If you run a UK limited company, you've probably seen both terms in your Companies House account and wondered whether they're actually the same thing. They're not. A confirmation statement verifies that Companies House holds accurate, up-to-date information about your company, while annual accounts report your company's actual financial performance to both Companies House and HMRC. One is an administrative check-in. The other is a full financial disclosure. Miss either one, and you're looking at penalties, or worse, the possibility of your company being struck off the register.
This guide breaks down exactly what each filing is, who needs to submit them, current 2026 fees and deadlines, and what happens if you fall behind — whether you're a UK resident director or running your company from overseas.
What Is a Confirmation Statement?
A confirmation statement (form CS01) is a short annual filing that confirms the information Companies House holds about your company is correct as of a specific date, known as the "confirmation date." It doesn't report on your finances at all. Instead, it checks and confirms details such as:
- Registered office address
- Directors and company secretary details
- Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code
- Statement of capital and shareholder information
If nothing has changed since your last filing, you simply confirm the details are still accurate. If something has changed, most updates (like a change of director) need to be filed separately, and the confirmation statement then confirms the updated record.
Every active UK company and LLP must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, even if the company is dormant or not trading. There's no exemption for inactivity — Companies House still needs to know the company exists and who's behind it.
What Are Annual Accounts?
Annual accounts (also called statutory accounts) are a full set of financial statements that report how your company performed over its financial year. Unlike the confirmation statement, this is a genuine financial disclosure, and it's filed with both Companies House and HMRC (via a Corporation Tax return, CT600, for the tax side).
Depending on your company's size, annual accounts can include:
- A balance sheet
- A profit and loss account
- Notes to the accounts
- A director's report (for larger companies)
- An auditor's report (if the company doesn't qualify for audit exemption)
Small and micro-entity companies benefit from simplified reporting requirements. A micro-entity, for example, can often file an abridged balance sheet with minimal notes, which significantly reduces the accounting workload compared to a medium or large company.
Confirmation Statement vs Annual Accounts: The Key Differences
Here's a side-by-side comparison to make the distinction clear at a glance.
Factor: Purpose
Confirmation Statement: Confirms company details are accurate
Annual Accounts: Reports company's financial performance
Factor: Filed with
Confirmation Statement: Companies House
Annual Accounts: Companies House and HMRC
Factor: Frequency
Confirmation Statement: At least once every 12 months
Annual Accounts: Once per financial year
Factor: Deadline
Confirmation Statement: 14 days after the confirmation date
Annual Accounts: 9 months after the financial year end (private companies)
Factor: Fee (2026)
Confirmation Statement: £50 online, £110 by post
Annual Accounts: No filing fee (accountancy costs may apply)
Factor: Applies to dormant companies?
Confirmation Statement: Yes, mandatory
Annual Accounts: Yes, in simplified dormant form
Factor: Late filing consequence
Confirmation Statement: Company can be struck off
Annual Accounts: Automatic financial penalty, escalating with delay
Do I Need to File Both?
Yes. These are two entirely separate legal obligations, and filing one does not excuse you from the other. A common misconception among new directors, especially first-time founders or overseas entrepreneurs setting up a UK company, is that submitting the confirmation statement covers all their annual Companies House duties. It doesn't. You are required to file:
- A confirmation statement, at least once every 12 months
- Annual accounts, once per financial year
- A Corporation Tax return (CT600) with HMRC, separately
If your company structure feels unfamiliar, our Companies House compliance checklist walks through every recurring obligation in one place, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Confirmation Statement Deadlines and Fees (2026)
Your confirmation date is either the anniversary of incorporation or the anniversary of your last confirmation statement. From that date, you have 14 days to file. As of 1 February 2026, Companies House increased the digital filing fee for confirmation statements from £34 to £50, with the postal fee rising to £110. This fee covers a full 12-month period, so if something changes and you need to update details again within that same period, you won't need to pay again just to reflect the update.
