If you own or are with a company that normally submits an
annual return to Companies House, since 30 June 2016, you can no longer do
this. Instead you must file a Confirmation Statement no later than 14 days
after the anniversary of your last review date. This grace period is reduced
from the 28 days previously allowed for the annual return. If you set up a new
company, the first Confirmation Statement filing will be due one year after the
date of incorporation, together with your first People with Significant Control
(PSC) Register.
Failure to comply could mean prosecution for yourself and
any other directors or officers of the business as well as the company itself.
Late filing can carry severe financial penalties.
How to
Submit
The Confirmation Statement is filed on form CS01 which
consists of 62 pages, but it will only be necessary to complete it all the
first time. The pages cover the company details; the date the confirmation is
due, the business activities; the statement of capital held; the trading status
of its shares and shareholder information; and details about PSCs. Confirming
all this information assists Companies House to keep the public register up to
date.
The Confirmation Statement is to be filed each year,
following the due date, with a payment that is currently £13 for online filing
or £40 if you send it by post. You can send in changes as they occur during the
year without any additional payment. When the confirmation date comes round
again, you need to check whether any further changes need to be made.
What to
Check
These changes might be to:
- Company directors – any new appointments or terminations or changes in personal details
- The Company Secretary or registered office
- Shareholder information
- The SIC code or changes to the business activities
- Information in the PSC register
- Previously reported statement of capital
- Where the statutory books are kept
This second and future statements will be made on a 2 page
document that confirms or amends these details. It’s not a good idea to file
early, because this will adjust the next due date to 12 months from this
filing.
After the first Confirmation Statement, this should be a
simple chore, but it must not be forgotten. Your local bookkeepers will be
happy to remind you to get your filing done at the right time and to assist
with all the submissions.
