This blog post was originally published in 2018. Visit our guidance page for the latest information on this topic.
I think we’d all like to be able to turn back the hands of time.
We all know the life cycle of a company – it gets incorporated, it lives its life with us and whether it’s ready or sometimes not, it gets struck off the register and dissolved. The end… or is it?
Is it possible to breathe life back into a company? What happens when a company wants to return from the dead, from the depths of dissolution? Does it travel to another world seeking mythical advice, longing to hear tales from a time that was long forgotten?
Not quite.
The not so difficult to acquire, not so mythical solution that every director seeks to bring their company back to life on the register, is indeed the process of restoration. Filled with magical powers, the restoration team at Companies House are the team that can resurrect a lifeless company, and are truly one to behold if you’re searching for the answers to the age-old question;
“What happened to my company and how do I get it back?”
This depends on how the company was dissolved.
If the company was dissolved through non-compliance, having been struck off the register due to the late filing or non-filing of documents (this could include – confirmation statement and annual accounts), administrative restoration may be applicable.
If the company was dissolved voluntarily (form DS01 filed by a director of the company), it cannot apply to be administratively restored and must use the ‘court order restoration’ route.
Administrative restoration
We can only accept applications to restore a company from a former director or member of a limited company or a former member of a limited liability partnership (LLP) within 6 years of the company dissolved date.
If the registrar restores the company, it is deemed to have continued in existence as if it had not been dissolved and struck off the register.
The process
- File form RT01 along with its £100 filing fee to apply for administrative restoration.
- Bona vacantia* waiver letter. This must be obtained for any company with assets including a company bank account or property belonging to the company.
- All outstanding documents and fees required to bring the company’s filing record up to date. These documents will include the confirmation statement along with their £40 filing fee per form, and any overdue annual accounts.
The restoration team handles some of the most varied work within Companies House. We examine documents to restore the company to the register for administrative restoration, and supply the registrar’s requirements to the Government Legal Department to prepare for a court order restoration.
Anyone who intends to make an application to restore a company by court order is advised to seek independent legal advice.
*A BV waiver letter is confirmation that the Treasury Solicitor will have no objection to the restoration of the company in question and will upon restoration, release any assets held by the crown, back to the company.
Our website has more information on how to apply for the waiver letter.
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4 comments
Comment by Anne Bradshaw posted on
Would have liked to have listened to this webinar - but only got the email this morning and was too late!! Perhaps possible to send a separate email to highlight what's happening soon, rather than lumping everything together so notification is too late and people miss the event?
Comment by Jonathan Moyle posted on
Thank you for your feedback, Anne. I'm sorry that you missed our webinar.
There'll be a recording of the presentation available on our website very soon: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/webinar-administrative-restoration-of-a-company.
There are a number of ways to get updates about our future webinars.
Through our email updates service, you can choose to receive notifications about any upcoming webinars https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCH/subscriber/new. If you've already signed-up, you can tailor your preferences to include emails about this topic.
You can also bookmark our webinars page on GOV.UK to see our schedule: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/companies-house-events-calendar.
We also regularly feature our webinars on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Follow these pages to keep up-to-date on our latest news: https://twitter.com/CompaniesHouse https://www.facebook.com/CompaniesHouse.
I hope this helps.
Comment by Julian posted on
I need to notify Companies House that my details were used withput my approval and submitted to Companies House as a Director.
I am finding it impossible to get the convener to withdraw the application.
Comment by Jonathan Moyle posted on
Hi Julian,
Please contact our support team with as much information as possible, and they'll be happy to help.
enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk
0303 1234 500