Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing UK Guide 2027: Top 15 Considerations

Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Joy Kyalo

A confirmation statement is a filing that Companies House requires but it is more than a simple form. Before submitting a confirmation statement a company must verify that all registered information is correct that any separate changes have been. That directors satisfy identity verification rules. In 2027 these checks become more critical because Companies House is introducing broader reforms, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.

Quick Answer

UK companies generally file a confirmation statement every 12 months, even when nothing has changed. It confirms that Companies House information is up to date. Online filing currently costs £50, while paper filing costs £110. For 2027 filings, directors should also check applicable identity verification and personal code requirements.

Need Help With Your Confirmation Statement Filing?

Keeping your Companies House information accurate and filing your confirmation statement on time can be easier with professional support. BusinAssist can help with the administrative side of confirmation statement filing for UK companies.

Get Confirmation Statement Filing Support today!

This guide covers everything you need to know about confirmation statement filing in the UK, including when your confirmation statement filing is due, what company information you need to check, and which changes you can report through the filing. It also explains how Companies House identity verification fits into the process, the filing fee, and the key checks directors should complete before submitting Form CS01.

Before you file, it is worth understanding the basic requirements and the information you will need. So, let’s start with the key facts every company should know about confirmation statement filing.

Confirmation Statement Filing 2027: Key Facts at a Glance

Question	Answer
What is it?	An annual confirmation that company information held by Companies House is correct
Filing form	CS01
How often?	At least once every 12 months
Filing window	Up to 14 days after the review period ends
Does it need to be filed if nothing changed?	Yes
Online fee	£50
Paper fee	£110
Where is it filed?	Companies House
Can company information be changed?	Some information can be updated through the confirmation statement
Do directors need identity verification?	Yes, where the current requirements apply
Is it the same as annual accounts?	No

The annual confirmation statement requirement applies even to dormant and non-trading companies.

Now that you have all the facts, let’s take a deeply look into the,

1. What Is a Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing?

A confirmation statement Filing is a Companies House filing used to confirm that the information held about a company is accurate and up to date. It replaced the old annual return and is generally filed using form CS01.

The purpose is not to provide a detailed financial report. Instead, it gives Companies House a regular opportunity to receive confirmation that key company information remains correct.

Depending on the company, this can include information relating to:

• registered office
• directors and secretary
• people with significant control (PSCs)
• shareholders
• share capital
• SIC codes
• trading status of shares
• certain PSC exemption information
• registered email address and other required information

Companies House specifically requires companies to check these details before filing.

The important point

A confirmation statement is not simply an annual declaration that says:

“Nothing has changed.”

It is better understood as an annual accuracy check of the company’s Companies House record. This distinction is important because companies must report some changes separately when they occur, rather than waiting until the next confirmation statement.

2. Who Needs to File a (CS01) Confirmation Statement?

Every company registered with Companies House generally needs to file at least one confirmation statement every year. This includes companies that:

• are actively trading
• have temporarily stopped trading
• are dormant
• have not changed their directors
• have not changed their shareholders
• have had no major business activity during the year

A company does not avoid the confirmation statement requirement simply because nothing happened during the year. Companies House explicitly states that dormant and non-trading companies must file, and a statement is still required even where there have been no changes.

What if nothing has changed?

This is one of the common points that people get confused about. No change does not mean no filing. If all the company’s information is still correct the company still has to send in its confirmation statement to confirm that information.

3. When Is a (CS01) Confirmation Statement Filing Due?

A company must check its records and do atleast one confirmation statement filing in every 12 months. For the confirmation statement the review period starts from the company’s incorporation date. For all following confirmation statements the review period begins from the confirmation statement date of the filing. Companies House lets the company file the confirmation statement up to 14 days after the review period ends. 

For Example Suppose a company’s confirmation statement date is: 10 September 2027. The company has a 12-month review period. It can file the confirmation statement during the filing window that comes after that review period ends. The exact confirmation date and the filing deadline should always be confirmed on the company’s record, at Companies House. Do not rely on memory or calculations.

Can you file early?

