What is Companies House and how do directors interact with it?

Companies House is the government body that administers company information in the UK.

As a company owner, you will interact with the agency when you form a company, submit accounts or your Confirmation Statement, or change the data stored about your business.

When a limited company incorporates (comes into existence as a legal body) or dissolves (ceases to legally exist), it is Companies House which is responsible for incorporating or dissolving the company and maintaining the information held on the register.

There were 5,516,377 companies on the Companies House register at the end of June 2026.

It’s also the body responsible for making much of this information – such as Confirmation Statements, annual accounts, registered office addresses and charges – available to the general public, who can access it online.

Companies House also records various specific data, including details of company officers and lists of disqualified directors. Most company information can be viewed free through the Find and update company information service.

Companies House is based in Cardiff, with additional offices in Edinburgh and Belfast. Documents sent by post should now be sent to the main Companies House office in Cardiff. For obvious reasons, most interactions are now done online.

What does Companies House actually do?

Companies House is an executive agency of the Department for Business and Trade. Its core jobs include:

• Incorporating and dissolving limited companies.
• Maintaining the UK’s register of companies.
• Receiving statutory filings such as annual accounts and Confirmation Statements.
• Recording changes to directors, PSCs, registered offices and other company information.
• Making much of the information on the register available to the public.

Its role has also changed significantly under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

Historically, Companies House largely recorded information submitted to it. It now has wider powers to query information, reject filings and take action against information which appears inaccurate, misleading or fraudulent.

You can read more about the reforms in the official Companies House guide to changes to UK company law.

How do limited company owners interact with Companies House?

During your time as a company director, there are many occasions on which you – or the company representative to whom jobs are delegated – will need to interact with Companies House.

The first of these interactions occurs when you set up a company.

Incorporating your company

There are three main ways that you can incorporate a company at Companies House.

• Firstly, you can set up a company directly using the Companies House online service. This costs £100.
• Secondly, you can set up a company using commercial software or an external provider such as an accountant or formation agent. Companies House charges £100 for a standard software incorporation and £156 for the same-day software service. Agents may charge their own additional fees.
• Finally, you can file paper incorporation documents directly with Companies House for a higher fee of £124. This option is slower, so electronic filing is more commonly used.

These fees have been in effect since 1 February 2026. You can see the current Companies House fees here.

Providing a registered office and email address

Every company must have a registered office address.

Companies must also provide Companies House with a registered email address. This has been a legal requirement since March 2024.

The email address is not shown on the public register, but Companies House uses it to communicate with the company. You must make sure it remains an appropriate email address and tell Companies House if it changes.

You can read the official registered office and email address rules here.

Verifying your identity

Identity verification has become another important part of dealing with Companies House.

From 18 November 2025, identity verification became a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control (PSCs), with the requirements being phased in during a 12-month transition period.

New directors must verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code as part of the relevant incorporation or appointment process. Existing directors provide their personal code in connection with their company’s Confirmation Statement when their verification requirement falls due.

PSCs are also required to verify their identity according to the timetable which applies to them.

See our guide to Companies House identity verification, or read the official GOV.UK guidance.

Submitting your annual accounts

A significant event that will also require interaction with Companies House is when you file your annual accounts.

Limited companies must send their accounts to all members, all people entitled to receive notifications of general meetings, and each person who holds the company’s debentures, as well as filing the required accounts with Companies House.

Remember that the company’s Company Tax Return and tax computations are filed separately with HMRC. Companies House and HMRC have different filing requirements and deadlines.

Accounts filing is changing from April 2028

Companies House has confirmed an important future change to the way accounts are filed.

From 1 April 2028, all UK companies will have to file their Companies House accounts using commercial software in iXBRL format. The existing web and paper routes for filing annual accounts will close.

This applies whether you file your own accounts or use an accountant or other agent.

Small companies and micro-entities will also be required to file a profit and loss account with Companies House, although they will be able to opt out of having that information displayed publicly. Further details of that process are still to be confirmed.

Read more about the Companies House accounts filing changes from 2028.

Ongoing dealings with the Registrar

There are also several specific events that occur periodically and require information to be sent to Companies House.

For example, if you change some of the officers who help run your company, you’ll need to inform Companies House. This includes the appointment or resignation of a director or secretary and changes to certain details held about them.

You must also tell Companies House about changes to information such as your company’s name or its registered office address. Some changes do not take legal effect until they have been registered by Companies House.

Changes to people with significant control (PSCs) must also be reported when required rather than simply waiting for the next annual Confirmation Statement.

Your Confirmation Statement

At least once a year, each company must submit a Confirmation Statement.

This confirms that the information Companies House has on record for your company is correct and up to date. You must file one even if nothing has changed.

The digital Confirmation Statement fee is currently £50, covering the company’s 12-month payment period.

Failure to file a Confirmation Statement can ultimately lead to enforcement action and the company being struck off the register.

There are also other scenarios in which you’d be required to inform Companies House of a change in circumstances. If in doubt, browse the official Companies House guidance.

Can anyone see your company information?

One of the main functions of Companies House is to maintain a public register.

This means that much of the information you file can be viewed by anyone, including your company’s:

• Registered office address.
• Directors and their service addresses.
• Persons with Significant Control.
• Annual accounts.
• Confirmation Statement filings.
• Share capital information.
• Registered charges.
• Filing history.

Some information is protected from public view. For example, a director’s full residential address and the company’s registered email address are not normally displayed on the public register.

See our guide to checking company information at Companies House.

What happens if you don’t follow the rules?

If a company is operating but fails to provide accurate and timely company information, its officers could face prosecution.

Remember, the company’s officers are legally responsible for ensuring that statutory filing requirements are met, even where the practical work is delegated to an accountant or another agent.

In addition to the risk of prosecution, there is an automatic financial penalty for filing annual accounts late.

Persistent failure to file required documents can also result in the company being struck off the register.

For a small company, this doesn’t mean you need a large accounts team. But you do need a reliable system – whether you deal with filings yourself or use a limited company accountant – to make sure Companies House deadlines and changes are dealt with on time.