Submitted by
Sestini & Co | on Fri, 09/30/2016 - 14:02 | In
Accounting and systems,
Companies House On 30th June 2016 confirmation statements replaced the annual return.
Like the annual return, these will be publicly available on Companies House website along with the usual information on private limited companies and LLPs registered in the UK, such as company directors, incorporation date and accounts.
Confirmation statements require you to confirm whether the information held by Companies House about your business is correct. In addition to information about directors and company secretaries and shareholders, confirmation statements also include information on people with significant control for the PSC register (as discussed in our recent blog).
What can I check and change on the confirmation statement?
The confirmation statement will allow you to confirm or change information on:
- Principal business activities or standard industrial classification (SIC)
- Trading status of shares
- Statement of capital
- Shareholder information
- Information about people with significant control.
- Exemption from keeping a register of people with significant control (if eligible).
What if I want to make other changes?
If you require other changes to be made to the information Companies House holds, you need to complete a separate form and send it in with your confirmation statement.
This will apply to:
- Changes to company officers
- Registered office address
- Single alternative inspection (SAIL) information.
Filing costs
In line with the government drive for digital submissions, there’s a charge of £40 to file paper confirmation statements, whereas digital submission costs £13. The fee is only payable annually, even if you need to file a new confirmation statement during the year.
All the forms are available online at the www.gov.uk website. An example for a limited company is here.
Fil
ing dates
The filing date for confirmation statements is initially 14 days after the company’s anniversary of incorporation and thereafter on the anniversary of the previous confirmation statement date.
You can check when your statement is due on the Companies House website.
Tips
- The grace period for filing has changed to just 14 days (from 28 days). Sestini & Co clients will be sent a draft Confirmation Statement for their review and approval before the deadline.
Free email reminders can be obtained by signing up for an email alert at Companies House (registration required).
What happens if we fail to file?
Failing to file is a criminal offence. The company, its directors or other officers could be prosecuted for failing to submit on time.
In addition, Companies House might assume your company isn’t carrying on business or is no longer in operation and strike you from the register. If this happens the consequences are very serious: the company ceases to exist and its assets become Crown property.
Contact us
We manage confirmation statements and information for the PSC register for our clients. Do contact us if you have any queries, such as overseas entities or companies subject to the Financial Conduct Authority rules around transparency. Call us on 01761 241 861 or email us today. We will be pleased to advise you or to invite you into our offices in Paulton, near Bristol and Bath, for a consultation.
