Companies House isn't the soft-touch regulator it used to be. Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) took effect in May 2024, direct civil penalties of up to £10,000 are now on the table, and Companies House issued 317,985 late-filing penalties for accounts in the year to April 2025 a rise of nearly 10% on the year before (Macfarlanes, citing Companies House data).
For early-stage founders juggling product, sales, and fundraising, Companies House filing mistakes are rarely malicious; they're administrative slips that snowball because nobody owns compliance full-time. This piece walks through the ten that catch startups out most often, what they actually cost, and how to build a compliance checklist that stops them recurring.
Why Companies House Mistakes Are More Costly Than Founders Think
Companies House filing mistakes now carry real financial teeth because ECCTA handed the registrar direct enforcement powers it never had before. Since May 2024, Companies House can issue civil financial penalties of up to £10,000 without going through the courts, and its enforcement scope has widened to cover late confirmation statements as well as late accounts previously the only trigger under the Companies Act 2006.
For the year ending April 2025, that translated into 317,985 late-filing penalties for accounts alone (Macfarlanes, citing Companies House data). Founders who treat filing as an annual box-tick are the ones most exposed to it.
The 10 Companies House Filing Mistakes That Cost Startups
Most Companies House filing mistakes fall into a handful of predictable categories: deadlines, register accuracy, and address compliance. Here's where founders actually lose money and time.
Three of these are worth unpacking, because they carry the most confusion.
The confirmation statement deadline trips up more founders than any other filing on this list. Every company dormant or trading - must file a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of its review period (GOV.UK). Miss the confirmation statement deadline and there's no automatic civil penalty the way there is for late accounts but current GOV.UK guidance is explicit that Companies House may issue a financial penalty and may strike the company off the register for failing to file at all.
Non-compliance is also a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006, and directors can be personally fined. Filing costs £50 online as of 1 February 2026, up from £34 (GOV.UK) cheap insurance against a far more expensive fix.
Filing annual accounts late is the one with the clearest price tag. Companies House late filing penalties start at £150 for accounts up to a month late, rising to £1,500 past six months, and the figures double if a company files late two years running (GOV.UK). First accounts have a longer window 21 months from incorporation, or three months from the accounting reference date, whichever is later but every year after that, it's nine months from the end of the accounting reference period. Companies House sets out a formal appeals process for Companies House late filing penalties, though it's reserved for genuinely exceptional circumstances rather than routine oversights.
PSC identity verification is the newest trap, and the one catching out companies that assume they're already compliant. Mandatory identity verification began on 18 November 2025, phased in over a 12-month transition period Companies House itself estimates that 6 to 7 million directors and PSCs will need to verify by mid-November 2026 (GOV.UK). Existing directors must verify by their company's next confirmation statement after 18 November 2025, while new directors and PSCs must verify before appointment or notification. An individual who fails to comply is committing an offence and may face a financial penalty.
What Happens If You Get It Wrong
Ignoring Companies House filing mistakes can put the company itself at risk. Persistent or serious failures to meet a director's legal responsibilities including repeated filing failures can contribute to disqualification proceedings, with disqualification lasting up to 15 years (Sprintlaw).
PSC failures carry the sharpest edge: a company that doesn't take reasonable steps to identify and register its PSCs faces an uncapped fine, and an individual who knowingly provides false PSC information commits a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
The underlying facts of a real case: UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had a 50% interest in a property company and failed to notify Companies House of it in time, which his spokesperson attributed to an accountant's error (Roythornes Solicitors). It's a reminder that even well-advised people get caught by these rules.
A Quick Companies House Compliance Checklist for Startups
A working Companies House compliance checklist starts with knowing your dates. Build it around four recurring checkpoints:
- Confirmation statement: due every 12 months, filed within 14 days of the review period ending, at a cost of £50 online mark the confirmation statement deadline in a shared calendar, not a founder's memory
- Annual accounts: nine months after your accounting reference date; missing it triggers Companies House late filing penalties automatically, with no discretion applied
- PSC register: review after every share transfer or funding round, not just at year-end; different types of change carry different notification deadlines, so check the specific timeframe rather than assuming 14 days applies universally
- Identity verification: confirm every director and PSC has completed verification ahead of the relevant deadline, and that the name used matches Companies House records exactly
None of this requires legal support to maintain on its own. A Companies House compliance checklist reviewed quarterly, alongside your accountant's own deadline tracker, is a practical way to catch the most common Companies House filing mistakes before they become penalties.
FAQs
1. What happens if you miss a confirmation statement deadline?
There's no automatic civil penalty for missing a confirmation statement deadline the way there is for late accounts, but current GOV.UK guidance confirms Companies House may issue a financial penalty and may strike the company off the register. Failing to file is also a criminal offence, and directors can be personally prosecuted and fined.
2. How much is the Companies House late filing penalty?
Companies House late filing penalties for accounts start at £150 for filings up to a month late, rising to £1,500 once accounts are more than six months overdue. The penalty doubles automatically if a company files late in two consecutive financial years, and separate civil penalties of up to £10,000 now apply under ECCTA for wider non-compliance.
3. What should be on a Companies House compliance checklist?
A solid checklist tracks four dates: the confirmation statement (every 12 months, 14-day filing window, £50 online fee), annual accounts (nine months after the accounting reference date), PSC register updates (deadlines vary by change type), and identity verification status for every director and PSC on the register.
Also read: How Does Curve Make Money? The Maths Behind the Lloyds Deal
Sources: GOV.UK Companies House guidance on confirmation statements, late filing penalties, and identity verification; Macfarlanes analysis of Companies House ECCTA enforcement data; Sprintlaw on director disqualification; Roythornes Solicitors on PSC non-compliance; 1st Formations, Porter Dodson, and Companies MadeSimple on registered office and default address rules. Figures reflect the most recent available data at the time of writing.
The EP+ Editorial Desk covers UK startups, founder stories, and venture capital. All editorial content is independently produced and human-reviewed before publication.