Yes. A company does not have to wait until the end of its current review period. If it files early, a new confirmation statement date is established and the next review period begins from that new date. This can be useful where a company has recently reviewed its records and wants to bring its confirmation statement up to date.

4. The 10-Point (CS01) Confirmation Statement Pre-Filing Audit

Before pressing “submit”, directors should treat the confirmation statement as a company-record audit.

A useful pre-filing check for Confirmation Statement Filing:

1. Registered office

Is the registered office address still correct? If it has changed, do not simply wait for the confirmation statement. The change has its own Companies House filing requirement.

2. Directors

Are all current directors correctly recorded? Have any directors been appointed or resigned since the last confirmation statement? If so, the relevant change should generally have been reported separately.

3. PSC information

Does the Companies House PSC information accurately reflect who currently has significant control? If something has changed, check whether a separate PSC filing is required.

4. Shareholders

Does the shareholder information match the company’s current records? Certain shareholder information can be updated through the confirmation statement.

5. Share capital

Does the statement of capital match the company’s records? Relevant changes can be included through the confirmation statement process.

6. SIC codes

Does the company’s SIC code still accurately describe its principal business activities? SIC codes can be updated through the confirmation statement.

7. Trading status

Check whether the information concerning the trading status of shares is correct.

8. Registered email

Make sure the company has provided a registered email address where required and that the company can monitor it. The registered email is not displayed publicly on the Companies House register.

9. Identity verification

Check whether the directors who need to provide identity verification details have completed the process and have their Companies House personal codes available.

10. Filing deadline

Finally, check the company’s actual confirmation statement date and filing deadline on the Companies House register.

5. What Can You Change Through a Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing?

This is an important distinction to understand. You can use a confirmation statement to report certain changes, but it does not replace every Companies House filing. Companies House currently allows companies to update certain information through the confirmation statement, including:

• SIC codes
• statement of capital
• trading status of shares
• certain PSC exemption information
• shareholder information.

This means a director should not assume that every incorrect company detail can simply be corrected while filing CS01.

6. What Cannot Usually Wait Until the Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing?

Certain company changes have separate reporting requirements. For example, Companies House requires companies to report changes relating to:

• directors and secretaries
• PSC information
• registered office
• registered email address

through the appropriate processes rather than simply waiting for the next confirmation statement.

Why this distinction matters

Imagine that a director resigns six months before the company’s confirmation statement is due. It would be incorrect to think: “I’ll mention the resignation when I file CS01.”

The company should deal with the director change through the appropriate Companies House process when it occurs. The confirmation statement is then used to confirm the company’s position as part of the annual review.

Unsure Whether Your Company Change Requires a Separate Filing?

Not every company change can be dealt with through CS01. If you’ve recently changed directors, PSC information, your registered office or other company details, check the appropriate filing requirement before submitting your confirmation statement.

Get Company Filing Support Today

7. Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing vs Other Companies House Filings

A useful way to think about the difference is:

Situation	Confirmation statement (CS01) filing	Separate filing/process
Annual confirmation of company information	✓	—
Nothing changed during the year	✓	—
Change of director	—	✓
Director resignation	—	✓
Change of registered office	—	✓
Change to PSC information	—	✓
Change of SIC code	✓	—
Certain shareholder information	✓	—
Certain statement of capital changes	✓	—
Registered email requirement	✓ where applicable	Separate process for changing it

The exact filing route depends on the nature of the change, so directors should check the relevant Companies House guidance rather than using CS01 as a catch-all filing.

8. Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing and Director Identity Verification in 2027

This is one of the most important areas for a 2027 confirmation statement. Companies House introduced mandatory identity verification requirements as part of wider reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. The requirements are being phased in.

For directors, Companies House states that the personal code obtained after identity verification needs to be provided as part of the company’s next confirmation statement.

What does a director need to do?

Where the requirement applies, the director needs to:

1. Complete identity verification.
2. Receive their Companies House personal code.
3. Provide the relevant code as required for the company’s confirmation statement.
4. Confirm the identity verification requirement for the relevant directors when filing.

Companies House says that a confirmation statement won’t be accepted if the director identity verification details are missing. What if the director is also a PSC? This is a difference. A person can have two positions:

• director
• PSC

Companies House says that the personal code must be given separately for each position and each has its own process and deadline. This is the kind of information that directors need to look into thinking that one identity-verification step covers all the needs.

