The confirmation statement explained

Last reviewed: 29 September 2026 · Reviewed by IFM's qualified accountant

It is not an annual return of financial results and it does not replace the annual accounts. Think of it as a structured check of the public company record, followed by a formal confirmation that the required information is complete and accurate.

How do the review period and filing deadline work?

For a new company, the first review period starts on the incorporation date and ends 12 months later. Later review periods begin the day after the previous confirmation date and normally run for 12 months. Companies House allows 14 days after the review period ends to file the statement.

The public register shows the confirmation date and the filing deadline. These are not necessarily the incorporation anniversary, particularly if a company has filed a statement early in the past.

A company may file before the review period ends. If it does, it chooses a new confirmation date and the next review period begins the following day. Early filing can be useful when aligning group-company dates or dealing with a planned transaction, but it also changes the future cycle. Record the new date rather than assuming the old anniversary remains in place.

Which company information must be checked?

The statement confirms the information Companies House holds. Depending on the company, the check can include:

registered office details;
directors and, where relevant, company secretary details;
the address where statutory records are kept if not at the registered office;
people with significant control;
principal business activities recorded through SIC codes;
share capital and shareholder information; and
the registered email address supplied to Companies House.

The registered email address is used by Companies House to contact the company and is not published on the public register.

Some information can be updated as part of the confirmation-statement process. Other changes need their own filing. A director appointment or resignation, change of registered office or change in a person with significant control should not be held back until the annual statement where a separate notification deadline applies. The statement confirms the record; it is not a general extension for event-driven filings.

How do identity verification and personal codes affect filing?

Identity verification is now part of the confirmation-statement process. Existing directors have had to provide their Companies House personal codes through the company’s next confirmation statement from 18 November 2025. The statement also includes a confirmation that each director has verified their identity.

Companies House says it will not accept the statement until all directors have verified. If the company has several directors, the person preparing the filing therefore needs each director’s personal code in good time.

The code belongs to the individual, not the company. The same person uses one code across their appointments, but should share it only with a trusted person filing on their behalf. People with significant control also have identity-verification duties, with the timing depending on their circumstances.

This makes preparation more than a last-day administrative check. If a director still needs to verify, begin before the filing window becomes urgent.

How much does a confirmation statement cost?

Companies House currently charges £50 for an online confirmation statement and £110 for a paper filing. The fee is annual, but the payment period is separate from the review period.

A payment period covers 12 months. The company pays with the first statement filed during that period, then can file additional statements in the same payment period without another annual fee. Filing early changes the review period but does not change the payment period.

This distinction matters if a company files several statements after transactions. Do not infer that every filing has a new £50 fee, or that paying the fee fixes the next review date. Check both periods in the Companies House guidance and the company record.

Must you file when nothing has changed?

The company still files. “No changes” is a valid outcome of the review, not a reason to skip it. The director or authorised filer checks the record, completes the identity-verification requirements and confirms the information.

The same applies to a dormant company. Dormancy can simplify the accounts, but it does not remove the confirmation-statement obligation.

What happens if the confirmation statement is late?

Not filing a confirmation statement is an offence. Companies House states that the company may receive a financial penalty of up to £5,000 and may be struck off the register. Directors can also face consequences for failing to meet the company’s filing duties.

Striking off is not a harmless way to tidy an inactive company. If a company is removed while it still owns money, property or other assets, those assets can pass to the Crown. If the company is no longer needed, use the proper closure process and bring filings up to date rather than ignoring reminders.

The late-accounts penalty table does not apply to a late confirmation statement. They are different obligations with different consequences. A company that is late with both needs to address both.

How should you prepare the statement?

Begin with the live Companies House record. Check each director’s legal name, service address and appointment details. Review the registered office, registered email address, SIC codes, share information and PSC entries against the company’s own statutory records.

Then identify changes that need separate forms and file them rather than trying to force everything through the confirmation statement. Collect director personal codes securely. If a shareholder or share-capital change has occurred, make sure the underlying resolutions, allotment records, register updates and any separate filings have been handled.

Finally, have an authorised person review the completed statement before submission. Save the acceptance evidence and updated due date in the company’s records.

How does it fit into the wider company calendar?

The confirmation statement often sits close to, but is legally separate from, the accounts deadline. Scheduling both under a vague label such as “Companies House annual filing” creates a risk that one is completed and the other forgotten.

Use the Deadline Finder for standard first accounts, first confirmation statement and Corporation Tax dates. For VAT, payroll, personal tax and other obligations, check the tax deadlines calendar and your official records.

Which confirmation statement mistakes should you avoid?

Do not copy last year’s statement without comparing it with the live register. A familiar filing can still carry an old SIC code, an outdated service address or share information that no longer agrees with the company’s records.

Do not treat the authentication code as a director’s identity-verification code. They serve different purposes: the company uses its authentication code for online filing, while a personal code belongs to the verified individual. Keep both secure and make sure the filer has the right one for each step.

Finally, do not assume an acceptance email proves every underlying register is correct. The filing confirms information supplied to Companies House; the company must still maintain its own statutory records and the documents supporting appointments, ownership and share changes. A short annual reconciliation between the public register and the internal registers is more reliable than fixing differences only when a transaction or due-diligence request exposes them.

What should you read next?

What do people also ask about this topic?

When is a confirmation statement due?

A company must file at least once every 12 months and has 14 days after the review period ends to submit. Filing early creates a new confirmation date and starts the next review period the following day, so update future reminders.

How much is a confirmation statement in 2026?

From 1 February 2026, Companies House charges £50 for an online confirmation statement and £110 for a paper CS01. The annual payment period is separate from the review period, so additional statements within the same payment period do not normally trigger another annual fee.

Do I file a confirmation statement if nothing changed?

Yes. The filing confirms that the register has been reviewed and is correct; no changes is a valid outcome, not an exemption. Dormant companies also file. Some changes require separate event-driven forms and should not be delayed until the annual review.

What happens if a confirmation statement is late?

Failure to file is an offence. Companies House says the company may receive a financial penalty of up to £5,000 and may be struck off. The late-accounts penalty table does not apply because accounts and confirmation statements are separate obligations.

Which official sources support this guide?

General guidance, not advice for your situation.