A letter or email from Companies House saying your company is about to be struck off is alarming, but it’s usually fixable — if you act quickly. Once the company is dissolved, its bank account is frozen and any money or assets in it pass to the Crown. Getting them back means restoring the company, which takes far more time and money than stopping the strike-off in the first place.
This guide explains why compulsory strike-off happens, how long you have, how to stop it, and what to do if you’ve missed the deadline.
What is a First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off?
A First Gazette notice is a public announcement in The Gazette that Companies House intends to remove a company from the register. “Compulsory” means Companies House started it, not the directors. It’s different from a voluntary strike-off, where the directors apply using form DS01.
The notice also appears on the company’s public record. Banks, suppliers and customers who check Companies House will see it, so it can affect your credit and reputation even if the strike-off is later stopped.
Why is Companies House striking off my company?
Companies House starts compulsory strike-off when it has reason to believe a company is no longer carrying on business. The most common triggers are:
- Overdue annual accounts
- An overdue confirmation statement
- Post returned undelivered from the registered office address
- The company has no directors
Before publishing the notice, Companies House normally writes to the registered office asking whether the company is still operating. If nobody replies — often because the post goes to an old address — the Gazette notice follows.
How long do you have?
The Gazette notice states the date the company will be struck off. It will be either 2 months or 28 days from the date of the notice. Check the notice carefully, because the shorter deadline leaves very little room.
How to stop the strike-off: step by step
- Find out exactly what’s missing. Search the company on Companies House and check the filing history for overdue accounts or confirmation statements.
- File the overdue documents. This is usually the fix. Once the missing accounts or confirmation statement are filed, Companies House normally stops the strike-off action.
- Contact Companies House if you need more time. If you can’t file before the deadline, explain the situation and what you’re doing to fix it. Don’t assume it will wait without hearing from you.
- Update the registered office address if post has been going astray, so future letters reach you.
- Appoint a director if the company has none.
Expect late filing penalties for overdue accounts. They’re unpleasant but far cheaper than restoring a dissolved company. Our guides to Companies House late filing penalties and overdue confirmation statements explain the costs and how to appeal.
Objecting as a creditor or shareholder
Other people can object to a company being struck off too, including shareholders and creditors who are owed money. Objections must be made after the Gazette notice and before the strike-off date, with evidence less than 6 months old — for example, invoices showing the company owes money.
Objections are made online through a Companies House account. If you object by email or post instead, your objection must arrive at least 2 weeks before the company is due to be struck off.
What happens if the company is struck off anyway?
Once struck off, the company is dissolved and no longer exists as a legal entity. Its bank account is frozen and its assets pass to the Crown. Directors who carry on trading in the company’s name can be personally exposed.
A dissolved company can be brought back, but it’s a slower and more expensive process:
- Administrative restoration — available to former directors or shareholders in some circumstances, if the company was struck off by Companies House. All overdue documents and penalties must be brought up to date.
- Restoration by court order — needed in other cases, for example if a creditor wants to pursue the company.
Don’t want the company any more?
If you no longer need the company, letting Companies House strike it off is not a tidy way to close it. Assets go to the Crown, outstanding filings stay on the record, and creditors can still have it restored. A planned closure is better. See our guide on how to close a limited company.
Need overdue accounts filed fast?
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Frequently asked questions
Will the Gazette notice be removed once I file?
The strike-off action stops, but the notice stays on the company’s public filing history.
Can Companies House strike off a company that’s still trading?
Yes, if it hasn’t filed or hasn’t responded. Companies House works from the public record, not from whether you’re actually trading.
Does a compulsory strike-off affect me as a director?
It can. Persistent filing failures can lead to prosecution or disqualification in serious cases, and lenders and suppliers may see the notice.
