CS01 is the confirmation statement, which every company must file with Companies House at least once a year to confirm that the information held about it is up to date. Most companies file it online for £50; the paper CS01 costs £110. Since 18 November 2025 the statement must also confirm that every director has verified their identity.
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Who has to file a confirmation statement?
Every company, including dormant and non trading companies, must file a confirmation statement. You have to file even if nothing has changed since the last one. As well as confirming the register is correct, the statement includes a declaration that the company’s intended future activities are lawful. For a wider overview of the statement itself, see our confirmation statement explained page; this page focuses on the CS01 form and what it asks for.
When is the confirmation statement due?
Each statement covers a review period. The first review period ends 12 months after the date of incorporation; after that, each one ends 12 months after the confirmation date on the last statement. Gov.uk says you can file up to 14 days after the review period has ended, and the CS01 form says it must be delivered within 14 days of the confirmation date.
You can file early. If you do, you choose a new confirmation date, and the next review period starts the day after it.
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How much does it cost and how do I file it?
From 1 February 2026 the fee is £50 online and £110 for a paper CS01 sent by post. The fee is paid once per payment period, which is separate from the review period. For newer companies the payment period runs 12 months from incorporation; for older companies it ends on the anniversary of the return date on the last annual return. Further statements in the same payment period do not need another fee. Cheques and postal orders for paper filing are made payable to Companies House. Our guide to Companies House fees lists the other charges.
Online filing needs your password and the company’s authentication code; if you do not have these, you must register for online filing first. Gov.uk says a paper CS01 must be used if you are restoring a struck off company, using the confirmation date that was due before it was struck off.
What does the CS01 ask for?
The main form (version 7.0, dated February 2026) has four sections: company details, the confirmation date, a tick box for the lawful purpose statement, and authentication by printed name. No signature is needed. The person authenticating confirms that all the information required for the confirmation period has been delivered, or is being delivered with the statement.
Six additional parts are completed only if relevant:
- Principal business activity (SIC code) changes.
- Statement of capital changes.
- Trading status of shares and exemption from providing PSC information.
- Shareholder information changes.
- Registered email address, required only where the company was incorporated before 4 March 2024 and this is its first statement with a confirmation date after 4 March 2024. An existing registered email address is changed on form EM01, not here.
- Directors’ identity verification details.
The CS01 cannot report changes to officers, people with significant control, the registered office or the single alternative inspection location. Those go on their own forms, such as AP01, TM01 and PSC01, filed before or at the same time as the statement. Everything on the CS01 is public except the registered email address and the identity verification details.
| Key fact | CS01 |
|---|---|
| Form code | CS01, confirmation statement (section 853A Companies Act 2006) |
| Who files it | Every company, including dormant companies |
| How | Online service, or paper CS01 by post |
| Deadline | Within 14 days after the end of the review period |
| Fee | £50 online, £110 paper, once per payment period |
| Penalty | Criminal offence; gov.uk warns of fines up to £5,000 and strike off |
| Identity verification | All directors must be verified before filing |
How does identity verification affect the confirmation statement?
Gov.uk says all directors must verify their identity before you file. In your next statement you give each director’s Companies House personal code and confirm that each has verified. Companies House will not accept the statement until all directors are verified. Existing directors were given a 12 month transition from 18 November 2025, with the deadline set by the company’s next confirmation statement; our page on the existing directors’ verification deadline explains the timing. People with significant control must also verify, on a timetable that depends on their circumstances.
What happens if the confirmation statement is late?
Under section 853L of the Companies Act 2006, a company that fails to deliver a confirmation statement within 14 days after the end of a review period commits an offence, and so does every officer in default. In England and Wales the court can impose a fine, plus a daily default fine of up to the greater of £500 and one tenth of level 4 on the standard scale while the failure continues. Gov.uk warns that you can be fined up to £5,000 and the company may be struck off. Our guides to a late confirmation statement and compulsory strike off cover what to do next.
What are the common mistakes?
- Trying to report a new or departing director on the CS01. Officer changes must be filed on their own forms first.
- Leaving it until a director has not verified. The statement will be rejected until every director has a personal code.
- Assuming a dormant company is exempt. It is not.
- Paying twice. A second statement in the same payment period needs no fee.
- Forgetting Part 5 for an older company that has never given a registered email address.
Illustration only. Harbour Lane Ltd’s last confirmation date was 31 March 2026, so its review period ends on 31 March 2027 and it has until 14 April 2027 to file. One of its two directors has not yet verified. In early March 2027 she verifies through GOV.UK One Login and passes her personal code to the company. On 20 March 2027 the company files online, gives both directors’ personal codes, ticks the lawful purpose statement and pays £50.
Frequently asked questions
Does a dormant company need to file a CS01?
Yes. Gov.uk says every company must file a confirmation statement, including dormant and non trading companies.
Can I file more than one confirmation statement in a year?
Yes. You can file at any time in the review period and choose a new confirmation date. The fee is only paid with the first statement in each payment period.
Is the registered email address made public?
No. Companies House uses it to contact the company and it does not appear on the public register.
Can I add a new director on the confirmation statement?
No. Appointments and terminations are filed separately, before or at the same time as the statement, on AP01 and TM01.
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Related cover: Directors and officers insurance. Ask for a quote or call 01795 841 310.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Filing your companys confirmation statement
- GOV.UK: Companies house fees are changing from 1 february 2026
- GOV.UK: Companies house fees
- GOV.UK: Confirmation statement form cs01 new version
- legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 853L
- GOV.UK: Companies house confirms identity verification rollout from 18 novembe
Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 6 November 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.