Confirmation Statements and Annual Filings at Companies House

Confirmation statements and annual filings at Companies House

Running a limited company through your own contracting business comes with a handful of administrative duties that sit outside day-to-day project work. Two of the most important are the confirmation statement and annual accounts filed with Companies House. Missing either can create real problems for your company's standing, so it is worth understanding what is required and when.

This is a general explainer of how the filing rules work. It is not tax or legal advice, and it has nothing to do with your IR35 status: confirmation statements and accounts are company-law obligations, separate from how a specific contract is assessed for tax purposes.

What is a confirmation statement?

The confirmation statement is a filing that confirms the information Companies House holds about your limited company is accurate and up to date. It replaced the old "annual return" system some years ago, and Companies House guidance is clear that it is a check-and-confirm exercise rather than a fresh submission of new figures (GOV.UK: filing your company's confirmation statement).

According to Companies House, the statement typically covers:

• Directors and company secretaries
• People with significant control (PSCs)
• The registered office address
• The statement of capital (for companies with share capital)

(GOV.UK: director information hub - confirmation statement)

If any of this information has changed, you generally need to update it via the relevant Companies House form or service before or alongside your confirmation statement, rather than relying on the statement alone to make the change.

Who has to file one, and how often

Every UK company must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, including companies that are dormant or not currently trading. Companies House guidance confirms this obligation applies regardless of trading activity (GOV.UK: director information hub - confirmation statement; file your confirmation statement).

For contractors who run a personal service company (PSC) that sometimes sits quiet between contracts, this is a key point: "no trading" does not mean "no filing". The obligation continues even if the company has had a slow year or no client work at all.

The review period starts on the date your company was incorporated and then runs in further 12-month blocks after that. Once a review period ends, Companies House guidance states you have 14 days to actually deliver the confirmation statement, as set out on the CS01 form itself (CS01 form, Companies House). It is worth diarising your review period end date rather than waiting for a reminder, since the 14-day window is tight.

How to file, and the cost

Confirmation statements can be filed online or by post, using form CS01 for paper filing. GOV.UK's current guidance states the fee is £50 if filed online, or £110 by post (GOV.UK confirmation statement service; file your confirmation statement). This is an annual fee covering the whole 12-month period, not a per-filing charge if nothing changes.

To file online, GOV.UK guidance says you will need your company's authentication code and password for the relevant online service. Some private companies limited by shares that meet specific eligibility criteria can use the dedicated confirmation statement service; otherwise, Companies House directs users to WebFiling (GOV.UK: file a confirmation statement). It is sensible to check which route applies to your company structure before you start, so you are not part-way through a filing on the wrong service.

Annual accounts: a separate but related obligation

The confirmation statement is not the only annual filing. Private limited companies must also prepare and file annual accounts with Companies House. GOV.UK guidance states the deadline for filing accounts is nine months after the company's financial year end (prepare and file annual accounts; file your company's annual accounts).

These two obligations run on separate clocks: the confirmation statement is tied to your review period (usually anchored to incorporation date), while accounts are tied to your financial year end. Many contractor accountants track both dates for their clients precisely because they rarely fall on the same day, and missing either deadline can lead to penalties or, in more serious cases, action to strike the company off the register.

Why this matters for contractors

For a limited company contractor, keeping annual filings current is part of basic company housekeeping, alongside things like maintaining proper accounting records and paying corporation tax on time. A company that falls behind on its confirmation statement or accounts can look less credible to agencies, umbrella partners, or end clients carrying out due diligence, quite separate from any assessment of the roles you take on.

If you use an accountant, they will typically handle these filings as part of a standard limited company package, but the legal responsibility sits with the company's directors. If you are unsure about your own filing dates, fees, or eligibility for online filing, it is worth speaking to a qualified contractor accountant rather than guessing.

For more on running a compliant contracting business, see our other guides, and if you are between contracts, you can browse outside-IR35 contracts or check current day-rate benchmarks on this site.

This platform does not determine, verify, or warrant IR35 status; the SDS is the client's legal responsibility. Contractors should take their own advice and consider IR35 insurance.