How Do I File My Confirmation Statement Each Year?

At Towerstone Accountants we provide specialist limited company accountancy services for directors and owner managed businesses across the UK. We wrote this guide for people running a company who want clear answers on tax, payroll, Companies House filing duties, and day to day compliance without jargon. Our aim is to help you understand your responsibilities, reduce the risk of penalties, and know when to get professional support.

This is a question I am asked every year by directors and company owners, often close to a deadline and usually with a sense of uncertainty about what exactly needs to be done and what happens if it is missed. The Confirmation Statement is one of those statutory tasks that sounds more complicated than it really is, but it is also something that must be taken seriously, because failing to file it can lead to penalties, compliance action, and in the worst cases the company being struck off.

In this article I am going to walk you through what a Confirmation Statement actually is, why it matters, when it must be filed, what information it confirms, how to file it step by step, and the common mistakes I see in practice. I will also explain how it links with other Companies House obligations and what happens if something changes during the year. I am writing this as a chartered accountant who deals with limited companies daily, and everything here reflects current UK requirements and real world experience rather than theory.

What a Confirmation Statement actually is

A Confirmation Statement is a statutory filing that every UK limited company must submit to Companies House at least once every twelve months. Its purpose is not to update accounts or report profits, but to confirm that the information Companies House already holds about your company is correct and up to date.

This is an important distinction, because many directors assume the Confirmation Statement is about finances or tax. It is not. It is about corporate information and transparency.

When you file a Confirmation Statement, you are effectively saying, I have checked the public record for my company and I confirm that the details shown are correct as at a specific date, or I have updated them as part of this filing.

Why the Confirmation Statement matters

The Confirmation Statement plays a key role in keeping the UK company register accurate and reliable. Banks, suppliers, customers, investors, and regulators all rely on Companies House data to assess who they are dealing with.

From a compliance point of view, filing the Confirmation Statement is not optional. It is a legal requirement under the Companies Act, and Companies House actively monitors whether filings are made on time.

If a company fails to file its Confirmation Statement:

• Companies House can issue warnings
• Late filing penalties may apply
• The company can be marked as non compliant
• Strike off action can be started

In practice, I often see Confirmation Statements overlooked because they do not feel as urgent as accounts or tax returns, but the consequences of ignoring them can be severe.

When the Confirmation Statement must be filed

Every company has a Confirmation Statement review period, which usually runs for twelve months from one of the following:

• The date the company was incorporated
• The date the last Confirmation Statement was filed

The key deadline to remember is that the Confirmation Statement must be filed within 14 days of the end of the review period. This does not mean you have 14 days from incorporation to file, but rather 14 days after the twelve month review period ends.

For example, if your company was incorporated on 1 March, your first review period will normally end on 1 March the following year, and your Confirmation Statement must be filed by 15 March.

You can file earlier if you want, and many companies do this to reset the review period and avoid last minute issues.

How often you need to file

You must file at least one Confirmation Statement every year, but you can file more often if needed. There is no limit on how many you can submit, and additional filings do not increase the fee within the same year.

Filing more than once can be useful if:

• There are multiple changes during the year
• You want to align filings with other deadlines
• You want to reset the review period

What matters is that there is never a gap of more than twelve months without a Confirmation Statement being filed.

What information the Confirmation Statement covers

The Confirmation Statement covers a wide range of company details, all of which must be checked carefully. These include:

• Registered office address
• Company directors
• Company secretary if applicable
• Shareholders
• Share capital and share structure
• Persons with Significant Control
• SIC codes describing the company’s activities

The Confirmation Statement does not usually allow you to change all of these items directly. Some changes must be reported separately when they occur, and the Confirmation Statement is then used to confirm that those updates are correct.

Registered office address

The registered office address is the official legal address of the company and must be a physical address in the UK where official correspondence can be delivered.

When reviewing this as part of the Confirmation Statement, you should check:

• The address is still correct
• Post is still accessible
• It matches what is shown publicly

If the address has changed, it should be updated before or as part of the Confirmation Statement process.

Directors and company officers

The Confirmation Statement confirms who the directors of the company are at the review date. This includes their names and service addresses.

