Close your dormant company the right way
You have a dormant or non-trading company you no longer need. Closing it is mostly about doing things in the right order. We put the steps in sequence, tell you who you must notify, file the one return that might be due, and watch Companies House until it’s gone. It’s free on every plan, including our free Watchdog plan. You only need a subscription if HMRC has asked for a final tax return and you want us to file it.
This is for a company that has gone quiet
It fits three situations, which cover almost every dormant company:
- A company you registered but never really used.
- A company that traded once and has since stopped.
- A side-hustle limited company you’re winding down.
If the company still trades, has employees on the payroll, or owes VAT or Corporation Tax it hasn’t settled, closing is a bigger job than this. Unwind those with an accountant first — this journey is built for companies that have genuinely stopped.
What we do
The order is the hard part, not the form. This is where we help.
Check you can close it
We check the Companies House register for anything that stops a strike-off, such as insolvency proceedings, and ask you about the last three months — no trading, no change of name. A company that has been dormant for the last three months will usually qualify.
Put the steps in order
Settle HMRC first, then apply to Companies House. If HMRC is still waiting for a return when the strike-off notice appears, it can object, and an objection stalls the strike-off for months. We keep you in the right sequence.
File the one return that might be due
If HMRC has sent a notice asking for a final Company Tax Return, we can file it — that part needs a subscription. If it hasn't, nothing is due — and no final accounts are due at Companies House either. We tell you that instead of inventing work.
Tell you who to notify, and by when
Within seven days of applying you must send a copy to every shareholder, creditor, employee and any director who didn't sign — a legal duty with a criminal offence attached. We list exactly who, and track the deadline.
Watch the register until it's gone
We check Companies House every day and email you when the strike-off notice appears in the Gazette (the official public record where these notices are published), and again when the company is dissolved. You don't have to check anything.
The strike-off application goes in on Companies House’s own service
We can’t file the DS01 strike-off application for you. Companies House doesn’t accept a DS01 through filing software, so you apply on Companies House’s own service. We hand you off to it with your details ready to copy across. It costs £13 online, paid to Companies House, not to us.
Before you start: closing is a one-way door
A company you dissolve yourself can only be brought back by court order — around £580 in unavoidable fees before any legal costs. The cheap administrative route back is not open to you. Closing costs £13; undoing it costs thousands. We show you this before you commit, because most people are never told. Weigh closing against keeping it dormant →
What it costs
- The closing journey is free on every plan. That includes our free Watchdog plan. You only need a subscription if HMRC has asked for a final tax return and you want us to file it.
- No final accounts at Companies House. They are not required, so we never file or bill for them.
- No “final” tax return unless HMRC asked for one. If HMRC hasn't asked for one, nothing is due, and we say so.
- The £13 DS01 fee goes to Companies House. You pay it directly to them when you apply, not to us.
Close it properly, once.
We keep you in the right order and watch the register until it’s done. Free on every plan, including our free Watchdog plan.
Start closing my company