Changes to the Companies House filing regime


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By Clare Richards

Companies no longer need to file an annual return for filing dates after the 29th June 2016. Instead a confirmation statement will be required.

What is a confirmation statement?

A confirmation statement allows companies to provide current information for the public register by confirming that previous statements remain up to date rather than repeating information that has already been filed.

What needs to be included in the confirmation statement?

A company can now confirm that since its previous confirmation statement or annual return all required filings have been made. In order to complete the confirmation statement the details held about the company at Companies House therefore need to be up to date. If there are any outstanding notifications these should be done at the same time as the confirmation statement.

How much will it cost?

The total cost for the confirmation statement will be equal to the annual return. It will cost £13 if you choose to file online, £40 when filed on paper. The fee will have to be paid once a year. Within a 12 month period as many confirmation statements as necessary can be filed without having to pay the fee again. Your company will be reminded online or with a letter around the anniversary of the 12 month period.

When does the confirmation statement need to be filed?

The compliance period for filing a confirmation statement is 14 days from the due date rather than the current 28 day period for filing an annual return.

Annual return date in June?

For annual return dates falling before 30th June 2016 an annual return must still be filed. Companies House is calling these “legacy filings“.

Any other changes?

Each company register must be kept updated and available at the company’s registered office but from June 2016 companies may choose to keep information on the public register at Companies House. This may be useful for small businesses, as separate statutory registers will no longer be required. However, companies will be able to opt to keep their own registers and there are a number of advantages to doing so, in particular around privacy and control.

Clare Richards is a partner and solicitor in the Business Services team

Ipswich Business Solicitors – If you need advice, the friendly and experienced solicitors at Barker Gotelee are on hand to help. Call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]