 

9. Registered Email Address: Another Important 2027 Check

Companies must give a registered email address to Companies House. Companies House uses the address to talk to companies. The address does not appear on the public register. A practical issue is therefore not simply: “Have we provided an email address?” It is: “Does someone responsible for the company actually monitor it?”

Companies House expects companies to read communications sent to this address. For companies using an accountant, company secretary or corporate service provider, it is worth establishing who is responsible for monitoring important Companies House communications.

10. Lawful-Purpose Statement

The confirmation statement process also includes a requirement concerning the company’s intended future activities.Companies House guidance states that a company needs to confirm that its intended future activities are lawful. This is another reason why the confirmation statement should not be treated as an automatic annual form. The person responsible for filing should understand what they are confirming before submitting it.

11. How to File a (CS01) Confirmation Statement Online

For companies filing online is the best way to go. The general process is:

• Step 1: Check the company’s Companies House record: Look at the information that is shown on the register.
• Step 2: Identify anything that’s wrong : Split the information into two groups: Changes that can be handled using CS01 And Changes that need a separate form.
• Step 3: Make any changes that are still needed: Do not use the confirmation statement as a way to ignore company changes.
• Step 4: Check identity verification rules: Ensure that the directors have done identity verification and have the personal codes.
• Step 5: Fill out the confirmation statement: Give the information and the necessary declarations.
• Step 6: Pay the filing cost: The online confirmation statement cost is £50.
• Step 7: Send it in : Make sure to check the information before sending it.
• Step 8: Save proof of filing: Keep the confirmation that shows the statement was submitted and accepted.

Companies House offers a service for filing confirmation statements and checking when filings are due.

12. How Much Does a Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing Cost in UK in 2027?

The current Companies House fee is:

Filing method	Current fee
Online	£50
Paper	£110

Companies House’s current fee guidance, updated in September 2026 shows that the cost for a confirmation statement is £50 while a paper filing costs £110. One key detail about the fee is that the confirmation statement fee is tied to a 12-month payment period. This period is different from the review period.

Companies House makes it clear that the fee is due when the first confirmation statement is filed in a 12-month payment period. After that additional confirmation statements filed during the payment period do not require another fee.

This difference is not always obvious. It’s a reason why companies should not assume the confirmation statement date and the payment period are the same. They are not.

13. What Happens If You Do Not File?

Failing to confirmation statement filing can lead to problems that go beyond just having something that’s late on the Companies House record. Companies House says that a company might get a penalty and could be removed from the register if it does not file the confirmation statement. GOV.UK now says that the fine could be as much, as £5,000.

This makes the filing deadline important even for companies that:

• are dormant
• have stopped trading
• have no immediate business activity
• have made no changes during the year.

Late filing is not the only issue to worry about.

An incorrect confirmation statement can also cause problems. That is because the main goal of the filing is to confirm that the company’s details are accurate. The real objective should therefore be:

File on time + file accurate information.

14. Real-World Confirmation Statement (CS01) Filing Scenarios

1: Nothing changed

The company has the directors, shareholders, PSCs, SIC code and registered office. 

Result: The confirmation statement still needs to be filed. The filing confirms that the information remains accurate.

2: A director resigned during the year

The company should not simply wait until its next confirmation statement. The director’s change should be reported using the appropriate Companies House process. The subsequent confirmation statement then reflects the company’s current position.

3: The company changed what it does

Suppose a company originally operated as a marketing consultancy but has moved into software development. The company should review whether its SIC code still accurately represents its business activity. SIC codes can be updated through the confirmation statement.

4: The registered office changed

File a registered office change through the appropriate Companies House filing rather than waiting until the annual confirmation statement.

5: The company is dormant

Dormant status does not remove the annual confirmation statement requirement. A dormant company still needs to file its confirmation statement.

6: The company filed annual accounts

Filing annual accounts does not replace the confirmation statement. These are separate Companies House obligations. A company may therefore need to deal with both its accounts and its confirmation statement.

