Change your company's SIC code at Companies House
Update the SIC codes which describe what the company does.
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How it works: Change SIC codes
Find your company
Search by name or number. We fill in the public details.
Answer the questions
Answer only what the register cannot tell us.
Pay by card
Approve the details and pay the total shown.
We submit to Companies House
We check it and send it to Companies House. Updates come by email.
About this filing
Change your company's SIC codes by filing a confirmation statement (CS01).
There is no separate form. The SimpleFilings service fee is £4.99; the £50 Companies House fee applies only if not already paid this period.
Read more
You can file the statement early to make the change now. You tell us what the company does, we check the SIC codes against the Companies House list and the rest of the statement, and you approve the filing before it is submitted.
Update your nature of business: a practical example
If a company adds a new business activity, it may keep an accurate existing SIC code and add another. If an old activity has ended, replace or remove the obsolete code. Tell us what the company actually does; we check your proposed codes against the condensed Companies House list and you approve them.
A company restarting trade should choose codes for its actual activities instead of relying on 99999 (Dormant Company). Changing the code does not itself tell HMRC that the company is active. One confirmation statement handles the SIC changes in this request; you do not need a second confirmation statement order for the same update.
Changing a SIC code through a confirmation statement
A SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification code) is a 5 digit number that describes what a company does. For example, 62020 is information technology consultancy activities and 70229 is management consultancy activities other than financial management. Every company gives at least one when it is set up.
To change the SIC code for an existing company, you file a confirmation statement and update the business activities in it. You do not have to wait for the statement to be due. You can file early by choosing a new confirmation statement date, and the next review period then starts the day after that date.
Because it is a full confirmation statement, you also confirm that everything else on the register is correct at the same date. That includes shareholders, the statement of capital, and that every current director has verified their identity.
Choosing the right SIC codes
Companies House uses a condensed version of the ONS SIC 2007 list. Only use codes from that condensed list. A code from elsewhere may cause the filing to be rejected.
You must give at least one code and can give up to four. Pick the codes that describe what the company actually does now. If you are unsure, describe the activities in plain words. We match them against the list and you confirm the codes before anything is filed.
Under its newer powers, Companies House can challenge, reject or remove information that appears incorrect, inconsistent or misleading. A SIC code that no longer matches the business is worth fixing.
What you need to update business activities
- A plain description of what the company does now, and the SIC codes if you already know them.
- The confirmation statement date. It cannot be in the future.
- The company authentication code.
- Confirmation that every current director has verified their identity, and their Companies House personal codes if they are not already linked to the company.
- A registered email address, if the company has not given one before.
- Your current shareholder list and statement of capital, including any share transfers since the last statement.
- Confirmation that the company's intended future activities are lawful.
SIC code change fee and deadlines
Companies House charges £50 to file a confirmation statement online, or £110 on paper. The fee is paid once in each 12 month payment period. After that, the company can file as many confirmation statements as it needs in that period without paying again.
So if the company has already filed and paid this year, changing the SIC code costs nothing extra in government fees. If it has not, the £50 is due with this statement and covers the current payment period.
There is no separate deadline for a SIC code change. The confirmation statement itself must be filed within 14 days after the end of the review period. A company that does not file can be fined up to £5,000 and may be struck off.
Dormant and non-trading SIC codes
The condensed list includes 99999 for a dormant company and 74990 for a non-trading company. Companies House says a trading company still showing one of these codes is among the most common discrepancies it finds.
If a dormant company starts trading, or a trading company stops, update its SIC codes so they match. Telling Companies House is separate from telling HMRC, which has its own process for dormancy.
See also: tell HMRC your company is dormant · what a SIC code is and how many a company can have
What happens after you order a SIC code change
Find your company and tell us what it does. We check the codes against the condensed list and review the rest of the confirmation statement. We ask about anything missing or unclear. You approve the filing before it is submitted.
The new SIC codes appear on the public register once Companies House has accepted the confirmation statement, not when you pay or submit. Your next statement will then fall due from the new confirmation date.
Common SIC code change mistakes
- Looking for a separate SIC code change form. The change is only made through a confirmation statement.
- Using a code that is not on the Companies House condensed list.
- Keeping 99999 or 74990 after the company has started trading.
