If your limited company is no longer needed, voluntary strike-off may offer a straightforward way to close it. Understand the rules, check your options and speak directly with Molly Monks F.I.P.A. before you apply.
Free initial advice. Confidential. No obligation.
Company dissolution removes a limited company from the Companies House register. Once dissolved, the company ceases to exist and can no longer trade. On this page, dissolution means voluntary strike-off: an application made by the directors to close a company that is no longer required.
This can suit a dormant company, a business whose owners are retiring, or a company that has finished its purpose. It is important to conclude its affairs properly before applying.
Unlike liquidation, strike-off does not involve appointing a liquidator to realise assets and deal with creditors. It does not provide a way to leave debts behind or remove responsibility for earlier conduct.
Use our existing checker to explore whether voluntary strike-off may suit your company and receive an indicative quote. Have details of the company’s trading position, debts and assets to hand.
The result is an initial indication based on the information you provide. Molly and the Parker Walsh team can review your circumstances and explain the next steps before you decide how to close the company.
Prefer to talk it through? Arrange a free consultation or call 0161 546 8143.
Eligibility is more than simply having stopped trading. Check the company’s recent activity, financial position and unfinished matters together.
Its business has ended or it is dormant. Directors have reviewed what remains to be done and are satisfied that voluntary closure is appropriate.
The company has not traded, changed its name or sold trading stock in the previous three months. Certain activities needed to conclude its affairs are permitted; check the full rules before applying.
Debts, tax, employee obligations, claims and assets have been considered. The company must also satisfy the restrictions relating to insolvency proceedings and creditor arrangements.
Preparation matters as much as the application. These are the main stages of a voluntary strike-off.
Review debts, assets, claims and recent activity. Confirm that the company meets the strike-off rules and compare dissolution with MVL or CVL.
Settle liabilities, deal with staff and contracts, complete tax matters and arrange lawful asset distributions with your accountant’s advice.
Submit the strike-off application, known as DS01, with the required directors’ approval. A majority must sign; if there are two directors, both must sign.
Send a copy of the application within seven days to the required parties, including shareholders, creditors, employees, pension trustees and directors who did not sign.
Companies House publishes notice of the proposed strike-off. Check for objections and keep the application under review if the company’s circumstances change.
If there is no reason to delay, strike-off takes place at least two months after the first Gazette notice. The second notice confirms that the company has been dissolved.
If the company becomes ineligible or the directors change their decision, the application must be withdrawn. Keep checking the position until dissolution is confirmed.
Watch Parker Walsh’s explanation of voluntary strike-off and the issues to consider before closing a company. Use it alongside the current eligibility rules and advice on your own circumstances.
Read the accompanying dissolution article →Closing the company properly helps prevent objections, lost assets and unexpected problems later.
Settle company liabilities and complete final accounts and tax requirements with your accountant. Resolve HMRC matters, including any expected refund, before the company is dissolved.
Review bank balances, equipment, property, intellectual property and money owed to the company. Plan lawful disposals and distributions before applying, with advice on the tax consequences.
Deal with employee obligations, pensions, leases and other contracts. Notify the required parties and retain business records and proof of the notices you have sent.
Money and assets left in a dissolved company generally pass to the Crown as bona vacantia. Do not assume that a company asset automatically becomes a director’s personal property when trading stops.
Read GOV.UK’s guidance on closing down your company →The simplest application is not always the most suitable closure. Compare the company’s ability to pay its debts, the assets remaining and the overall cost.
For an eligible company that is no longer needed and whose affairs can be concluded. Directors apply to Companies House; there is no liquidator appointed to handle outstanding debts.
Try the dissolution checker →A formal closure for a solvent company. An MVL may be worth considering where funds or assets remain to distribute. Tax treatment depends on the company and shareholders’ circumstances.
Explore MVL →A formal insolvency process for a company that cannot pay its debts. A Licensed Insolvency Practitioner handles the liquidation and explains the directors’ responsibilities.