7: A director has not completed identity verification

For companies affected by the current identity verification requirements, directors should complete the process before filing the relevant confirmation statement. Companies House requires the company to provide the necessary director identity verification information for it to accept the confirmation statement.

15. Top Confirmation Statement (CS01)Filing Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Assuming “nothing changed” means no filing is required : It does not.
2. Waiting for CS01 to report a director change: Director changes have their own filing requirements.
3. Treating CS01 as a replacement for annual accounts: It is not.
4. Forgetting about PSC information: PSC information should be checked as part of the company’s overall Companies House record.
5. Using an outdated SIC code: A company’s SIC code should accurately describe its business activities.
6. Ignoring identity verification: For affected directors, identity verification is now part of the Companies House compliance landscape.
7. Treating the registered email address as an inbox nobody checks: Companies House uses the registered email to communicate with the company.
8. Assuming a filing reminder is the company’s compliance system: Companies House provides reminder services, but the company remains responsible for filing on time.
9. Copying the filing fee from an old article: Companies House fees can change.

Check the fee against the latest official Companies House fee guidance before publishing or filing. Companies House last updated its fee table on 25 September 2026.

Confirmation Statement (CS01) Pre-Filing Checklist 2027

Before submitting CS01, ask:

• Is the confirmation statement deadline correct?
• Is the registered office correct?
• Are all directors correctly recorded?
• Are any director changes outstanding?
• Are PSC details accurate?
• Are shareholder details accurate?
• Is the statement of capital correct?
• Are the SIC codes still appropriate?
• Is the trading status of shares correct?
• Is the registered email address provided and monitored?
• Have the relevant directors completed identity verification?
• Are the required Companies House personal codes available?
• Have any changes that require separate filings already been reported?
• Is the lawful-purpose declaration understood before submission?
• Is the correct filing fee available?
• Has evidence of successful filing been retained?

If there is any answer that’s not clear it is better to fix the problem before sending the confirmation statement. Do not think of CS01 as a regular form to fill out quickly. Take the time to get it right. It is better to sort things out than to deal with problems later. Make sure all the answers are correct before you finish.

Not Sure What Needs Updating Before You File?

A confirmation statement can involve more than simply confirming that nothing has changed. If you’re unsure whether your company information is accurate or whether a change requires a separate Companies House filing, professional company administration support can help you review the requirements before submission.

Get Help Reviewing Your Company Filing

Final Takeaway

A confirmation statement filing is more than an annual form—it serves as a yearly check of your company’s Companies House record.

Before filing, review the company’s directors, PSCs, shareholders, share capital, SIC code, registered office, registered email and other details. Report any changes separately where required and complete applicable identity verification.

Remember:

• Nothing changed? You still need to file.
• Something changed? Check whether you need to make a separate filing.
• Ready to file? Review the Companies House record for accuracy.

FAQs

1: Is a confirmation statement (CS01) filing mandatory?

Yes. Companies generally must file at least one confirmation statement every 12 months, including dormant and non-trading companies.

2: Do I need to file if nothing has changed?

Yes. Companies must still file a confirmation statement even if no changes occurred during the review period.

3: How long do I have to file a (CS01) confirmation statement?

You can file the statement within 14 days after the relevant 12-month review period ends. Check the company’s Companies House record to confirm the exact deadline.

4: How much does a confirmation statement (CS01) filing cost?

The current fee is £50 online and £110 by post.

5: Can I file a confirmation statement early?

Yes. Filing early creates a new confirmation statement date and starts a new review period.

6: Can I change my SIC code in a confirmation statement?

7: Can I change the director through a confirmation statement?

No. Director appointments and resignations have separate Companies House reporting requirements.

8: Does a dormant company need a confirmation statement?

Yes. Dormant and non-trading companies still have to file.

9: Is a confirmation statement the same as annual accounts?

No. They are separate Companies House filing obligations.

10: Does identity verification affect confirmation statement (CS01) filing?

Yes. For directors subject to the current identity verification requirements, Companies House requires identity verification details to be provided as part of the relevant confirmation statement process.

11: What happens if I miss the confirmation statement deadline?

Companies House may take enforcement action, impose financial penalties, and strike the company off the register.