Company wind-down

Closing a company isn’t a single button — it’s making sure both HMRC and Companies House are properly squared away before the company comes off the register. In plain English, we’ll:

1. Make sure HMRC is properly squared away before the company closes, so they close the file. Even if the company never really traded, we tell HMRC properly.
2. Tidy up any registrations — VAT, payroll — if you ever set them up.
3. Help you take out any money left in the company. We’ll talk through the options once we know how much is sitting in it.
4. File the formal strike-off with Companies House to remove the company from the register.

One thing on a “clean” strike-off: it’s the right route when there’s relatively little left in the company to pay out — broadly, under £25,000 to distribute. Above that, getting the money out tax-efficiently usually means a members’ voluntary liquidation (MVL) instead. We assume a straightforward strike-off for now; once we’ve seen the bank statements we’ll confirm which one actually applies.

This mostly comes down to when the company stopped — or stops — trading. There’s a quiet period before we can file the strike-off, then Companies House runs a public notice for about two months. As a rough guide, expect anywhere from a couple of months up to around five — five being the worst case, not the norm.

Once we have your dates, we’ll give you a firm estimate. Either way, most of it is just waiting, not work for you.