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Companies House explained · Updated September 2026
The short answer
The company is due to be removed from the Companies House register. A notice has been published in The Gazette, and unless the process is stopped the company is usually dissolved about two months later. Until then it is still active and can trade.
Compulsory
Companies House starts a compulsory strike-off when it has reason to believe a company is no longer operating. The usual trigger is overdue annual accounts or an overdue confirmation statement.
It writes to the company first. If there is no reply, it publishes a first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off and the company status changes to “Active – proposal to strike off”. Filing the missing documents usually stops the process.
Voluntary
Directors who want to close a company that has stopped trading can apply to strike it off themselves using form DS01. It generally can't be used if the company has traded, changed its name or sold stock in the last three months.
The directors must send a copy to interested parties such as creditors, employees and shareholders. See our step-by-step guide to closing a limited company with DS01. The same Gazette notice and status follow. See the official GOV.UK guidance for the current rules and fee.
Timeline
For a compulsory strike-off, Companies House first writes to the company, usually because accounts or the confirmation statement are overdue. For a voluntary strike-off, the directors file form DS01 instead.
A notice is published in The Gazette and the company status changes to “Active – proposal to strike off”. The company still exists and can trade.
Anyone with an interest, such as a creditor, customer, HMRC or the directors, can object. Filing overdue documents or an objection normally suspends the strike-off.
If nothing stops it, a final notice is published and the company is dissolved on that date.
The company no longer exists as a legal entity. Any assets left in its name pass to the Crown. It can only come back through restoration to the register.
Already dissolved? See what happens to a dissolved company and how to restore it.
Stop it
Default address
CF14 8LH is the Companies House default address. Companies House moves a company's registered office there when the address it gave is being used without permission or doesn't work. The company is given 28 days to respond before the change.
It is not meant to be permanent. Companies House does not open post sent there, and a company that doesn't supply a proper address can be struck off. A firm registered at CF14 8LH has no working official address, which is worth asking about before you hire it.
From our research
10.6%
of UK home-trade companies were proposed for strike-off or in liquidation or administration in September 2026, against 9.1% of all companies. Plastering was highest at 13.8%. 1,517 trade firms were registered at CF14 8LH.
Read the HouseJester Trade IndexThis guide is general information, not legal or insolvency advice. Rules and fees can change; check GOV.UK or speak to an accountant or insolvency practitioner about a specific company.