It is important to remember that:

• Appointments and resignations must be reported when they happen
• The Confirmation Statement does not replace those filings
• The Confirmation Statement confirms the position at the review date

If a director resigned six months ago but the resignation was never filed, the Confirmation Statement will highlight that the public record is wrong.

Shareholders and share capital

One of the most important sections of the Confirmation Statement relates to shareholders and share capital. This confirms:

• Who owns shares in the company
• How many shares exist
• The nominal value of those shares
• The rights attached to them

If shares have been issued or transferred during the year, those changes should already have been reported. The Confirmation Statement is your chance to check that everything is consistent and accurate.

Mistakes in share information are very common and can cause problems later, particularly when selling a business or bringing in investment.

Persons with Significant Control

The Persons with Significant Control register, often called the PSC register, identifies individuals who have significant influence or control over the company.

This typically includes:

• Anyone owning more than 25 percent of shares
• Anyone controlling more than 25 percent of voting rights
• Anyone with the right to appoint or remove directors

The Confirmation Statement confirms that the PSC information held is correct. If PSC details are missing or incorrect, this should be corrected before filing.

PSC errors are one of the most frequent issues I see, particularly in family companies and businesses with multiple shareholders.

SIC codes and business activities

SIC codes describe what your company does. While they do not affect tax directly, they are part of the public record and are used for statistical and regulatory purposes.

When reviewing SIC codes, consider whether:

• They still reflect your actual activities
• New activities have been added
• Old activities are no longer relevant

Updating SIC codes helps keep the public record accurate and avoids confusion.

How to file the Confirmation Statement

The Confirmation Statement is usually filed online through the Companies House service. This is the quickest and simplest method, and it allows you to review all information on screen before submission.

The basic steps are:

• Log in to the Companies House online service
• Select the relevant company
• Review each section carefully
• Confirm or update information as required
• Pay the filing fee
• Submit the statement

The filing fee is currently a fixed annual amount, and once paid it covers all Confirmation Statements filed in that year.

Information you need before you start

Before filing, I always recommend gathering the following:

• Company authentication code
• Current director and shareholder details
• Share structure information
• PSC details
• Registered office address

Trying to file without this information often leads to rushed errors or incomplete submissions.

What happens after you file

Once submitted, Companies House will update the public record to show that the Confirmation Statement has been filed, along with the confirmation date.

You should keep:

• A copy of the submission
• The confirmation date
• Evidence of payment

These records form part of your statutory compliance history and should be retained.

What if something changes after filing

If something changes after you file your Confirmation Statement, such as a director appointment or share transfer, you do not need to wait until the next Confirmation Statement. Most changes must be reported separately at the time they occur.

The next Confirmation Statement will then confirm the updated position.

Common mistakes I see in practice

The most common errors include:

• Missing the filing deadline
• Assuming accountants file it automatically
• Incorrect share or PSC information
• Using outdated addresses
• Confusing the Confirmation Statement with accounts

These mistakes are usually avoidable with basic planning and awareness.

Who is responsible for filing

Ultimately, responsibility for filing the Confirmation Statement rests with the company’s directors. Even if an accountant or company secretary submits it on your behalf, the legal responsibility does not transfer.

I always advise directors to know when their Confirmation Statement is due and to confirm who is handling it.

What happens if you miss the deadline

If you miss the deadline, Companies House will usually issue reminders and warnings. Continued failure to file can lead to strike off proceedings, which can freeze bank accounts and cause serious disruption.

Acting quickly if a deadline is missed can often prevent escalation.

How the Confirmation Statement fits into wider compliance

The Confirmation Statement sits alongside other key obligations such as:

• Annual accounts
• Corporation Tax returns
• VAT returns where applicable
• Payroll filings

Keeping a simple compliance calendar can make managing these obligations far easier.

Final thoughts

Filing your Confirmation Statement each year is a straightforward but essential part of running a limited company. It does not require complex tax knowledge, but it does require care, attention, and an understanding of what you are confirming.

If you treat it as a routine annual check rather than an afterthought, it becomes one of the easiest compliance tasks to manage. When in doubt, reviewing the public record carefully and taking advice before filing can save time and avoid problems later.

You may also find our guidance on What happens if I forget to file my Confirmation Statement and What happens if I file my company accounts late helpful when exploring related limited company questions. For a broader overview of running and managing a company, you can visit our limited company hub.