Wenzo guidesWhat are my options for closing?
GOV.UK’s guide to closing a limited company says you usually need the agreement of the directors and shareholders. The route depends on whether the company can pay its bills.
- It can pay its bills (solvent): apply to have it struck off the Companies Register, or start a members’ voluntary liquidation.
- It cannot pay its bills (insolvent): the people it owes money to come first. Options include administration, strike off or a creditors’ voluntary liquidation, and GOV.UK suggests advice from a solicitor or insolvency practitioner if you are not sure which fits.
You may not need to close it at all. If the company has simply stopped trading, it can stay dormant for as long as you want. It must still send annual accounts and a confirmation statement every year.
Can I strike off my company?
You can only apply to strike off a company that, in the last 3 months:
- has not traded, sold off any stock or changed its name
- is not threatened with liquidation
- has no agreements with creditors, such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement
Otherwise you would need to liquidate it instead.
Need final accounts before you close?
We don’t handle strike-off or liquidation, but we can prepare your final annual accounts and Company Tax Return. From £199, bookkeeping included, paid when you approve, with nothing filed until then.
Find your companyHow do I strike off my company?
GOV.UK sets out how to strike off your company in these steps:
- Look after your staff: follow the redundancy rules, pay final wages, PAYE and National Insurance, and tell HMRC the company has stopped employing people.
- Share out the company’s assets among the shareholders, close bank accounts and transfer things like domain names.
- Send final accounts and the final Company Tax Return to HMRC, and pay all Corporation Tax and any other tax the company owes.
- Apply with form DS01, signed by a majority of the directors.
- Within 7 days, send a copy of the application to anyone who could be affected: shareholders, creditors, employees, pension fund managers or trustees, and any director who did not sign it. Not doing so can mean a fine and possible prosecution.
- Companies House writes to say whether the form is correct. If it is, a notice is published in The Gazette and, if nobody objects, the company is struck off once the 2 months in the notice have passed. A second Gazette notice confirms the company no longer legally exists.
What does HMRC need at the end?
You must send final statutory accounts and a Company Tax Return to HMRC, stating that these are the final trading accounts and that the company will soon be struck off. Our guide to the CT600 deadline has the dates.
You do not have to file final accounts with Companies House.
If the company made a loss in its final year of trading, you may be able to set it against profits of earlier years (terminal loss relief), claimed on the final return.
Is there tax on money I take out before closing?
If you take assets out of the company before it is struck off, you might have to pay Capital Gains Tax on them, possibly with Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs’ Relief). This is worked out on your personal Self Assessment return.
The Budget on 28 October 2026 halves the lifetime limit for this relief from £1 million to £500,000 from April 2027 (see Budget 2026).
If the amount is worth more than £25,000, GOV.UK says it is treated as income and Income Tax is due instead.
How much does it cost?
These are the current Companies House fees:
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Voluntary strike off, online | £13 |
| Voluntary strike off, paper DS01 | £18 |
| Administrative restoration, if you need the company back later | £341 |
You cannot pay with a cheque from the company you are closing, and a dishonest application is an offence.
What if things change after I apply?
If the company becomes ineligible, for example it starts trading again, you must withdraw the application. Use form DS02 or do it online. Only one director needs to sign.
What happens after it is struck off?
You lose access to the company’s bank accounts and cannot send or receive money. Getting them back means restoring the company.
Keep business records such as bank statements, invoices and receipts for 7 years after the company is struck off. If it employed people, keep copies of its employers’ liability insurance policy and schedule.
How can Wenzo help?
Our packages cover a company’s annual accounts and Corporation Tax return for an accounting period, with bookkeeping included in the £199 package (turnover up to £90,000) and the £499 package (turnover above £90,000). You pay when you approve.
We do not file the strike-off application or handle liquidations; liquidation needs an insolvency practitioner.
If your company needs its final accounts and final Company Tax Return before you close it, tell us when you send your records and we will explain which service fits before you pay anything.
See all three prices, check your dates with the deadline checker, or call us on 020 7123 9335.
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