How to File a CS01 Confirmation Statement (Step-by-Step)
Every UK limited company must file a confirmation statement (form CS01) with Companies House at least once every 12 months. It replaced the annual return in June 2016, and while the name changed, the core obligation didn't — you're confirming that the information Companies House holds about your company is correct and up to date.
If you've never filed one yourself, or you've been relying on an accountant and want to understand what's actually involved, here's the complete process.
What Is a CS01?
A CS01 is a confirmation statement — a filing that tells Companies House "the information you hold about this company is accurate as of this date." It's not a set of accounts. It doesn't contain financial information. It's a check that your company's public record is correct.
The information covered includes:
- Registered office address
- Directors and their details (name, date of birth, nationality, residential address, service address)
- Secretary (if you have one — most micro companies don't)
- Persons with significant control (PSCs) — anyone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercises significant control
- Share capital and shareholders — the total number of shares, their nominal value, and who holds them
- SIC codes — the Standard Industrial Classification codes that describe your business activity
- Trading status of shares — whether shares are traded on a market
You're not submitting all of this information each time. You're confirming that what Companies House already has on file is still correct. If anything has changed, you should have already filed the relevant update (change of director, change of registered office, etc.) before filing the CS01.
Filing Deadline
Your confirmation statement is due within 14 days of the end of your review period. The review period is 12 months from either:
- The date of incorporation (for the first confirmation statement), or
- The date to which the last confirmation statement was made up
Example: Your company was incorporated on 1 June 2024. Your first review period ends on 31 May 2025. You must file your CS01 by 14 June 2025.
After that, each review period runs 12 months from the previous one — so the next would end 31 May 2026, with a filing deadline of 14 June 2026.
You can file early. Filing a confirmation statement before your review period ends simply starts a new 12-month period from the date you file to. Some directors file every 6 months to keep records current — there's no penalty for filing more frequently.
Filing Fee
As of February 2026:
| Method | Fee |
|---|---|
| Online (WebFiling) | £50 |
| Paper (posted to Companies House) | £110 |
The fee is per filing, not annual. If you file twice in a year (because you filed early), you pay twice. Online filing is cheaper and faster — paper filings take several weeks to process.
Identity Verification Requirement
Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) mandate took effect in November 2025, all directors and PSCs must have a verified identity with Companies House before filing a confirmation statement. There is a 12-month transition period ending November 2026, during which existing directors must complete verification. If your identity isn't verified, your CS01 filing will be rejected.
If you haven't yet verified your identity, you can do so through the Companies House identity verification service. The process requires a valid passport or driving licence and takes a few minutes online — but allow time in case of issues, especially if you're close to your filing deadline.
Step-by-Step: Filing via WebFiling
1. Log in to Companies House WebFiling
Go to GOV.UK confirmation statement filing page and sign in to your WebFiling account. You'll need your company number and your authentication code (posted to your registered office — request a new one if you've lost it, which takes 5–7 working days).
2. Select "File a Confirmation Statement"
Enter your company number and select the confirmation statement option. The system will show you the review period end date and your filing deadline.
3. Review the Company Information
WebFiling will display the current information Companies House holds, section by section:
- Registered office — check the address is correct
- Officers — check all directors (and secretary, if applicable) are listed correctly with current details
- PSCs — check that persons with significant control are correctly recorded
- Share capital — check the total shares, nominal value, and currency
- Shareholders — check the list of shareholders and their holdings
- SIC codes — check the industry codes match your current business activity
For each section, you'll confirm the information is correct or make changes. If anything needs updating, you should ideally file the relevant change form first (e.g., AP01 for a new director appointment, AD01 for a change of registered office) and then file the confirmation statement.
However, for SIC code changes and some shareholder updates, you can make the change within the confirmation statement filing itself.
4. Confirm the Statement Date
The statement date is the end of your review period. You're confirming the information is correct as of this date.
5. Pay the Fee
Pay the £50 fee online by debit or credit card, or via a Companies House payment account if you have one.
6. Submit
Once submitted, you'll receive an on-screen confirmation and an email. The confirmation statement is usually processed and visible on the public register within a few hours for online filings.
What Happens If You Don't File
Unlike late accounts, there is no automatic financial penalty for a late confirmation statement. But that doesn't mean there are no consequences.
Companies House can begin strike-off proceedings. If you haven't filed your confirmation statement, Companies House may assume the company is no longer in operation and start the process to remove it from the register. They'll send warning letters to the registered office first, but if you've moved and not updated the address, you might not receive them.
The company cannot file other documents. While the confirmation statement is overdue, you may find that other filings are blocked or flagged.
Directors can face prosecution. Failure to file a confirmation statement is a criminal offence under s.853L of the Companies Act 2006. In practice, Companies House rarely prosecutes for a single late filing, but persistent non-compliance can result in a fine.
Your company looks dormant or abandoned. Anyone searching your company on the public register will see the overdue status. Banks, suppliers, and customers all check — and an overdue confirmation statement raises immediate questions about whether the company is being properly managed.
CS01 vs Annual Accounts
These are separate obligations and they confuse a lot of first-time directors.
| Confirmation Statement (CS01) | Annual Accounts | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Company structure: officers, shareholders, registered office, PSCs | Financial performance: balance sheet, profit & loss, notes |
| Filing frequency | At least once every 12 months | Once per financial year |
| Deadline | 14 days after review period end | 9 months after accounting reference date (private companies) |
| Late penalty | No automatic penalty, but risk of strike-off | Automatic penalty starting at £150, escalating to £1,500+ |
| Fee | £50 online / £110 paper | No filing fee |
| Filed with | Companies House | Companies House (and separately, Corporation Tax return to HMRC) |
Missing one does not excuse missing the other. They run on different timetables and serve different purposes.
Keep Track of Your Deadlines
The most common reason directors miss a confirmation statement deadline is simply forgetting it exists. Unlike accounts — where your accountant typically handles filing and reminds you — the confirmation statement often falls through the cracks.
Use our free filing deadline countdown tool to see exactly when your CS01 is due, and run through our confirmation statement checklist before filing to make sure nothing is out of date.
CompanyMinder will file your CS01 directly via the Companies House API — pulling your current company data, flagging anything that's changed, and submitting the filing without you needing to navigate WebFiling.
Sources
Track Your Filing Deadlines Automatically
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