First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off: what it means and what to do

1. What a First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off means

A First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off is a public notice from the Registrar of Companies saying your company will be struck off the register and dissolved unless cause is shown to the contrary. It is a warning, not the end. The company still exists while the notice runs, and you can still file.

Under section 1000 of the Companies Act 2006, the notice is published in the Gazette and sent to the company. It says that at the end of 2 months from the date of the notice, the company's name will be struck off and the company dissolved, unless cause is shown to the contrary.

In the company's filing history on the Companies House register, the entry appears as 'First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off'. 'Compulsory' means Companies House started the process, not the directors. It is a different process from a voluntary strike-off, which is covered below.

Source: Companies Act 2006, section 1000: power to strike off company not carrying on business or in operation

2. Why Companies House starts compulsory strike-off

Companies House starts compulsory strike-off when it has reason to believe a company is no longer carrying on business or in operation. GOV.UK gives two examples: the registrar has not received annual documents the company should have sent, such as its confirmation statement or accounts, or the company has no directors.

Before any Gazette notice, the registrar tries to contact the company to ask whether it is still carrying on business. Section 1000 sets out the steps. If there is no answer to the first letter within 14 days, a second letter follows, warning that a Gazette notice will be published if there is no answer within 14 days of that letter. The notice can also follow if the company replies that it is not carrying on business.

The registrar can also start strike-off where information in the company's registration application was misleading, false or deceptive, or where the company has not changed its registered office from the Companies House default address within 28 days.

If the company's registered office address or other contact details on the register are out of date, the letters may never reach the directors and the first sign of trouble may be the notice itself. Check the details shown on the register as well as the overdue filings.

Source: Striking off or dissolving a limited company

3. Timeline: from the notice to dissolution

The registrar can strike the company off not less than 2 months after the First Gazette notice is published. Where the company was registered on the basis of false information, the period is not less than 28 days. The company is dissolved when a further notice is published in the Gazette.

1. Companies House writes to the company to ask whether it is still carrying on business.
2. If there is no answer, a second letter warns that a Gazette notice will follow.
3. The First Gazette notice is published and sent to the company.
4. Not less than 2 months later (28 days in false-registration cases), the registrar can strike the company off.
5. A second notice is published in the Gazette, and the company is dissolved on publication.

Source: Striking off or dissolving a limited company

4. If it's your company: file what is overdue now and check the register

If your company has a First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off, the real fix is to deliver what is missing. GOV.UK says the company should reply promptly to any enquiry letters from the registrar and deliver any outstanding documents as soon as possible. Do not wait until the 2 months are nearly up.

1. Search for the company on the Companies House register and open its filing history to see the date of the notice and which documents are overdue.
2. If the company has not traded and has had no significant accounting transactions, check whether it qualifies to file dormant accounts.
3. If the company has traded, have the appropriate accounts prepared and approved, then file them through Companies House or your accountant. SimpleFilings offers qualifying dormant accounts only.
4. If the confirmation statement is overdue, file your confirmation statement. The Companies House fee is £50 online, paid with the first statement in each 12-month payment period.
5. If the company has no directors, appoint at least one and tell Companies House.
6. Reply to any letter from Companies House, and keep a record of what you filed and when.
7. Check the register after filing to make sure each document was accepted, not just submitted.

Source: Striking off or dissolving a limited company

5. Objecting to a strike-off: online only from 1 December 2026

Any interested party, such as a creditor, a shareholder or someone with a legal claim, can object to a company being struck off once the First Gazette notice is published. The objection must reach Companies House before the company is struck off. GOV.UK says an objection sent by post or email must arrive at least 2 weeks before the company will be struck off.

Companies House announced on 1 September 2026 that from 1 December 2026, objections must be submitted through its online Make an objection service, and email objections will no longer be accepted. You need a Companies House account, the company name and number, and supporting documents to upload.

For a company owner, an objection is not a substitute for filing. To object to someone else's company, read how to object to a company strike-off for valid reasons, evidence and what happens next.

Source: Object to a limited company being struck off: make an objection

6. What happens to bank money and assets if the company is dissolved

If the company is dissolved, GOV.UK says its bank account will be frozen, any money in the account will pass to the Crown, and any other assets pass to the Crown too. Property of a dissolved company is known as bona vacantia, meaning ownerless property. It includes land, shares and intellectual property such as trademarks.

Dissolution does not end personal liability. Section 1000(7) of the Companies Act 2006 says the liability, if any, of every director, managing officer and member continues and may be enforced as if the company had not been dissolved.

Getting the company back means restoring it. A former director or shareholder can apply to Companies House on form RT01, with a £341 fee, if the registrar dissolved the company within the last 6 years while it was trading. The overdue filings, filing fees and penalties must go in with the application, plus a waiver letter if the company had assets. Read how to restore a dissolved company for the full conditions and the court route.

Source: Striking off or dissolving a limited company

7. Compulsory vs voluntary strike-off (form DS01)

Compulsory strike-off is started by the registrar, usually because filings are overdue. Voluntary strike-off is an application by the directors on form DS01 to close a company they have wound down. Both lead to a Gazette notice, a waiting period of at least 2 months and dissolution, but they are different processes.

If you want to close a solvent company, deal with tax, staff, assets and the bank account first, then apply to strike it off yourself. Read how to close a limited company for the steps and the alternatives to strike off.

Source: Striking off or dissolving a limited company

8. Late filing penalties still apply

Filing overdue accounts after a First Gazette notice still means they are late. GOV.UK says you automatically receive a penalty notice if your accounts are filed after the deadline. For a private company it ranges from £150 for up to 1 month late to £1,500 for more than 6 months late, and it is doubled if accounts are late 2 years in a row.

There is no automatic penalty scale for a late confirmation statement. However, GOV.UK says Companies House may issue a financial penalty, you can be fined up to £5,000 and the company may be struck off if you do not file it.

A penalty is a separate debt from the filing itself. See Companies House late filing penalties for the full table and when an appeal may succeed.

Source: Late filing penalties for company accounts