Companies House Filing

TL;DR

Mandatory public filings every UK Ltd makes to Companies House — incorporation, share allotments, PSC register, accounts, and confirmation statement.

Companies House is the UK companies registrar. Every Ltd or PLC must file a series of public documents within strict deadlines: SH01 forms within one month of any share allotment, PSC (person-with-significant-control) register updates within 14 days, annual accounts within nine months of year-end, and a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months.

For founders, the practical impact is that share-cap changes from a fundraise become public the day they're filed (price isn't disclosed but ownership shift is), and missed filings can lead to a £150–£1,500 late-filing penalty plus director disqualification in extreme cases. UK lawyers and accountants typically handle the filings as part of a £400–£1,500/year compliance package.

Worked example

After a £400k SEIS round closing on 1 March, the company must file an SH01 by 1 April allotting the new shares, update the PSC register if anyone crosses 25% ownership, and reflect the new structure in the next confirmation statement — all on the public Companies House record.

Common pitfalls

• Filing the SH01 with the wrong nominal value or share class — has to be corrected via a costly RP04.
• Missing the 14-day PSC update window after a fundraise.
• Letting the company go to 'strike-off' status because the confirmation statement was missed.

When this shows up in a pitch deck

Not in the deck itself, but a clean Companies House record is the first thing UK due-diligence lawyers check pre-investment.

Related terms

• Confirmation Statement — Annual UK Companies House filing (CS01) confirming directors, registered address, share capital, and persons with significant control are still accurate.
• Articles of Association (UK) — UK company's constitutional document at Companies House setting share rights, transfer restrictions, board powers, drag/tag and decision thresholds.
• Cap Table — A spreadsheet or system-of-record showing every shareholder, share class, option, warrant, and convertible instrument outstanding in a company.
• Due Diligence — The investigation an investor performs to verify the claims in the pitch and assess all material risks before signing a term sheet or wiring funds.
• Data Room — A secure shared folder with every document an investor needs for due diligence — financials, contracts, cap table, team info, and customer references.

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