What Is A Confirmation Statement & How To File It?

The Summary

First thing to know is that confirmations are very straightforward - they might sound scary, but it's just confirming your company details in a step-by-step form. Most accountants will charge their clients £100-150 for this, but you can easily do this yourself in <5 minutes - so 100% should. It's a no brainer, money saver.

The confirmation statement document is an annual update to confirm the accuracy of your company's information registered at Companies House. This includes details on management, ownership, and corporate activities. Every limited company in the UK must legally file a confirmation statement to Companies House every 12 months. This includes those running dormant businesses. 

It’s quick to file online and now costs £34, charged once per year. Explore below to learn more about the confirmation statement and how to file it.

The Role of the Confirmation Statement

The confirmation statement is a crucial compliance document for limited companies as it ensures that the company's registered data at Companies House is current and correct. 

For those who have been running businesses a while, it replaced the ‘annual return’ but retained the same core purpose. And as of 5 March 2024, a new requirement will be that companies will also confirm their intended future activities in a 'statement of lawful purposes.'

Do you have to file a confirmation statement?

Yes. Every private company limited by shares (LTD) or a limited liability partnership (LLP), is legally required to file a Confirmation Statement annually. This includes businesses that are currently non-trading or dormant.

Timeline for Filing a Confirmation Statement

Each business must file its confirmation statement no later than 14 days after the closure of its 12-month review period. This review period begins from either the company formation date or the date of the last filed confirmation statement.

For example: A company formed on 1 May 2024 must file the confirmation statement by 14 May 2025, reflecting the financial year ending on 30 April 2025.  

How To File Your Confirmation Statement

To file your confirmation statement you can sign in to WebFiling here.

If you’re not registered with Companies House or do not have a Government Gateway ID you can register online here. 

Before filing:

Before you file your Confirmation Statement, you need to ensure that any changes in your company details are recorded. This may include any changes to: 

• Director and Secretary Information: Any changes in directors or company secretaries, such as new appointments, name changes, or resignations, must be updated.
• People with Significant Control (PSC): You're obligated to keep Companies House informed about any individuals or entities with significant control, like holding more than 25% shares or voting rights, or the power to appoint or remove a majority of the board.
• Company's Registered Office Address: The official address of your company, to which all statutory correspondence is sent, should be current.

This is important, so we’ll say it again – if there have been any changes, you need to make these updates before you file). If any changes are needed to the above, you can easily update them in your Companies House web filing account. 

During filing:

During the Confirmation Statement filing you can change certain details to update Companies House of any changes to your business. These include:

• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code: The SIC Code identifies your business's primary activities. If your company expands into new areas, you may update your SIC code or add more codes accordingly.
• Statement of capital: This section details the total number of shares issued by your company, their types, and values. 
• Trading status of shares: You must notify Companies House if your company's shares have begun trading on any stock exchange, such as the London Stock Exchange.
• Exemption from keeping a PSC register: Companies may seek exemption from maintaining a publicly accessible PSC register. For instance, publicly listed companies are usually exempt but must apply for this exemption to withhold PSC information.‍
• Shareholder information: Update Companies House with any changes in your shareholders, including new shareholders or those who have divested their shares. Adjustments in the share distribution among shareholders should also be reported.

Additionally, you will need to provide a registered email address for your company. 

Filing your confirmation statement

It's essential to file a confirmation statement even if there are no changes to report. The good news is that it’s incredibly quick and easy to do - especially if there have been no changes. 

The filing process will automatically take you through each step, to ask if there have been any changes, and giving you the opportunity to update your details if there have.  

If nothing has changed or you have made all required updates, click through the sections and hit confirm to finalise your confirmation statement filing. It’s as easy as that - your confirmation statement is now filed. 

Any questions?

If you use Mighty and have any questions around the filing process, please contact support and we’ll be delighted to help.

If you haven’t joined Mighty yet and are a freelancer or contractor, check out how Mighty makes accounting effortless for a fixed fee. With Mighty, you can manage all your accounting, tax, and compliance needs in one place, making it hassle-free to stay compliant.