this has been dealt with, even though the verification requirement itself sits outside the confirmation statement filing.
Common questions
Is a confirmation statement the same as an annual return?
No, though it replaced the annual return in 2016. It is a lighter, confirmation-based filing rather than a full return of information.
Does a dormant company need to file a confirmation statement?
Yes. Dormant status affects the accounts filing, not the confirmation statement, which every registered company must still submit.
How often do I need to file it?
At least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of each review period. Companies can file more often if changes need confirming sooner.
What if I run my company from outside the UK?
The obligation is the same regardless of where the directors are based. Many overseas directors use a UK-based provider such as Keystone Secretarial to manage the registered office and filings on their behalf.
Get help keeping your company compliant
If you want a named UK qualified lawyer to handle your confirmation statement and keep your company registers accurate, contact us and our specialist will reply within one UK working day.
This article is general information about UK filing requirements, not legal or tax advice. Requirements change - we will confirm what applies to your company before anything is filed.
