Dormant Company Striking Off

When an application is made to Companies House on the company's behalf by its directors or a majority of them.

When Companies House forces the striking off of a company from the register. This can only happen if the confirmation statement or dormant company accounts are not filed on time or by court order by the government authorities.

Your company will be dissolved within about 2 months and 15 days from the day Companies House accepts the application, provided there is no objection from any interested parties.

- Provide correct and accurate information when making the application. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly provide false or misleading information on this application.

- You must send copies of this application to all notifiable parties, such as creditors, employees, shareholders, pension managers or trustees, and other directors of the company within 7 days from the day on which the application is made.

- Make the application only if the majority of directors and shareholders agree to submit the application.

The directors who make the application must, within 7 days of sending the application to the registrar, send a copy to members, usually the shareholders, creditors, including all existing and likely creditors such as banks, suppliers, former employees if the company owes them money, landlords or tenants (for example, where a bond is refundable), guarantors, personal injury claimants, HMRC, and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), employees, managers or trustees of any employee pension fund, and any directors who have not signed the form.

The company's directors must also send a copy of the application to any person who, at any time after the application has been made, becomes a director, member, creditor, employee, manager, or trustee of any employee pension fund. This must be done within 7 days of the person becoming one of these.

This obligation continues until the dissolution of the company or the withdrawal of the application. You will be committing an offence by not sending the notice to the relevant parties and could face a fine or, in the most serious cases, a maximum of a 7-year prison sentence.

You can post a copy of the completed 'Striking off application by a company' form DS01 to, or leave it at the last known address (if an individual), the principal or registered office (if a company or other body).

You can also make a creditor of the company aware of the application by leaving a copy of it at, or posting a copy of it to, the place of business with which the company has had dealings in relation to the current debts, for example, the branch from where you ordered goods or which invoiced you. If there is more than one such place of business, you should deliver a copy of the application to each of those places. It is advisable to keep proof of delivery or posting.