Companies House Forms Explained

If you run a limited company in the UK, you’ll inevitably deal with Companies House forms. From setting up your company to appointing directors, issuing new shares, or filing your yearly Confirmation Statement, these filings keep your public record accurate and your business compliant.

Don’t stress - once you understand which Companies House forms apply and when to use them, staying on top of filings becomes a simple, repeatable process. In this guide, we’ll walk through the key forms small businesses encounter, how to complete them properly, and the practical steps to keep your records aligned from day one.

What Are Companies House Forms And When Do Small Businesses Use Them?

Companies House is the UK’s registrar of companies. It maintains your company’s official public record. You use Companies House forms (mostly filed online, sometimes by paper) to notify the registrar about events and updates in your company’s life - both one-off changes (like appointing a new director) and recurring obligations (like your annual Confirmation Statement).

In most cases, you’ll file online through the Companies House web filing service or approved software. Paper forms still exist for many filings, but online submissions are usually faster, cheaper, and less likely to be rejected for basic errors.

Why it matters: UK company law requires you to keep the public record up-to-date. If you don’t file the right form within the deadline, you risk fines, late filing penalties, transactions being invalid on the public record, and in serious cases, even prosecution of directors. The good news is that with the right setup and routine, filings can be quick and hassle-free.

Which Companies House Forms Do You Actually Need?

There are dozens of Companies House forms, but most small companies regularly encounter a core set. Below we’ve grouped the most common ones by business scenario so you can jump to what’s relevant.

When You’re Setting Up

• Incorporation (new company): Application to register a company (commonly referred to as IN01 for paper filings, with an online equivalent). You’ll provide your company name, registered office, directors, share capital, and shareholder details. If you’re ready to incorporate, you can Register a Company with tailored legal support so your constitution and shareholder arrangements are set up correctly from day one.
• Company constitution: At incorporation you’ll submit your Articles of Association. Most founders move beyond the generic “model” rules so the Articles of Association match how you actually want decisions, share rights, and director powers to work.
• Shareholder arrangements: Not a Companies House form, but crucial alongside incorporation - a Shareholders Agreement sets the ground rules between founders (for example, what happens if someone wants to exit, drag and tag rights, vesting, restrictive covenants).

Keeping Director And Address Details Up To Date

• Appointing a director: AP01 (for a natural person) - appointment of director. You’ll need full name, service address, DOB (month/year), nationality, occupation and any former names.
• Terminating a director: TM01 - termination of appointment of director.
• Changing a director’s details: CH01 - change of a director’s details (for example, service address or name).
• Changing registered office address: AD01 - change of registered office address. Remember, this address must always be in the same UK jurisdiction where your company is registered (England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland).
• Accounting reference date: AA01 - change of accounting reference date (useful to align financial year-ends across a group).

Shares, Capital And Ownership

• Allotting new shares: SH01 - return of allotment of shares. You must file after issuing new shares (for example, to a new investor or to founders under a vesting schedule).
• Statements of capital and variants: Depending on the transaction (sub-division, consolidation, redenomination), Companies House provides specific SH-series forms. For standard allotments, SH01 is the workhorse.
• PSC (Persons with Significant Control): Use PSC01–PSC09 forms (or online equivalents) to add, update or cease People with Significant Control. Understanding who qualifies is important - read our plain-English explainer on People with Significant Control.

Annual And Recurring Filings

• Confirmation Statement: CS01 - confirms your company’s snapshot (shareholders, statement of capital, SIC codes, PSC details). This must be filed at least once every 12 months and within 14 days of your confirmation period end. You’ll also keep your company registration number handy here, as it’s needed for most filings.
• Annual accounts: Filed separately from Companies House “forms”, but they’re a core filing. Private companies normally have 9 months after the accounting reference date to file.

