A company dissolution is the act of closing down a company and having it removed from the Companies House register. The dissolution process normally lasts about three months, but when a company has been dissolved – how long does it take for it to be removed from the register? Let’s take a look.
A dissolution can be split into two categories, voluntary and involuntary.
Key takeaways
- Company dissolution can be voluntary or involuntary, depending on directors’ decisions or compliance issues with Companies House.
- Companies House retains dissolved company information for 20 years before transferring it to The National Archives or destroying it.
- Seeking professional assistance during company dissolution can simplify the process and reduce stress for directors.
Voluntary dissolution
There are a number of reasons why company directors may decide to close down a company. While most limited companies are set up in good faith, it’s inevitable that some companies never get off the ground. Or perhaps a company was successful but has now run its course.
In both these instances, it would be normal for the company directors to file the ‘Strike off a company from the register (DS01)’ form with Companies House.
Involuntary dissolution
And then there are instances when Companies House will take it upon themselves to close a company. The main reason for this is that a company is behind on its filing duties, such as the confirmation statement, annual accounts, or tax returns.
Regardless of why a company is being closed down…
When is company information removed from the Companies House register?
According to The National Archives, company information will continue to be held at Companies House for 20 years after the company dissolution. Once this period has passed, any existing company documentation is transferred to The National Archives or destroyed.
Do you need help with a company dissolution?
If you have made the decision to close down your limited company, we can help with our company dissolution service.
We aim to take the stress out of a potentially upsetting time. We’ll walk you through the process, ensuring everything is correctly prepared and filed. We’ll then let you know as soon as the application has been accepted.
We hope this blog has been helpful. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.
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Comments (2)
hello , i checked a name on company house it was used by some one for a company in 2012 & then dissolved in 2014, can i use that name
Hi Rahul,
Thank you for your kind comment. Yes, that is correct. As soon as a company has fianlised their dissolution process the name then becomes available for registration.
Do let us know if you have any additional questions as we would love to help.
The 1st Formations Team