Explore CVL →Companies House charges an application fee for strike-off. Any professional fees and costs of concluding the company’s affairs are separate. We will explain the scope and costs of any proposed assistance before you decide to proceed.
Ask Molly which route fits your company
Molly is the founder of Parker Walsh and a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience advising company directors. She will help you understand whether dissolution fits your circumstances or whether a formal liquidation should be considered.
Based in Bramhall, Parker Walsh supports directors across the UK. Your initial consultation is free, confidential and without obligation, with conversations available by telephone, video call or in person.
Explore Parker Walsh’s practical resources, alongside current Companies House guidance, before deciding how to close your company.
Understand voluntary strike-off, the main eligibility checks and the matters to settle before applying.
Read article →Compare the cost and purpose of the main closure routes, and why the company’s financial position comes first.
Read article →Find out why unpaid borrowing needs attention and why a lender may object to a strike-off application.
Read article →Learn how Companies House can start compulsory strike-off, and how this differs from a director’s voluntary application.
Read article →Explore the formal process for closing a solvent company with funds or assets to distribute to shareholders.
Read article →Understand the options when funds are limited and why having no assets does not make strike-off the right route.
Read article →Check the current eligibility rules, application requirements, notification duties and creditor objection process.
Read the official guide →Understand formal solvent liquidation and the issues to compare when your company has funds or assets to distribute.
Read the MVL guide →Learn how an insolvent company can close through CVL and what directors should expect from the process.
Read the CVL guide →These answers cover common questions about voluntary strike-off. If your company has debts, assets or claims that are difficult to resolve, speak with Molly before applying.
Discuss your circumstancesBoth can result in a company closing, but the processes differ. Voluntary strike-off is a directors’ application to Companies House. MVL and CVL are formal liquidation procedures involving a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner. The company’s debts, assets and solvency determine which route to consider.
Strike-off does not write off debt. HMRC, banks and other creditors can object, and a dissolved company may be restored to the register. Resolve outstanding liabilities before applying. If the company cannot pay its debts, speak to Molly about insolvency options such as CVL.
A Bounce Back Loan is still a company liability. An unpaid loan is not cleared by dissolution, and the lender may object to strike-off. Seek advice on the company’s financial position and the appropriate closure route before submitting an application.
The company must first meet the eligibility rules, including the relevant three-month restrictions on trading and changing its name. After the first Gazette notice, strike-off takes at least two months if there is no reason to delay. Preparation, processing and creditor objections can extend the overall timescale.
The company’s bank account is frozen on dissolution. Remaining money and other company assets generally pass to the Crown as bona vacantia. Deal with assets and expected refunds before closure, and obtain advice on distributions, ownership and tax rather than simply transferring everything to yourself.
Directors can apply directly to Companies House without appointing a liquidator. Professional advice can still help you check suitability and avoid overlooking debts, assets or tax matters. A formal liquidation requires an appropriately licensed Insolvency Practitioner.
Voluntary strike-off can be a lower-cost route for an eligible company whose affairs have been concluded. The Companies House application fee is separate from any professional fees or outstanding company costs. Compare the overall cost and tax treatment with your accountant; an MVL may be worth considering where significant funds remain.
Yes. A creditor or another interested party can object to the proposed strike-off. An objection can delay or prevent dissolution while the issue is dealt with. Do not ignore an objection or assume that submitting the application brings the company’s obligations to an end.
Dissolution is not a blanket release from liability for earlier conduct or a personal guarantee. Directors must follow the application and notification requirements, and creditors may seek restoration of the company. Keep the required records and obtain advice if there are concerns about claims, guarantees or director loan accounts.
Voluntary strike-off begins with an application by the company’s directors. Compulsory strike-off is initiated by Companies House, for example where it believes a company is no longer operating. Ignoring filing duties or correspondence is not a suitable planned closure method.
Start with the dissolution checker or arrange a free conversation with Molly. We will help you understand your options and what needs to happen next.
