Companies House
Confirmation statement: deadline, £50 fee and identity checks in 2026
A practical Companies House confirmation statement guide covering the 12-month review period, 14-day filing window, £50 online fee and 2026 identity checks.
The confirmation statement is a check of the company’s public register, not a set of accounts and not a tax return. It tells Companies House that the information held about the company has been reviewed, and it confirms that the company’s intended future activities are lawful. The statement is still required when no information has changed.
Most confusion comes from treating three separate things as one anniversary: the review period, the 14-day filing window and the 12-month payment period. Keeping those clocks apart makes the form much simpler.
What a confirmation statement does
Every registered company must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months. That includes dormant and non-trading companies. The obligation exists because the public register should not quietly drift away from the company that actually exists.
A confirmation statement is used to confirm or report information such as:
- the company’s standard industrial classification, or SIC code;
- the statement of capital and trading status of shares, where relevant;
- shareholder information for companies with share capital; and
- certain information about people with significant control and exemptions.
Other changes must be reported separately before the confirmation statement is filed. That distinction matters: a confirmation statement is not a universal form for repairing every entry on the register.
The three dates people mix up
| Clock | What it means | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Review period | Normally a 12-month period ending on the confirmation date | Filing early starts the next review period from the following day |
| Filing window | The 14 days after the review period ends in which to file | It follows the chosen confirmation date |
| Payment period | A separate 12-month period used for the annual fee | It does not restart merely because a statement is filed early |
The review period
A new company’s first review period begins on incorporation and normally ends 12 months later. After that, the next period begins on the day after the confirmation date used for the previous statement and runs for 12 months. A company can file early, but doing so creates a new confirmation date and starts the next review period sooner.
The 14-day filing window
Once the review period ends, the company has 14 days to deliver the statement. It is better described as the statutory filing window than a grace period: the obligation has not been postponed, and the next review cycle is already determined by the confirmation date.
The payment period
Companies House runs a separate 12-month payment period. The first confirmation statement filed in that period attracts the annual fee. If the company files another statement within the same payment period, it does not normally pay the annual fee again. This lets a company update its confirmation date without accidentally turning the fee into a per-form charge.
What to check before filing
Start with the live company record on Companies House. Do not work from last year’s PDF and assume it still matches. Check the registered office, officers, registered email, people with significant control, share information and SIC code against the company’s current facts.
Changes to make separately first
Companies House says these changes should be filed through their own services before the statement:
- directors and the company secretary;
- people with significant control;
- the registered office address; and
- the registered email address.
The registered email address is used by Companies House to contact the company and is not shown on the public register. It must be an address the company will actually monitor.
Information handled with the statement
The confirmation statement can update items including the SIC code, statement of capital, trading status of shares, shareholder information and certain PSC exemption information. The exact questions depend on the company’s structure, so the form should be read rather than treated as a one-click renewal.
Companies House identity verification in 2026
Identity verification is now part of the filing landscape. Each director verifies their own identity and receives a Companies House personal code. For an existing director, the company provides that code for the director’s appointment through the next relevant confirmation statement process. If a person is a director of more than one company, the same personal code belongs to that person, but it must be connected to each appointment.
A confirmation statement will not be accepted until all directors have completed identity verification. That makes the identity step an upstream dependency: discovering an unverified director on the filing day can stop the whole statement.
People with significant control also have identity-verification duties, but their code is usually provided through the separate PSC verification service and within a deadline determined by their circumstances. Do not assume the company can complete every PSC obligation simply by entering the director codes on the confirmation statement.
The company can prepare the statement. Each person still has to complete the identity step that belongs to them.
The confirmation statement fee in 2026
As reviewed on 20 July 2026, the Companies House fee is £50 online and £110 for a paper CS01. The fee is charged for the annual payment period, not automatically for every statement filed during it.
A company might file more than once in a payment period after a share change or to move its confirmation date. The first filing in the payment period carries the fee; later statements in the same period should not create another annual fee. Always check the payment screen and current Companies House fee table before submitting.
A practical confirmation statement checklist
- Open the current Companies House record. Note the statement date and filing deadline shown there.
- Check the separate company details. Update directors, PSCs, registered office and registered email through the correct service first.
- Confirm identity verification. Make sure every director has verified and can provide their personal code for the appointment.
- Review capital and ownership. Reconcile shareholder information and the statement of capital to the company’s own records.
- Check the SIC code. It should describe what the company actually does now.
- Review the lawful-purpose statement. This is a company confirmation, not decorative boilerplate.
- Prepare the filing and fee. Confirm whether the current payment period has already been paid.
- Obtain authority, file and retain the evidence. Keep the accepted statement and the records supporting what was confirmed.
LtdRecord can keep the company record and supporting work ready for review, while the director supplies identity information and filing authority when required. It should never invent a missing company fact or turn a legal confirmation into an assumed click.
What happens if the deadline is missed?
Failing to file can lead to a fine of up to £5,000, and Companies House may take steps to strike the company off the register. Directors can also face prosecution for failing to meet the statutory obligation. If the date has already passed, file the accurate statement promptly and deal separately with any company details or identity steps that are blocking it.
The confirmation statement does not replace annual accounts, and filing accounts does not satisfy the confirmation statement obligation. Both appear on the Companies House record and both need their own calendar entry.
Official sources and review note
We reviewed this guide on 20 July 2026 against current Companies House and GOV.UK guidance. Use the official pages below for the full process and any changes made after that date.
What is a confirmation statement?+
It is the company’s regular confirmation that the information Companies House holds is correct, together with a statement that the company’s intended future activities are lawful. It replaced the annual return; it is not the same as annual accounts.
When is a confirmation statement due?+
A company must file at least once every 12 months. When the review period ends, there is a statutory 14-day filing window. The exact next statement date and due date appear on the Companies House register.
How much is a confirmation statement in 2026?+
As reviewed on 20 July 2026, Companies House charges £50 for an online confirmation statement and £110 for a paper CS01. The annual fee is linked to a separate 12-month payment period, so another statement within that same payment period does not normally create another annual fee.
Does a dormant company need to file one?+
Yes. Every company must file a confirmation statement, including dormant and non-trading companies, even when nothing has changed.
Do all directors need to verify their identity?+
Under the 2026 Companies House process, each director must verify and obtain a personal code. The company provides each director’s code for the relevant appointment, and a confirmation statement will not be accepted until all directors have completed verification. PSCs have a related but separate code-submission process.
This guide is general information for UK private limited companies, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Check the dates shown on your Companies House register and HMRC account, and ask an adviser about your company’s circumstances.
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