Charges, Name Changes And Closure

• Registering a charge: MR01 - registration of a charge (for example, security granted to a lender). There are strict time limits, so diarise this as part of your funding checklist.
• Changing your company name: NM01 - change of name by resolution. Have a resolution drafted and ensure the new name is available (and not sensitive) before filing.
• Voluntary strike-off: DS01 - application to strike off. Used when you want to close the company. Alternatively, you may choose to make a company dormant if you’re pausing operations but want to keep the entity alive.

Tip: Companies House continuously updates its online service and paper form set. Always start at the Companies House service website to choose the online route first, and only use paper forms where necessary.

How To Complete Companies House Forms Correctly (Step-By-Step)

The biggest reasons filings get rejected are small, preventable errors. Here’s a simple process to get it right the first time.

1) Confirm The Legal Step You’re Taking

Before you touch the form, make the underlying decision correctly. For example, before an SH01 (allotting shares), ensure the board has valid authority to allot (check your Articles and any existing shareholder resolutions) and that pre-emption rights have been handled.

This is where internal governance matters. Record decisions with clear board resolutions and, where required, shareholder special or ordinary resolutions. Without proper approvals, a filing can be ineffective or legally challengeable even if Companies House accepts it.

2) Check Your Company Records First

Your statutory registers and the public record should align. Before you file, review your internal registers (directors, members, PSC, charges) against the public filing. If there’s a mismatch, clean it up systematically rather than compounding inconsistencies with a new filing.

For share transactions, make sure your cap table and share class rights match your Articles. If your rules need updating (for example, to create a new class with bespoke rights), update your Articles of Association first and pass the appropriate resolutions.

3) Use The Right Version And Route

• Prefer online filing where available.
• If using a paper form, download the current version on the day you file (don’t reuse an old PDF).
• Check the current fee (some filings attract a fee; online is typically cheaper).
• Ensure the form matches your company type (private vs public, limited by shares vs limited by guarantee).

4) Complete The Form Carefully

• Names and addresses must match official records and be spelled consistently. Small typo errors can cause rejections.
• Include all required dates (for example, the date of appointment, allotment, or resolution).
• For SH01, double-check the statement of capital, currency, aggregate nominal value, and the amounts paid/unpaid. Mistakes here ripple across future filings.
• For PSC updates, ensure the control condition is correctly selected (for example, holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights).

5) Attach The Right Supporting Documents

Many filings rely on board minutes, shareholder resolutions, or amended Articles being in place, even if you don’t upload them with the form. Keep signed copies in your company record, and where the online service requests a supporting document (e.g., new Articles for a name change or class rights update), upload the final signed version.

6) Check Authorisations And Signatures

Make sure the person signing (physically or digitally) is appropriately authorised. For online filings, you’ll use authentication credentials. For paper forms, check who can sign (a director or the company secretary, if appointed).

7) File, Save Receipts, And Update Your Registers

After filing, save the submission receipt and Companies House acknowledgment. Then update your internal registers and minute book, and issue any documents that flow from the filing (for example, new share certificates after an SH01, or a letter of appointment and induction pack after an AP01).

Common Filing Deadlines, Fees And Penalties You Should Know

Staying on top of deadlines is critical. Here are the big ones for most small companies.

• Confirmation Statement (CS01): At least once every 12 months, due within 14 days of the end of your confirmation period. There’s a filing fee (online is cheaper).
• Annual Accounts: Normally due within 9 months of your accounting reference date (private companies). Late filing penalties escalate quickly.
• Director Changes (AP01/TM01/CH01): File “as soon as possible” after the event - don’t sit on these. Delays can cause issues with banks, suppliers, and HMRC if the public record is out of date.
• Share Allotments (SH01): File within one month of allotment.
• PSC Updates (PSC01–PSC09): File within 14 days of the change being known, and update your PSC register within your statutory time limits.
• Charges (MR01): Strict short deadline (normally 21 days) to register a charge - diarise this in every financing checklist.
• Change of Name (NM01): Usually processed quickly once accepted; you can’t trade under the new name until Companies House confirms it.

