Striking off

• Telephone consultation to take you and your fellow directors through the circumstances in which such an application can and cannot be made.
• Directors’ resolutions.
• Filings at Companies House.
• Compulsory notification of affected persons (subject to an additional fee).

Broadly speaking, the directors of a UK company that has not, in the previous 3 months:

• Traded or carried on business;
• Changed its name;
• Disposed of assets for value that it held for the purpose of disposal or gain in the normal course of trade or business; and
• Commenced any form of insolvency procedure,

May make an application for the company to be struck off the Register of Companies.

In order to strike off a company there is a set process that needs to be followed.

• If a striking off application is made, Companies House will publicise the application and, if there is no objection, the company will be dissolved 3 months after the application is publicised.
• A copy of the application must, within 7 days of the application being made, be given to various prescribed persons. There are also continuing notification requirements until the company is actually dissolved.
• Creditors of the company (if any) are likely to object to the application to strike off the company if there is any prospect of recovery of the amount owed to them through a formal insolvency procedure.
• On dissolution the company will cease to exist, although the liability of every director, managing officer and member of the company continues and may be enforced as if the company had not been dissolved.
• If after making an application the company trades, changes its name, carries out activities that are not necessary for the striking off application or concluding its affairs, disposes of assets or enters into an insolvency process, then the company must withdraw its voluntary striking off application.
• Once dissolved, any remaining property of the company belongs to the Crown.