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Have you had a reminder that you have a confirmation statement overdue?
Don’t panic! While it might seem a little daunting at first, it’s certainly not uncommon. Plus, you won’t need to pay any late filing fees – hooray!
It’s time to find out how you can file your limited company confirmation statement quickly and easily (after all, it is the TaxScouts motto).
A confirmation statement (also known as form CS01) is a necessary document for all companies and LLPs registered in the UK, which helps Companies House to check they hold the correct information about your company.
Confirmation statements replaced annual returns in 2016.
Are we still on the same page? Great!
The deadline for filing your confirmation statement is within 14 days after the end of your 12-month review period. More on this below:
For new companies -> If this is your first confirmation statement, the deadline is 12 months from the date your company was first incorporated
For established companies -> Check the ‘statement date’ labelled on your last confirmation statement
Once this 14-day period is over, your confirmation statement is considered overdue.
You can also file your confirmation statement early to notify Companies House of any changes, like if your company address changes.
Drum roll please… No, there are no automatic financial penalties for filing a confirmation statement late!
But fair warning not to use that as an excuse. You should file your statement as soon as possible to avoid any future penalties. While missing the filing deadline doesn’t incur penalties, shamelessly ignoring Companies House does.
The Companies Act 2006 could leave you with a fine of up to £5,000 🤯. And, if you continue to avoid their reminders, Companies House could take legal action and close your company. So let’s definitely, definitely avoid that.
But like we said, there’s no need to panic. Filing your confirmation statement is easy!
If you have a confirmation statement overdue, you should file using the same process as if it were on time.
We can sort and file your confirmation statement, along with your year-end accounts and company tax return. Let an accredited accountant handle it all, so you don’t need to bother with the stress.
Here are a few steps to follow to help you file your overdue confirmation statement:
First things first, you’ll need to make sure your details are up to date with Companies House.
You can do this by searching the register for your company.
Also check that the following details are correct:
If any of your details are out of date, just visit the WebFiling service and update them.
This is also where you should file your confirmation statement moving forward. Unless you use TaxScouts because then we’ll do it for you.
So, now that we’ve checked all your company information is right as rain, the next step is to file your confirmation statement.
You can update some information on your confirmation statement if necessary, like:
You can digitally authorise people to file for your company online, like an accountant (hey there👋).
If you’re struggling to get to grips with the information needed, it might be worth getting some tax advice from one of our professionals. £139, all in!
Although there are no late filing penalties, the confirmation statement comes with an annual fee. This is £34 if you file online or £62 if you file by post.
It’s worth noting that the payment period is separate from your review period.
This means you only need to pay the annual fee with your first confirmation statement in a 12-month period. After this, you can file as many confirmation statements as you want within that period without additional fees.
Here’s an example: Let’s imagine your payment period runs from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024.
If you were to file your statement early, on 1st August 2024, you’ll need to pay the fee. If you were to file again, on 1st December 2024, you won’t need to pay the fee again until the next payment period.
We get it, being notified that your confirmation statement is overdue can be stressful. And easy way for you to never forget again, is by signing up to email reminders from Companies House.
They’ll send you a few emails throughout the year to remind you about your deadline, so you’ll never confirmation-statement-stress again. You can just focus on your business and setting yourself up for success!
Is the thought of filing your confirmation statement still a little overwhelming? Forget everything you just read and hand it all over to us. Just kidding, please don’t forget it, but we are here to help!
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