To file a confirmation statement, a director or authorised filer logs in to Companies House online with the company's authentication code. They check the information on the register, update anything that has changed and pay the fee: £50 online or £110 on paper form CS01. You must file at least once every 12 months, and no later than 14 days after the end of the review period. Every director must now have verified their identity first, or Companies House will not accept the statement.
Who has to file, and when
Every company files one, including dormant and non-trading companies. Section 853A of the Companies Act 2006 sets the timetable. Each review period runs for 12 months, starting on the date of incorporation for the first statement and the day after the last confirmation date after that. You have until 14 days after the review period ends to file.
The confirmation date can be earlier than the end of the review period. If you file early, you choose a new confirmation statement date, and the next review period starts the day after it. Some companies use this to line the filing up with their year end or board calendar. You pay the annual fee only with the first statement in each 12-month payment period. Further statements in the same period are free.
Before you start: update the register
A confirmation statement confirms that what Companies House holds is correct. It is not the place to report most changes. Companies House's guidance says you must first tell it about changes to:
- Directors and secretary. Appointments, resignations and changes to their details;
- People with significant control. New PSCs, ceased PSCs and changes to their details;
- Registered office address. Filed as a separate change;
- Registered email address. Any change to an address already provided.
File those changes first. Then the statement can truthfully confirm the register.
Identity verification comes first
Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for directors and PSCs. Existing directors have to verify by the time the company files its next confirmation statement. When you file, you give each director's Companies House personal code and tick a statement confirming that each director has verified their identity. Companies House says it "will not accept your company's confirmation statement until all directors have verified their identity."
Leave enough time for this. A director who has never verified will need to do so through GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider before the filing date. PSCs have separate 14-day windows to provide their own codes. Our guide to verifying your identity for Companies House explains the steps and the deadlines.
How to file a confirmation statement online
- Sign in. Use the Companies House online filing service with your password and the company's authentication code. If you do not have them, you will need to register for online filing. The code is sent by post to the registered office and can take up to 10 working days to arrive;
- Check the confirmation date. Accept the date shown, or choose an earlier one if you are filing early;
- Review the company details. Check the registered office, registered email address, officers, PSCs, SIC code, statement of capital and shareholder information;
- Record any changes the statement can carry. These are SIC codes, the statement of capital, shareholder information, trading status of shares and PSC exemptions. Other changes need their own forms, filed first;
- Give the registered email address. You must provide one if the company has not already done so;
- Confirm lawful purpose. State that the intended future activities of the company are lawful;
- Enter directors' personal codes. Confirm identity verification for each director;
- Pay and submit. £50 online. The paper CS01 costs £110, paid by cheque or postal order made payable to "Companies House".
The fees rose on 1 February 2026 under the Registrar of Companies (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. The online fee went from £34 to £50 and the paper fee from £62 to £110. Companies House's confirmation statement guidance sets out the current process.
What happens if you file late
Missing the deadline is more serious than many directors assume. Under section 853L of the Companies Act 2006, failing to file within 14 days of the end of the review period is a criminal offence. It is committed by the company and by every officer in default, and continued failure can bring a daily default fine. Companies House also warns that it may issue a financial penalty and that the company may be struck off the register. When a company is dissolved, section 1012 of the Act treats its remaining property as bona vacantia, which belongs to the Crown.
If the deadline has passed, file as soon as possible, and file any outstanding changes to officers or PSCs first. Our guide to the late confirmation statement covers getting a company back into good standing, including where strike-off action has already started.
Common mistakes
- Confirming out-of-date shareholders. Share transfers during the year must be reflected in the shareholder information and the statement of capital must match the shares in issue;
- Using the statement to change officers. Directors and PSCs must be updated by separate filings before the statement;
- Leaving verification to the last day. One unverified director blocks the whole filing;
- Losing the authentication code. A replacement goes by post to the registered office and can take up to 10 working days, so a lost code close to the deadline is a real problem;
- Thinking dormant means exempt. Dormant companies must still file.
If you would rather not track review periods, codes and verification across several companies, our company secretarial services team can keep the register current and file the confirmation statement on time. That service also covers identity verification as part of the annual filing cycle.