A UK confirmation statement deserves a place in your company’s compliance calendar from day one. For an international founder, the practical challenge is to connect accurate corporate records, director availability and timely filing. A reminder alone does not organise that work.
By Avv. Daniele Bertaggia. Official guidance checked on 14 October 2026. This guide addresses UK limited companies and gives general information, not advice on an individual company’s position.
UK confirmation statement: what to check
Companies House requires a review and at least one statement every 12 months, with filing permitted within 14 days after the review period ends. Check the company’s actual deadline on the register; filing early starts a new review period.
Review the registered office, directors, secretary, records address, capital and shareholders where applicable, SIC code and people with significant control. Certain changes can be reported through the statement; other changes require separate notifications. Do not assume that the annual review replaces those filings. At the review date, GOV.UK lists filing fees of £50 online or £110 by post. Failure to file can lead to penalties and strike-off. Source: Companies House confirmation statement guidance.
Prepare identity information before filing
The filing service says that identity verification may be needed before submission and that, for a company with several directors, each director’s personal code is required. Check the requirements applicable to each person’s role and circumstances before starting. Source: official filing service and identity requirements.
For an overseas board, this is a practical reason to start early. Ask the responsible adviser which information is missing and agree a secure way to supply it. Do not send passwords or identity documents in an initial general enquiry. A filing project should identify the authorised filer and the people who need to complete their own steps.
Keep accounts and tax work on separate tracks
The UK confirmation statement is not the company’s annual accounts or Company Tax Return. GOV.UK sets out separate Companies House and HMRC obligations and deadlines for accounts, returns and Corporation Tax. First-year and dormant-company situations need particular attention. Source: accounts and tax returns for private limited companies.
Accordingly, a single entry labelled “annual filing” is a poor management tool. Ask your advisers for a calendar that separates each required task, its deadline, its owner and the evidence of completion. Tax residence and cross-border tax treatment require their own analysis; submitting a statement does not resolve them.
A practical review process for international owners
The following workflow is a management recommendation, not an additional statutory filing checklist:
- Collect: assemble the current corporate records and the latest register information.
- Compare: identify differences and ask which separate filings are needed.
- Allocate: name the person coordinating the review, the authorised filer and a backup contact.
- Prepare: address identity requirements and unanswered questions before the deadline.
- Retain: keep the submitted information, confirmation of acceptance and an updated calendar.
For example, shareholders in different countries may agree a transaction while the administrative team still uses an older ownership schedule. A review should reconcile the records before anyone confirms their accuracy. It should also distinguish an unresolved factual issue from a document that simply needs collecting.
Your registered office and correspondence arrangements belong in this process. Agree how official notices reach the directors and who follows up when a response is needed. These practical steps support the wider governance and record-keeping arrangements.
How Studio Bertaggia can assist
Under Avv. Daniele Bertaggia, founder and head of the Studio, the firm can help international clients organise the legal and administrative questions surrounding a UK company. Subject to an agreed engagement, assistance may include reviewing the proposed workflow, identifying inconsistencies in the information supplied and coordinating the necessary input from UK professionals.
The value is a coordinated matter: clear responsibilities, a defined scope of work and an escalation route for unresolved issues. Any filing, accounting or tax service must be expressly included in the relevant engagement. Assistance does not guarantee acceptance or remove the need for accurate information.
Start with the international company formation service. Tell us the company number, the approaching deadline and the countries involved, without attaching sensitive documents at first contact. Justyna Pisyak coordinates appointments and the secretariat.
Request a consultation → Email the Studio Call +44 7865631327