It's worth budgeting for this now if you're planning ahead: a newly incorporated company filing its digital incorporation (£100) and its first confirmation statement (£50) will pay £150 in Companies House fees before any accountant or agent costs.
Annual Accounts Deadlines
Annual accounts deadlines depend on your company's financial year end (also called the accounting reference date):
- Private limited companies: 9 months after the financial year end
- Public limited companies: 6 months after the financial year end
- First accounts after incorporation: typically 21 months after the date of incorporation (this can differ, so it's worth checking your specific deadline on your Companies House record)
Missing this deadline triggers an automatic late filing penalty, and Companies House does not offer discretion on this. The later the accounts arrive, the steeper the fine, and penalties double if you're late two years running.
What Happens If You Miss a Filing?
Late confirmation statement: There's no direct monetary penalty attached to a late confirmation statement in the way there is for accounts. However, failing to file is a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006, and persistent non-compliance can lead Companies House to begin the process of striking your company off the register. Once a company is struck off, its assets can become property of the Crown, and reinstating it is a costly, time-consuming process.
Late annual accounts: This does carry an automatic financial penalty, scaled by how late the filing is and whether the company is private or public. Penalties typically start in the low hundreds of pounds for accounts filed within one month late, and climb into four figures the longer the delay continues. On top of the Companies House penalty, HMRC can separately fine you for a late Corporation Tax return.
If you're managing this from outside the UK, these deadlines are easy to lose track of. Directors registering a company from abroad should read our guide on registering a UK company as a non-resident for a clearer picture of ongoing compliance duties once the company is formed.
Do Dormant Companies Need to File Both?
Yes, and this catches a lot of directors off guard. Even if your company has never traded, has no income, and has no active business activity, you still need to file:
- A confirmation statement every 12 months
- Dormant company accounts every financial year (a simplified version of standard accounts, but still mandatory)
Keeping a company dormant doesn't pause your Companies House obligations. It only reduces the complexity of what you're required to submit.
How to File Both
Both filings can be submitted through the Companies House WebFiling service or via third-party software, and increasingly, identity verification requirements introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act mean directors need to have verified their identity before certain filings are accepted. If you'd rather not manage the paperwork, verification checks, and deadline tracking yourself, this is exactly the kind of ongoing compliance work that an accountant or company formation service handles as a matter of routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a confirmation statement and annual accounts? A confirmation statement confirms your company's registered details are accurate and is filed with Companies House. Annual accounts report your company's financial performance and are filed with both Companies House and HMRC.
Do I need to file a confirmation statement every year? Yes. Every active UK company and LLP must file at least once every 12 months, even if dormant.
How much does it cost to file a confirmation statement in 2026? As of 1 February 2026, it costs £50 online or £110 by post at Companies House.
What happens if I miss the annual accounts deadline? Companies House applies an automatic late filing penalty that increases the longer the delay continues, and penalties double if you're late in consecutive years.
Do dormant companies still need to file a confirmation statement? Yes. Dormant status doesn't remove this requirement — it only simplifies the accounts filing.
Can I file my confirmation statement and annual accounts together? No. They're separate filings with different deadlines, and each must be submitted independently, though both are managed through your Companies House account.
Final Thoughts
Confusing a confirmation statement with annual accounts is one of the most common compliance mistakes new UK company directors make, and it's an easy one to avoid once you understand what each filing actually does. The confirmation statement keeps your company's public record accurate. Annual accounts show how your business actually performed financially. Both are legally required, both have separate deadlines, and both carry real consequences if ignored.
If you'd rather not track two separate deadlines, fee changes, and identity verification requirements on your own, Brandora Services can manage your UK company's confirmation statements, annual accounts, and ongoing Companies House compliance for you. Get in touch to book a compliance review, or browse more guides on our blog for practical advice on running a UK or US company from anywhere in the world.
Fees and deadlines referenced above reflect Companies House rules as of July 2026. Always confirm current figures directly on the official Companies House website before filing, as fees are subject to periodic revision.