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Company Dissolution Service - FAQs

Everything you need to know about closing your company, including eligibility, the DS01 application, Companies House requirements, and what to expect from the dissolution process.

  1. Am I eligible for a company dissolution?
  2. What is the DS01 form?
  3. How can I access my company number/company registration number?
  4. How can I access my authentication code?
  5. I can’t get hold of the other director(s)/member(s) to sign the application. Can we still proceed?
  6. We’ve signed the board resolution. What happens next?
  7. We’ve signed the board resolution and the electronic application. What happens now?
  8. My confirmation statement is due. Do I still need to complete it?
  9. Do I need to file annual accounts before dissolving a company?
  10. Can I dissolve a company instead of filing overdue annual accounts?
  11. Do I still need to complete Companies House identity verification if my company is dissolving?
  12. What do I need to do after the DS01 application has been submitted to Companies House?
  13. As I am dissolving my company, should I notify HMRC? Can you contact HMRC for me?
  14. My company’s dissolution has been suspended. What does that mean?

1. Am I eligible for a company dissolution?

A UK company is not eligible for voluntary strike-off in the following circumstances:

    • The company has traded or sold stock within the last 3 months
    • The company has changed its name within the last 3 months
    • Legal proceedings are ongoing against the company
    • The company is in, or is about to enter, liquidation
    • The company is party to a credit agreement, such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA)

              It is sensible to seek expert advice based on your circumstances before taking action, particularly if there are outstanding filing obligations or any uncertainty about eligibility.

              2. What is the DS01 form?

              DS01 is the Companies House form used to apply to strike a company off the register. If the application is accepted and completed, the company will be dissolved and will cease to exist.

              3. How can I access my company number/company registration number?

              You can find your Company Registration Number by searching your company name here.

              4. How can I access my authentication code?

              To view your authentication code, log in to your customer portal and select the "My Companies" tile. Your authentication code will be listed next to your company name and number.

              If you are unable to access your customer account and we incorporated your company, please locate your Order Fulfilment email from when the company was incorporated. This contains your company documents, including the document titled Authentication Code.

              Alternatively, you can request a reminder directly from Companies House. This will be sent to your registered office address within 5 working days. Log in to the Companies House WebFiling service, select Request an authentication code, enter your company number, confirm your details, and then select Request code.

              If you do not have access to your registered office address, you can request an authentication code to be sent to an officer’s home address by clicking here.

              Please note: the authentication code must be entered in capital letters as Companies House is case-sensitive.

              5. I can’t get hold of the other director(s)/member(s) to sign the application. Can we still proceed?

              No. We cannot proceed without the required signatures from all active directors/member. If you are unable to contact another director/member, the application cannot move forward. For security reasons, we can only communicate with the account holder. If the other director/member has not responded to the Companies House email requesting their signature, you will need to contact them directly and ask them to complete this step.

              6. We’ve signed the board resolution. What happens next?

              Once the board resolution has been signed, please store this with your company’s records (we do not require a copy). The next step is for the electronic application to be completed and signed. We cannot proceed until that step has also been completed.

              Please look out for the email from Companies House titled You need to sign the application to strike off and dissolve a company. Within the email, you will find a link located next to ‘Sign the application:’ that you need to click on to access the application.

              7. We’ve signed the board resolution and the electronic application. What happens now?

                Once the electronic application has been signed, you do not need to do anything else. We will pay the Companies House filing fee and submit the DS01 to Companies House. We will contact you once Companies House confirms the application has been accepted. This usually happens within 2 working days.

                After submission, Companies House will normally keep the company on the register for around 3 months to allow time for any objections or outstanding matters before the dissolution is completed.

                8. My confirmation statement is due. Do I still need to complete it?

                Once the dissolution application has been submitted to Companies House, you are no longer obligated to file the confirmation statement. However, completing the confirmation statement before the company is struck off the register is considered best practice.

                If you would like us to complete this filing for you, please log in to your customer account and purchase the Confirmation Statement Service in the Shop. Please find more information about this service on our website here.

                9. Do I need to file annual accounts before dissolving a company?

                It is generally advisable to file annual accounts before applying for dissolution, especially if you want to keep your company records in order. However, filing annual accounts before dissolution is not a legal requirement in every case.

                10. Can I dissolve a company instead of filing overdue annual accounts?

                Some company owners consider dissolution instead of filing overdue accounts, particularly if they no longer wish to trade. Late filing penalties are generally only applied if the accounts are filed. However, if you decide to file overdue accounts before closing the company, late filing penalties may still apply.

                11. Do I still need to complete Companies House identity verification if my company is dissolving?

                Companies House identity verification is not required for a DS01 filing. If the DS01 has already been submitted and accepted by Companies House, you would not need to complete identity verification for that company.

                However, if the dissolution has been suspended and the company remains active, identity verification would still be required. This would also apply if you are involved with another active UK company.

                12. What do I need to do after the DS01 application has been submitted to Companies House?

                After a DS01 application has been submitted, you must inform all interested parties within 7 days. Interested parties include:

                  • creditors
                  • employees
                  • shareholders or guarantors, depending on the type of company
                  • the manager or trustee of any employee pension fund
                  • anyone else who becomes an interested party after the DS01 has been submitted

                  You should also inform HMRC that you have applied for the company to be struck off, if you have not already done so.

                  13. As I am dissolving my company, should I notify HMRC? Can you contact HMRC for me?

                  It is recommended that you contact HMRC to let them know your company is being dissolved. This helps them update their records and calculate any final Corporation Tax that may be due.

                    Unfortunately, we cannot contact HMRC on your behalf, as we are not tax agents or company directors/members. You would need to contact HMRC directly, or ask your accountant to do so, if applicable.

                    Please note that HMRC and Companies House are separate bodies. Submitting a dissolution application to Companies House does not notify HMRC automatically.

                    HMRC does not currently provide an official email address or online form for notifying them of a company dissolution.

                    You can contact them by phone:

                    • Inside the UK: 0300 200 3410
                    • Outside the UK: +44 151 268 0571

                     

                    Alternatively, you can write to HMRC and include:

                    • company name
                    • company registration number (CRN)
                    • date of dissolution, or the application submission date if the dissolution is still in progress
                    • confirmation that final accounts and tax returns have been submitted, or confirmation that the company never traded

                                Address your letter to:

                                Corporation Tax Services
                                HM Revenue and Customs
                                BX9 1AX
                                UNITED KINGDOM

                                14. My company’s dissolution has been suspended. What does that mean?

                                In most cases, this means that an individual or organisation has raised an objection or asked for the process to be paused. Companies House will usually send a letter to the registered office address.

                                  If you have not received anything, I recommend contacting Companies House directly to ask who raised the objection and what needs to be resolved.

                                  You can contact Companies House here:

                                      This matter must be resolved directly with the party that raised the objection. Once the objection is cleared, the dissolution process can continue. You do not usually need to submit a new application as the current one will resume, unless Companies House advises otherwise.