- Filing before every director has verified their identity and linked their personal code.
- Using the confirmation statement to report a new director, PSC or registered office. Those changes must be filed separately first.
- Forgetting that filing early moves the date your next confirmation statement is due.
File it yourself or use SimpleFilings
You can always file directly with Companies House. Here is how that compares with using SimpleFilings.
| Question | File it yourself | Use SimpleFilings |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £50 Companies House fee when due | £50 Companies House fee when due + £4.99 |
| Who fills in the form | You complete the Companies House form yourself. Official guidance | We do, from your answers, after checking the public register |
| Approval | You submit it yourself | You confirm you are authorised and approve the details before we submit |
What this request covers
We check your instructions and submit the filing once it is approved. The register changes only when Companies House accepts it.
Before you start
- All current individual directors must have verified their identity. We check the complete current director list and whether personal codes are already linked; verification alone is not enough. Corporate directors and protected details need the applicable route checked.
- Incorrect officers, PSCs, registered office, existing registered email or SAIL details need their separate filings. Pending changes must be accepted or delivered with the statement as the chosen route permits.
- Before payment, we read the uploaded records and reconcile the confirmation date, every shareholder and transfer, every currency/class and its capital and rights. File presence and public PSC or capital summaries do not prove completeness. Companies without share capital do not need capital or shareholder schedules.
- We check the presenter's authority for the actual filing. A paper CS01 needs the authenticator's printed name. We verify that the authenticator acts in a permitted capacity; a customer intake checkbox does not authenticate the government form. Presenter contact information is optional and public if supplied.
- The review period and fee payment period are separate. We verify any already-paid period against actual evidence before applying a zero government fee. Market trading, DTR5 and current or former PSC exemptions are outside the standard route.
Fees
£54.99 total if the £50 annual government fee is due, or £4.99 total if it has already been paid for the current payment period. The government fee is included where due. The change is made through a confirmation statement. Companies House charges £50 for an online confirmation statement, but only once in each 12 month payment period. If the company has already paid for the current period, there is no further Companies House fee. The service covers one confirmation statement that updates the company's SIC codes. It does not include changes that need their own filing, such as directors, people with significant control or the registered office address.
This change is made through a confirmation statement. The £50 Companies House fee applies only if the current 12 month payment period has not been paid. Other confirmation statement checks are also required.
Total for the standard online route: £54.99 (£4.99 to SimpleFilings + £50 Companies House fee included), or £4.99 if the annual fee for this payment period is already paid.
Step by step
- Find your company. Find your company by name or number. We fill in its public details from the Companies House register, such as the registered office, officers and people with significant control.
- Answer the questions. Answer only the questions we cannot fill in from the register, add any documents asked for and give the email address for your receipt and filing updates. Confirm that you are authorised to arrange the request and that you have checked and approve the details.
- Pay by card. Approve the details and pay the total shown by secure card payment. We check your answers before preparing the filing. The total price includes the applicable government filing fee.
- We submit to Companies House. We check your answers and any documents, then submit to Companies House. Updates go to your email, and you can follow progress through your private request link. A payment receipt is not confirmation that Companies House has accepted the filing.
Change SIC codes: common questions
Can I change my SIC code without filing a confirmation statement?
No. For an existing company, the SIC codes are updated in a confirmation statement. You can file one early at any time to make the change.
How much does it cost to change a SIC code?
Companies House charges £50 for an online confirmation statement, but only once in each 12 month payment period. If the company has already paid this period, there is no further government fee. The SimpleFilings service fee is £4.99.
Can you help me choose the right SIC codes?
Yes. Tell us what the company does now and we check the codes against the Companies House condensed list before you approve the filing. Our guide to SIC codes explains how the codes work.
Will filing early change my confirmation statement due date?
Yes. When you file early you choose a new confirmation statement date. Your next review period starts the day after that date, so your next statement is due based on it.
What SIC code should a dormant company use?
The condensed list has 99999 for a dormant company and 74990 for a non-trading company. Change the code once the company starts trading.
Can I change directors or the registered office in the same filing?
No. Changes to directors, secretaries, people with significant control, the registered office address and an existing registered email address must be filed separately before the confirmation statement.