What to check before a confirmation statement

Before submitting a confirmation statement, check the company's records against the information actually held by Companies House. The purpose is to confirm an accurate position, not simply to meet a date in the diary. Preparing the review early leaves time to correct details and complete verification steps. ^[1]

Confirm the right company and review date

Use the company number as the stable identifier, particularly where several businesses have similar names. Check the confirmation date and filing deadline on the register. Distinguish the review period from the annual fee payment period and from the accounts period.

If an early filing is proposed, understand how it changes the next review period. Record the reason and update the internal calendar after acceptance so the old date does not remain the only reminder.

Reconcile registered details first

Check directors, the secretary where relevant, registered office, registered email and PSC information. Required changes to these details should be dealt with through the appropriate filings before the statement is sent. ^[1]

Ensure that the registered office and email are actually monitored. A technically correct address can still create operational problems if nobody forwards post or opens the mailbox.

Review ownership and business information

Compare shareholder information and the statement of capital with the company's register of members and completed share transactions. Review SIC codes against the activities actually undertaken. The confirmation statement's additional information section can update specified categories, but it is not a universal correction form. ^[1]

Where a share issue, transfer or change in control has occurred, identify all resulting obligations separately. A single ownership event can affect several records and filings.

Gather verification information securely

Confirm that directors have completed the applicable identity verification and that the required personal codes are available to the authorised filer. Check PSC obligations separately. Do not postpone this until the final filing day, when a mismatch or unavailable individual could delay submission. ^[1]

Final submission checklist

• Resolve known discrepancies or obtain advice on the correct response.
• Confirm the lawful future activities statement can be made accurately.
• Check the current fee and payment arrangements.
• Obtain the responsible person's approval of the completed information.
• Save the submitted version, receipt and acceptance result.
• Verify the next confirmation date after processing.

If an adviser prepares the filing, agree what they are checking and what the directors must confirm. A request to file does not automatically mean the adviser has independently verified every underlying ownership or control arrangement.

Send a structured review request to directors

Give directors a company-specific pack showing the information to be checked and the date it represents. Highlight changes since the previous statement, including completed transactions and outstanding notifications. Ask for a response to each unresolved point rather than a general instruction to approve the filing. Silence is an unreliable way to establish that an ownership detail has been confirmed.

Specify a preparation deadline before the statutory filing deadline. The gap allows for corrections, missing personal codes and approval of the final version. If a director is travelling or an investor controls a relevant document, request it early. The preparer should know which information is still missing rather than discovering the problem while completing the online submission.

Reconcile ownership using completed documents

Take the current register of members and compare it with the previous statement, new allotments and transfers. Check share classes and the rights associated with them. A change in the number of shares may affect the statement of capital, while an ownership transaction can also require a separate PSC assessment. Keep these consequences as distinct checklist entries.

For an illustrative example, an investor signs documents in July but completion occurs in August. A statement with a July confirmation date should not automatically use the final August ownership position. Ask which conditions had been satisfied and when the transaction became effective. Use the actual chronology to determine the information being confirmed.

Make a final pre-submission decision

Before the filer presses submit, the responsible person should see the completed data and the list of corrections already accepted. If the information differs from the approved pack, resolve that difference. A last-minute change to a shareholder's name or control position should not slip through merely because everyone is focused on paying the fee.

Review the intended lawful activities confirmation with someone who understands the company's plans. An administrator can collect the instruction, but should not invent an answer about future activities without an appropriate basis. Record who approved the filing and which version they reviewed, keeping sensitive personal codes out of the general approval email.

Use acceptance to start the next cycle

Save the resulting acknowledgement and verify the recorded review date. Update the next preparation reminder and note any follow-up item that was outside this filing's scope. If a separate correction remains pending, keep it open with an owner. An accepted annual statement is not evidence that every unrelated administration task has been completed.

For the distinction between financial and company-information filings, see Confirmation statements and annual accounts compared. Confirmation statement support can help with the confirmation statement preparation and submission process once responsibilities and the available evidence are agreed.

Keep the completed checklist with the filing evidence. It should explain the review performed and any follow-up tasks, making next year's preparation easier and more reliable.