In 2016, filing a confirmation statement cost £13. It was a small, predictable fee for confirming that the basic details held by Companies House were correct. Over time, that cost has steadily risen, increasing to £34 from 1 May 2024.
From 1 February 2026, the fee will rise again — this time to £50.
Running a limited company in the UK has never been just about running the business itself. Alongside day-to-day operations, directors are expected to keep up with an ever-growing list of compliance requirements, filings, and deadlines. One of the most routine of these is the annual confirmation statement.
What’s notable is not just the increase itself, but the fact that the process behind it remains unchanged. The confirmation statement is still a simple administrative submission. Even where no details have changed, it must be filed annually, and the full fee applies regardless.
Over less than a decade, the cost of completing the same task has risen by 285%, without any obvious improvement in service or added support for business owners.
For many small companies, this isn’t about whether £50 is affordable in isolation. It’s about the principle. Costs across the board have increased, from professional fees and payroll costs to energy, software, and general overheads. Against that backdrop, higher charges for basic compliance obligations can feel like yet another quiet pressure added to already stretched businesses.
The confirmation statement itself remains a legal requirement. Directors must confirm that details such as registered office address, directors, shareholders, persons with significant control, and share structure are accurate and up to date. Failing to file on time can lead to penalties and, in more serious cases, strike-off action.
As Companies House continues to introduce wider changes and increased scrutiny, accuracy and timeliness are becoming more important than ever. Small errors or missed deadlines can now carry greater consequences, adding stress to what should be a straightforward annual task.
We are keeping a close eye on Companies House developments and how they affect business owners.
