Companies House resumes voluntary strike off process

Temporary measures to suspend voluntary strike off action will be lifted from today.

The process for companies that have applied to be struck off the register will resume today following changes to temporary measures announced in April 2020.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Companies House paused all strike off activity to relieve the burden on businesses and to protect creditors and other interested parties who may have had difficulties in registering an objection.

The measures have been reviewed monthly and the latest change has been implemented after careful consideration and feedback from customers and stakeholders.

This means all companies that applied to be struck off before July 2020 will be struck off the register in a phased approach over the next 4 weeks, starting on 10 September 2020.

For companies that applied to be struck off from July 2020 onwards, the voluntary strike off process will continue as normal after this initial 4 week period.

Stuart Morgan, Intelligence and Enforcement Service Owner at Companies House, said:

Our priority has always been to relieve the burden on businesses which have been struggling during these unprecedented times.

In reaching this decision, we have aimed to strike the right balance between supporting both companies and creditors. We have listened to our customers and stakeholders and we believe now is the right time to resume voluntary strike off action.

By striking off companies no longer in business, we will improve the integrity of the register and continue to drive confidence in the UK economy.

This may result in a large number of companies being struck off the register over a short period. However, these figures should not be misinterpreted as they are a direct result of the easements we put in place and will include companies that applied before the coronavirus outbreak.

The compulsory strike off process, where Companies House takes steps to remove companies if there’s reasonable cause to believe they’re no longer carrying on business or in operation, will resume on 10 October 2020.