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Company Voluntary Strike Off & Dissolution

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE ECONOMIC CRIME & CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT 2023 IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN PHASES AND MAY CHANGE SOME OF THE TEMPLATES BELOW. 

This Company Voluntary Strike Off & Dissolution section explains the legal requirements for removing a company from the register voluntarily under Part 31 of the Companies Act 2006 (including section 1003). Once a company has been struck off the register it is dissolved and no longer exists as a legal entity.

Companies that are no longer needed, for example because the directors are retiring or the business has ceased trading, may choose to apply voluntarily to be struck off the register. Given the costs and administrative burden of keeping a company on the register, it is sensible to consider whether a non-active company should remain on the register. This procedure is not an alternative to formal insolvency proceedings.

Companies must follow a set statutory process to be struck off the register and failure to follow that process properly is a serious offence.

This section provides a package of documents to help directors considering voluntary strike off, including a guidance note, checklist, board resolution, and letters to notify relevant parties before and after the strike off application. The relevant Companies House strike off forms are also listed for convenience.

It is designed for private limited companies contemplating voluntary strike off. It does not cover the tax treatment of strike off, so separate tax or legal advice may be required.

When To Use These Templates

Use these templates when you are:

  • Considering whether voluntary strike off is appropriate for a private limited company that is no longer needed.
  • Planning and documenting the decision to apply for voluntary strike off.
  • Notifying shareholders, creditors and other relevant parties of the proposed strike off.
  • Providing a copy of the strike off application to those parties after filing.

🔀 Document Toolkit: Typical Sequence (may vary)

Step 1 - Assess suitability of strike off
Use the Guidance Note – Voluntary Strike Off & Dissolution and the Checklist – Voluntary Strike Off & Dissolution to understand the process, confirm that voluntary strike off is appropriate and identify any risks or issues.

Step 2 - Board decision
Record the directors’ decision to apply for voluntary strike off using the Board Minutes – Dissolution Resolution, authorising completion and filing of the Companies House form.

Step 3 - Notify relevant parties
Send the Letter to Relevant Parties Before Voluntary Strike Off Application to those who must be informed before the application is made.

Step 4 - Apply for strike off and follow up
Complete and file the appropriate Companies House form and then, seven days after the application, send the Letter Enclosing Copy Strike Off Application (s.1006 CA 2006) with a copy of the filed application.

Step 5 - Keep records
Retain signed minutes, letters, checklist and copies of forms with the company’s records as an audit trail of the decision and compliance with the statutory process.

Company Voluntary Strike Off & Dissolution is part of Corporate. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Corporate for 1 year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our company has stopped trading. What is the cheapest way to close it down properly? +
Voluntary strike off, if the company is eligible: apply to Companies House on form DS01 for 13 pounds online or 18 pounds by paper. The directors apply, Companies House publishes notice and, if no one objects, the company is struck off and dissolved about two months later. Deal with bank accounts and assets first, because anything left passes to the Crown. This sub-folder provides the board minutes, notifications and guidance for the process.
Is our company eligible to apply for voluntary strike off? +
Only if, in the last three months, it has not traded or otherwise carried on business, sold stock or changed its name. It must not be threatened with liquidation and must have no arrangements with creditors in place, such as a company voluntary arrangement. If any of these bite, wait out the three months or consider a formal winding up instead. The guidance note here includes an eligibility checklist to run before you apply.
Who do we have to tell that we are applying to strike the company off? +
Within seven days of applying you must send a copy of the application to every notifiable party: creditors including HMRC, employees, shareholders, pension scheme managers or trustees and any directors who did not sign. Failing to notify is an offence and gives grounds for objection later. Tell HMRC early and settle final tax affairs, an HMRC objection is the commonest reason applications fail. Template notification letters are included here.
What happens to money or assets still in the company when it is dissolved? +
They stop being yours. On dissolution any remaining assets, including bank balances, vest in the Crown as bona vacantia. Recovering them afterwards generally means restoring the company to the register, which costs far more than the asset is often worth. So before applying: distribute reserves lawfully, close accounts, transfer or sell assets and cancel contracts. The pre-application checklist in this sub-folder walks through the sweep.
Is striking off the same as liquidating the company? +
No. Strike off is an administrative removal for companies that can pay their way; it does not deal with debts and creditors can object or later apply to restore the company. Liquidation is a formal insolvency or solvent winding up through an insolvency practitioner that realises assets and settles claims in order. Using strike off to dodge creditors fails: objections stop it and directors risk investigation. If the company owes money it cannot pay, take insolvency advice.
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Strike Off and Dissolution - Related Sections

Strike Off and Dissolution - Guidance

Strike Off and Dissolution - Approvals and Filings

All Company Administration & Compliance

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