How to close a dormant company (and when to keep it open)
By DormantFile · Updated 27 May 2026
If you no longer need your dormant company, you can apply to have it struck off the Companies House register. But it is worth thinking about whether closing is actually the right move.
How to close: the DS01 process
To close a dormant company, you apply to Companies House using form DS01 (Application for Striking Off). Here is the process:
1. Check eligibility
Your company can apply to be struck off if, in the last 3 months, it has not:
- Traded or carried on business
- Changed its name
- Disposed of property or rights
- Engaged in any activity other than settling its affairs
For a genuinely dormant company, you will meet these criteria.
2. File the application
Submit form DS01 online via Companies House WebFiling or on paper. The filing fee is £33.
3. Notify interested parties
Within 7 days of filing the DS01, you must send a copy to all interested parties: members (shareholders), creditors, employees, managers of any employee pension fund, and any directors who did not sign the application.
4. Wait for publication
Companies House publishes a notice in The Gazette giving 2 months for objections. If no objections are received, the company is struck off and dissolved.
5. Total timeline
From application to dissolution: approximately 3 months. The company must remain inactive throughout.
What it costs
- DS01 filing fee: £33 (online or paper)
- Outstanding filings: you should file any outstanding annual accounts and CT600 returns before applying
- If the company has any bank balance, HMRC may want a final CT600
What happens to the company's assets?
Any assets remaining when the company is dissolved become property of the Crown (bona vacantia) under the Companies Act 2006. This includes:
- Money in bank accounts
- Property or land
- Intellectual property
Make sure you distribute or transfer any assets before applying to strike off.
Reasons to keep a dormant company open
Before you close, consider whether keeping the company might be worthwhile:
Protecting the company name — Once dissolved, the name becomes available for anyone to register. If the name has value (a brand, a domain, a reputation), keeping the company open protects it.
Future use — If there is any chance you might trade through the company in future, keeping it dormant is far easier than incorporating a new one.
Outstanding debts or Bounce Back Loans — If the company owes money — including a Bounce Back Loan — creditors can object to the DS01 strike-off. Until the debt is repaid, the company needs to stay on the register and you need to keep filing. See our guide on BBLs and dormant companies for the full picture.
Holding assets — Some directors use dormant companies to hold property, shares, or intellectual property. If the company holds anything, you cannot simply strike it off.
Cost comparison — Filing dormant accounts costs as little as £19/year with DormantFile. Closing and later re-incorporating costs £12 (incorporation fee) plus the hassle of setting everything up again.
If you are keeping it open
You still need to file every year, even if the company does nothing. That means:
- Annual accounts with Companies House (due 9 months after your ARD)
- A confirmation statement (CS01) (at least every 12 months, £34 online / £62 paper)
- A nil CT600 with HMRC (if registered for Corporation Tax)
We cover the deadlines in our guide on dormant company filing deadlines. DormantFile handles both the accounts and CT600 filings, and we send automatic reminders so you do not miss a deadline and incur penalties. See how it works.
Key points
- Apply to strike off using DS01 (£33 filing fee).
- Process takes about 3 months.
- Any remaining assets become property of the Crown.
- Consider keeping the company if you want to protect the name or might use it later.
- If keeping it open, you still need to file annually — DormantFile starts at £19/year for both filings.