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Companies House Scam Letter UK: Spot a Fake Fee Demand

Since 1 February 2026, the confirmation-statement fee is £50 digitally or £110 on paper, charged with the first statement in each 12-month payment period.

· · · 2 min read

Companies House scam letterfake Companies House letter UKCompanies House fraud
Key rule: verify through an official route you opened yourself, not the link, number, app, or payment details supplied by the suspicious message.
On this page
  1. What a scam letter can look like
  2. The genuine confirmation-statement fee
  3. Identity-verification claims
  4. Warning signs
  5. Check and report the letter

What a scam letter can look like

Companies House publishes examples of letters using official-looking logos, QR codes, web links or bank details and demanding payment for invented services. Named examples include “Enhanced Web Filing Access”, “Company Registration” and activating a “secure vault”. Genuine-looking branding or a real Companies House address copied onto the page does not authenticate it.

The genuine confirmation-statement fee

The current fee is £50 for online or software filing and £110 for paper filing. It is payable with the first confirmation statement in a 12-month payment period; additional statements in that same payment period do not attract another annual fee.

Do not state that every legitimate filing must be paid only by the company directly through one GOV.UK page. Companies can use software filing or an agent, and a legitimate accountant or solicitor may charge for filing work. The safe test is whether the filing route or agent is genuine and whether the fee corresponds to an actual service.

Identity-verification claims

Identity verification became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025, but that date was the start of a 12-month transition rather than a deadline for every existing director and person with significant control. New appointments are subject to the new rules; existing directors generally verify by their due date during the transition. Verification directly through GOV.UK One Login is free. An Authorised Corporate Service Provider, such as a registered accountant or solicitor, may legitimately offer a paid service.

Warning signs

  • An invented or vague service description.
  • Pressure to pay immediately or risk a vaguely described change to company status.
  • A QR code or link leading away from an expected .gov.uk service.
  • Bank details in a letter that cannot be matched to an official filing journey.
  • A paid identity-verification offer from an agent that cannot be found as an active Authorised Corporate Service Provider.

Check and report the letter

Go to GOV.UK or the Companies House register independently and check the company's filing status. Do not scan the letter's QR code or use its link or bank details.

Companies House's current guidance says to report a suspicious letter by phone, using the number published in its own scam-reporting guidance on gov.uk. The address phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk is its route for suspicious emails, not the published reporting route for posted letters.

If money was lost, contact the bank immediately and report the crime to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a genuine confirmation statement is not filed?

Companies House says a company can be fined up to £5,000 and may be struck off. Verify any warning through the official register rather than a letter's link.

Is identity verification always free?

Direct verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. A registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider may charge for its service.

Sources checked

Think you’ve spotted a scam? Use the AI scam checker for an instant analysis, or report it to Report Fraud.

Reporting routes in this guide are checked against our verified canon of official UK sources — Report Fraud, the National Cyber Security Centre, and Citizens Advice — by an automated accuracy gate before publication. Editorially updated by , Founder & Editor, on 2026-07-10. Read about how Beat the Scam writes guides.