Confirmation Statements for UK Companies: What They Are and Why They Matter

Every UK limited company must file a confirmation statement with Companies House at least once a year. It replaced the old annual return in June 2016 and is now the primary mechanism by which a company confirms its core register information is accurate and up to date. For directors, it is a legal obligation with criminal consequences for non-compliance; for B2B buyers and risk teams, the confirmation statement date is a quick health signal that tells you whether a company is being actively managed. This guide explains what the confirmation statement contains, when it is due, what happens if it is not filed, and how to use it in supplier risk assessment.

What the confirmation statement contains

The confirmation statement confirms the information Companies House holds about a company at a specific date — the "made up to" date. The fields confirmed include the registered office address, directors (and their addresses and dates of birth), the share capital and shareholders, and — since June 2016 — the people with significant control (PSC register). The PSC register identifies individuals or entities who own or control more than 25% of the company's shares or voting rights, or who exercise significant influence or control over the company. This is one of the few public registers in the world that makes beneficial ownership visible at this granularity, and the confirmation statement is the vehicle that keeps it current.

A company can file a confirmation statement with or without changes. If nothing has changed since the last statement, the company confirms that the current register information is accurate by filing a short statement. If directors have changed, the registered office has moved, or the PSC register has been updated, the company files the updated details alongside the confirmation statement.

When the confirmation statement is due

The confirmation statement must be filed at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the "made up to" date. Unlike annual accounts, which are due many months after the accounting reference date, the confirmation statement window is tight: 14 days either side of the anniversary. A company whose statement was made up to 1 March must file by 15 March the following year. Filing early is possible — you do not have to wait for the anniversary.

There is no direct financial penalty for filing a confirmation statement late (unlike annual accounts, which attract escalating fines). However, failing to file is a criminal offence. If the company still has not filed after Companies House sends reminder letters, the Registrar can apply to have the company struck off the register — at which point it ceases to exist, its assets vest in the Crown, and the directors face personal liability.

What non-filing means for B2B buyers

A company that has not filed its confirmation statement is a red flag. The most common reason a confirmation statement is overdue is simple neglect — the directors have forgotten or the accountant is not doing their job. But it can also signal more serious issues: the company may be in dispute about ownership, the directors may have fallen out, or the company may have effectively been abandoned but not yet struck off. A supplier that cannot be bothered to file its own statutory return is a supplier that may not prioritise your order either.

The practical response is to check a supplier's confirmation statement due date at onboarding, and to re-check it periodically. A company that files on time every year is demonstrating a minimum level of governance. A company that is several months overdue — or has had a strike-off warning published in the Gazette — is one you should approach with caution.

How to look up a confirmation statement date

On any Companies House mirror, the company overview page shows the confirmation statement due date and the date it was last made up to. If the due date has passed and the "made up to" date has not advanced, the company has not filed. You can also check the filing history, which lists the date each confirmation statement was actually submitted.

For monitoring at scale, a watchlist that flags approaching confirmation statement deadlines for your supplier portfolio is the most efficient approach: rather than manually checking each supplier, you receive an alert when a due date is approaching or has passed, giving you time to investigate before the company is at risk of strike-off.

Filing early is always better

The best practice for directors is to file the confirmation statement as soon as the 12-month period closes — or even file early (a confirmation statement can be filed before the anniversary). This removes the risk of forgetting and demonstrates proactive governance. For B2B buyers, seeing a company file its confirmation statement regularly and early is a small but genuine signal that the company is well-managed and the directors take their legal obligations seriously — exactly the kind of supplier you want to be in business with.