Closing / Dissolving a company (Striking-off or winding-up)

A limited company can request to be closed / dissolved under Section 1003 of the Companies Act 2006, providing that it meets all of the following requirements:

• Not traded within the last 3 months
• Not changed the company name within the last 3 months
• Is not subject to any legal proceedings, current or proposed
• Has not made a disposal for value of property or rights

When all of the above criteria are met the Striking Off application (DSO1) can be completed

Form DS01 Striking-off application (PDF 762KB) must be:

• Signed by the majority of directors
• Submitted with a £10 fee to:
  
  
  • Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff CF14 3UZ - for English and Welsh companies
  • Companies House 4th Floor Edinburgh Quay 2, 139 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9FF - for Scottish companies
  • Companies House 2nd Floor The Linenhall, 32-38 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8BG - for Northern Ireland companies
• A copy must also be sent to interested parties within 1 week of the application e.g. HM Revenue & Customs, creditors, employees, members etc.

To note:

When an application is accepted Companies House will no longer chase for further compliance.

When the application has been accepted a notice will be placed in the London / Edinburgh / Belfast Gazette giving at least 3 months notice of the intent to remove the company.

If the application is withdrawn by the company the £10 is non-refundable. Outstanding accounts and annual returns will be due and the accounts will be subject to any Late Filing Penalties.

If an objection by an interested party is upheld the action to close the company will be suspended.

Guidance

Companies House provide guidance to help you understand Strike Off, Dissolution & Restoration.

A company may be closed (wound up) voluntarily if it cannot pay its creditors. It may also be closed (wound up) by order of the court on the petition of a creditor. In either case, relevant documents need to be sent to Companies House.

The following guidance is provided to help you understand the legal requirements that you must adhere to.

• Liquidation and Insolvency in England and Wales
• Liquidation and insolvency in Scotland
• Liquidation and insolvency in Northern Ireland