Check the company can be struck off first
Strike off is only for companies that meet the GOV.UK conditions. If the company does not meet them, GOV.UK says you will have to voluntarily liquidate it instead.
- The company has not traded or sold off any stock in the last 3 months.
- The company has not changed its name in the last 3 months.
- It is not facing liquidation and has no agreement with creditors, such as a CVA.
- A majority of the directors sign the application.
- Within 7 days of applying, send a copy to shareholders, creditors, employees, pension managers or trustees, and any directors who did not sign.
- You have dealt with the bank account, debts and final tax. Anything left in the company passes to the Crown when it is dissolved, including bank balances and later HMRC refunds.
What each option includes
Filing it yourself is the cheapest route. You pay only the Companies House fee. You are responsible for getting the form right, collecting signatures and notifying everyone in time.
SimpleFilings charges £4.99 per filing. The total price includes the £13 Companies House fee. You answer the eligibility questions, choose which directors approve, and we review the application before filing. There is no subscription. You can strike off your company online for £4.99 plus the £13 fee.
99p Company Formations charges £39.99 and says this includes the Companies House filing fee. Its page says you must still notify interested parties within 7 days, tell HMRC and close the bank account yourself.
Total cost worked example
Say you apply online for a small, solvent company that stopped trading over 3 months ago.
- File it yourself: £13 Companies House fee. Total £13.
- SimpleFilings: £4.99 service fee plus £13 Companies House fee. Total £17.99.
- 99p Company Formations: £39.99, which its page says includes the £13 fee. Its page does not say whether VAT is included.
What happens after you apply
If Companies House accepts the form, it publishes a notice in The Gazette. The company is struck off once the 2 months in the notice have passed, and a second Gazette notice confirms it. Dissolution is not immediate on any route.
Once struck off, you lose access to the company bank account. Restoring a dissolved company later is a separate process with its own costs, so make sure the company is ready to close first.
Who each option suits
- File it yourself: directors who are confident with the DS01 and want the lowest cost.
- SimpleFilings: directors who want the form checked before filing and a fixed fee of £4.99 plus the government fee.
- An agent: directors who want one price that includes the Companies House fee, or extras listed on the agent's own page.
- An accountant or insolvency practitioner: companies with debts, assets to distribute or complex tax affairs.
When another option may suit you better
- Filing it yourself costs less if you are happy to complete and send the form without a review.
- If you want extras such as Gazette notice monitoring or HMRC cessation guidance, check what an agent's own page includes. The SimpleFilings strike off service does not list Gazette monitoring.
- If the company owes money it cannot pay, or is facing liquidation, strike off is not available. You need a liquidation through an insolvency practitioner.
- If the company has significant assets or retained profits to pay out, speak to an accountant. A members' voluntary liquidation may suit better, and assets left at dissolution pass to the Crown.