Compliance
Companies House Identity Verification: A Step-by-Step Guide for Founders
Learn how to verify your identity for Companies House, and how verification works when you form or import a company with FOUNDRS.
Confirmation Statements Explained: What to File and When
Learn what a confirmation statement is, when to file, the Companies House fees, identity verification requirements and how FOUNDRS helps.
By Callum Sommerton6 October 20265 min read
Every limited company needs to file a confirmation statement with Companies House, even if nothing has changed and the company hasn't traded.
It's your opportunity to check that the information on the register is correct: who runs the company, who owns it and where it's registered.
The filing itself is usually straightforward. The preparation matters more, particularly if company details have changed or a director still needs to complete identity verification. Here's what to check, when to file and how FOUNDRS can help.
What is a confirmation statement?
A confirmation statement tells Companies House that the information it holds about your company is correct as at a particular date. That date is called your confirmation statement date.
You must review the information, report any changes through the appropriate filings and confirm that the company's intended future activities are lawful.
The confirmation statement replaced the annual return in 2016. You may still see it referred to as an annual return, or as form CS01 when filed on paper.
Is a confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?
No. These are separate obligations:
Filing | Where it goes | What it covers |
Confirmation statement | Companies House | The information held about your company |
Annual accounts | Companies House | Your company's financial position and performance |
Company Tax Return | HMRC | Your company's taxable profits and Corporation Tax calculation |
Filing your accounts doesn't complete your confirmation statement, and filing a confirmation statement doesn't deal with your tax return.
The deadlines can also differ. Read our guides to annual accounts and Corporation Tax for those responsibilities.
Corporation Tax Explained for Limited Companies
What information do you need to check before your confirmation statement?
Before filing, review:
Your registered office address.
Details of directors and any company secretary.
Where company records are kept, if relevant.
People with significant control, usually shortened to PSCs.
Shareholder information and the statement of capital, if your company has shares.
SIC codes describing the company's business activities.
Your registered email address.
If you haven't already supplied a registered email address, you must provide one with your confirmation statement. Companies House uses it to contact the company, but doesn't publish it on the public register.
For a simple founder-owned company, you may be both a director and a PSC. Our guide explains how ownership and control are assessed.
What Is a Person with Significant Control (PSC)?
Which changes need a separate filing?
Changes to directors, the company secretary, PSCs, the registered office or an existing registered email address must be reported separately before you confirm that the records are correct.
The confirmation statement can update SIC codes, the statement of capital, shareholder information, share trading status and any exemption from providing PSC information.
Don't wait for the annual statement to report a change that has its own deadline. If you've moved address, for example, deal with the registered office requirements when the change happens.
How much does a confirmation statement cost?
As of October 2026, the Companies House fee is:
£50 for online filing.
£110 for a paper CS01 filed by post.
The fee is charged once in each 12-month payment period. Additional statements filed within the same payment period don't attract another Companies House confirmation statement fee.
The payment period is separate from the review period. Filing early changes your review period, but doesn't reset the payment period.
How to file your confirmation statement
Check your company information on the register.
Submit any changes that need separate filings.
Make sure the director identity verification requirements are complete.
Choose your filing route: Companies House directly or a provider such as FOUNDRS.
Review the information, including any updates made through the statement.
Confirm the required declarations, pay any fee due and submit.
Check that the filing has been accepted and keep the confirmation with your company records.
If filing directly online, you'll need the sign-in details and company authentication code required by the service, along with any director personal codes needed. Start the Companies House filing here.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
Confirmation statements don't use the same automatic late-filing penalty bands as annual accounts. Companies House can issue a financial penalty, and failure to file can lead to prosecution and the company being struck off the register. GOV.UK states that you can be fined up to £5,000.
If you're already overdue, check what remains outstanding and arrange the filing promptly. Don't wait for the next annual date.
Does a dormant company still need to file?
Yes. A dormant company still needs a confirmation statement, even if it has never traded and nothing has changed. The same Companies House confirmation statement fees apply.
Dormancy can change the accounts and tax requirements; it doesn't remove this annual company information check.
Keeping your company information organised with FOUNDRS
FOUNDRS lets you file your confirmation statement from your company dashboard, alongside tools for keeping company information and documents organised and receiving compliance reminders.
If you've already registered your company elsewhere, you can import it into FOUNDRS. Identity verification helps us confirm who you are, check that you're a director and establish your authority to instruct us to make filings on the company's behalf.
If you're starting a new company, our incorporation journey helps you prepare the information Companies House needs from the outset. Read what happens after you register a limited company for the wider admin that follows.
