Companies House explained · Updated September 2026
Company dissolved: what it means and what happens next
The short answer
A dissolved company has been removed from the Companies House register and no longer legally exists. Its remaining assets go to the Crown, its debts can't be chased against it, and it can only come back if it is restored, either by Companies House (within 6 years) or by a court.
What happens
What happens when a company is dissolved?
- It stops existing. It can't trade, sign contracts, sue or be sued.
- Its assets go to the Crown. Money in the bank, property and anything else it owned become “bona vacantia”, and the bank account is frozen.
- Its debts are stuck. Creditors can't pursue a company that doesn't exist, and directors usually aren't personally liable unless they signed a personal guarantee.
- The record stays public. You can still see a dissolved company's filings on Companies House for 20 years.
The difference
Dissolved vs struck off vs liquidation
| Struck off | The process of removing a company from the register, started by Companies House (usually for missed filings) or by the directors (form DS01). |
| Dissolved | The end result: the company has been removed and no longer exists. |
| Liquidation | A formal process where a liquidator sells assets and pays creditors. The company is dissolved at the end. |
Seeing “proposal to strike off” instead? The company hasn't been dissolved yet. Read what a strike-off notice means.
Restoration
How to restore a dissolved company
Administrative restoration (form RT01)
- For companies struck off by Companies House, not closed by their directors.
- The company must have been trading when it was dissolved.
- A former director or shareholder applies within 6 years of dissolution.
- File any missing accounts and confirmation statements, pay late filing penalties, and get a waiver letter from whoever holds the company's assets (the Crown's bona vacantia office).
Restoration by court order
- Needed for companies closed voluntarily (DS01) or when administrative restoration isn't possible or is refused.
- Former directors and members can apply, and so can others with an interest, such as a creditor who is owed money.
- Usually within 6 years of dissolution, with longer limits for some personal injury claims.
Check the current forms and fees on GOV.UK.
Your builder's company was dissolved?
- Look up the company on Companies House to see when and how it closed.
- Check your paperwork for a personal guarantee, deposit protection or an insurance-backed guarantee: these can survive the company.
- If you're owed money or work, get advice on applying to court to restore the company so you can pursue the claim.
- If you paid by credit card, ask your card provider about a Section 75 claim for amounts between £100 and £30,000.
Next time, check how long a firm has been trading before you pay a deposit, or get quotes from established local firms.
From our research
How long trade companies last
Only 47.8% of UK home-trade companies set up in 2019 and 2020 were still on the register five years later, against 43.6% of all companies. Joinery & carpentry lasted longest (54.2%); painting & decorating the shortest (35.8%).
Read the Trade Survival IndexDissolved company FAQs
The company has been removed from the Companies House register and no longer exists as a legal entity. It can't trade, own property, hold a bank account, sue or be sued. Its record stays visible on Companies House for 20 years.
Anything the company still owned when it was dissolved, including money in its bank account, passes to the Crown as “bona vacantia” (ownerless property). The bank freezes the account.
The debts can no longer be enforced against the company because it doesn't exist. Directors are not usually personally liable unless they gave a personal guarantee or there was wrongdoing. A creditor can apply to court to restore the company to pursue the debt.
Yes. If Companies House struck it off and it was trading when dissolved, a former director or shareholder can apply for administrative restoration on form RT01 within 6 years, filing any missing accounts and paying penalties. Otherwise, including companies closed voluntarily, restoration needs a court order.
Striking off is the process of removing a company from the register; dissolved is the end result. Liquidation is a formal process where a liquidator sells the assets and pays creditors, after which the company is also dissolved.
Check the Companies House record for the date and how it closed. Any guarantee given by the company can't be enforced while it is dissolved. If you are owed money or work, you can apply to court to restore the company, check whether the job had an insurance-backed guarantee or deposit protection, and see whether the builder signed anything personally.
In our Trade Survival Index, 47.8% of UK home-trade companies set up in 2019 and 2020 were still on the register five years later. Painting & decorating had the lowest survival, at 35.8%.
General information, not legal advice. For a specific claim, speak to a solicitor or insolvency practitioner.