Missing a deadline can lead to financial penalties, difficulty completing transactions (for example, investors will pause a round if public records don’t align), and in serious or repeated cases, enforcement action against the company or its officers.

Best Practice: Keep Your Company Records In Sync With Your Filings

Think of Companies House filings as the outward reflection of your internal governance. If your house is in order internally, filings become easy. Here’s a simple framework to keep everything aligned.

Maintain Robust Internal Registers

Keep your member (shareholder) register, director register, PSC register, and charge register updated immediately after changes. That way, when you go to file, you’re copying reliable, current information - not scrambling through old emails and cap tables.

Use Resolutions Consistently

Before major actions (allotting shares, changing name, adopting new Articles, authorising directors), draft and sign the right resolutions. Depending on the decision, that could be a board decision or a shareholder ordinary/special resolution. This habit makes filings smooth and creates a clear paper trail if anything is ever questioned.

Align Your Constitution And Shareholder Agreements

If you’re introducing new share classes, vesting, or bespoke rights, get the rules right first. Update the Articles of Association and ensure your Shareholders Agreement matches the commercial reality you want - then file the transaction (e.g., SH01) based on those rules.

Plan For Annual Filings

Diarise your CS01 and accounts filing windows at the start of the year and build a simple checklist of what you’ll need. For the CS01, that includes confirming shareholder holdings, PSC details, SIC codes, and your statement of capital. Many businesses review their company registration number and authentication code at the same time to ensure the right people have access.

Be Transaction-Ready

Thinking about a loan or investment? Put the MR01 deadline and SH01 requirements into your closing checklist. Make sure your PSC information is clean and reflects any new control positions. Investors and lenders expect a tidy company record - it signals maturity and reduces legal friction.

If You’re Pausing Or Closing

If you need to pause trading for a while, it can be more efficient to make a company dormant than to strike it off and start again later. If you do decide to close, plan your DS01, tell creditors, and be aware of restrictions (e.g., you can’t strike off if you’ve traded or changed name recently). Where directors are stepping down as part of a closure or restructure, file the TM01 promptly and ensure handovers are documented for risk management.

Do Companies House Forms Replace Legal Documents?

No - filings complement, but don’t replace, your internal legal documents. For example:

• An SH01 records that shares were allotted; it doesn’t document the terms of issue, investor rights, or warranties - that’s handled in your investment paperwork and internal resolutions.
• An AP01 appoints a director; it doesn’t set their duties or remuneration - you’ll typically have a Directors’ Service Agreement and board policies covering those points.
• A PSC filing updates public control information; it doesn’t create the control - the underlying share or voting arrangements do.

Treat Companies House filings as the public notification step. The legal foundation happens in your constitution, contracts and resolutions - which is why getting your governance right early saves headaches later.

Key Takeaways

• Companies House forms keep your public record accurate - file online where possible and within statutory deadlines to avoid penalties.
• The most common forms for small companies include AP01/TM01/CH01 (director changes), AD01 (registered office), SH01 (share allotments), CS01 (Confirmation Statement), AA01 (accounting reference date), PSC01–PSC09 (PSC updates), MR01 (charges), NM01 (change of name) and DS01 (strike-off).
• Always make the legal decision first (resolutions, contract terms, updated Articles), then file the relevant form. Filings reflect your governance, not the other way around.
• Keep internal registers, resolutions and cap tables in sync. This makes filings quick and reduces the risk of rejections or future disputes.
• Plan ahead for annual obligations like the CS01 and accounts. Build filings into your investment or lending checklists (especially SH01 and MR01 deadlines).
• Key company identifiers matter - keep your authentication code safe and your company registration number to hand for routine filings.
• Filings don’t replace your legal documents. Align your Articles of Association, Shareholders Agreement, and board resolutions with what you file at Companies House.

If you’d like help choosing the right filings, preparing resolutions, or getting your company governance in order, our team is here to help. You can reach us at 08081347754 or team@sprintlaw.co.uk for a free, no-obligations chat.