Special situations
Dormant company bookkeeping
A dormant UK company still owes Companies House a confirmation statement and usually a Corporation Tax position, even with no trading activity. Finbryn keeps the books light, tracks renewal dates, and prepares a zero-activity Corporation Tax return each year for a registered agent or your appointed adviser to file, so the company stays in good standing.
Bank reconciliation summary
Illustrative client · August 2026
GBP
| Account | Difference | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating account··4821 | 184,220.16 | 184,220.16 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Reserve account··0937 | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Company card··1006 | (12,418.52) | (12,418.52) | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Card processor clearing | 8,905.40 | 8,905.40 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Payroll clearing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
Last weekly runFri 28 Aug, every account agreed to its statement.
Two open itemsTwo card receipts requested from you, marked on the card account until they arrive.
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Staying in good standing without a live business behind it
A dormant company is not the same as a closed one. A director pauses trading to take a role elsewhere, a holding company sits between deals, a subsidiary is kept alive for a future use, and in every case the company is still on the Companies House register, still owes a confirmation statement, and in most cases still has a Corporation Tax position to settle, even with nothing happening inside it. Treating a dormant company as though it needs no attention is how it quietly slides into bad standing or, worse, gets struck off the register.
Finbryn keeps dormant-company bookkeeping deliberately light: a simple set of records confirming no trading activity for the period, confirmation-statement and any registered-office renewal dates tracked so nothing lapses, and a zero-activity Corporation Tax return prepared each year, ready for a registered agent or your appointed adviser to file. Since 1 February 2026, the Companies House confirmation statement itself costs £50 filed online or £110 on paper, a cost worth budgeting for even when the company has no trading income to offset it.
Director and person-with-significant-control identity verification adds a further layer that a dormant company cannot skip: Companies House identity verification became mandatory from 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition ending 17 November 2026 for anyone already holding a director or PSC role. A dormant company with an unverified director risks the same filing friction as an active one.
We build a short annual check-in into every dormant-company engagement so the question of reactivating, dissolving, or staying dormant gets a real answer each year rather than defaulting by neglect. When dormancy turns into a decision to close, see wind-down exit pack for what changes at that point.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Dormant company bookkeeping
Does a dormant UK company still need to file anything?
Usually, yes. Most dormant companies still owe a confirmation statement and a Corporation Tax position even with zero trading; we prepare the numbers, a registered agent or your adviser handles the filing itself.
What happens if we just stop filing for a dormant company?
A missed confirmation statement or renewal can put the company into bad standing or lead to it being struck off, which is harder to unwind than staying current.
Do dormant company directors still need identity verification?
Yes. Companies House identity verification applies to directors and persons with significant control regardless of trading status, and the transition period for existing role-holders runs to 17 November 2026.
What counts as dormant for Companies House purposes?
A company with no significant accounting transactions during the period, aside from a few permitted items like the filing fee itself, qualifies as dormant. Any real trading activity, even a small amount, generally removes dormant status for that period and changes what needs filing.
Can a company move between dormant and trading status year to year?
Yes, a company can be dormant one year and trading the next if it starts business activity, and the accounts and Corporation Tax position for each year need to reflect the correct status for that specific period rather than carrying the prior year's status forward by default.
Does a dormant company still need to file anything?
Usually, yes. Most entity types still owe some form of annual filing even with zero activity; we prepare the numbers, and a credentialed signer or your local filing agent handles the filing itself.
What happens if we just stop filing?
Missed annual filings or registered-agent lapses can put the entity into bad standing or lead to administrative dissolution, which is harder to unwind than staying current.
How is dormant company bookkeeping priced?
Pricing for dormant company bookkeeping depends on your transaction volume, the software you use, and how much cleanup is needed before ongoing work starts. Current ranges are published on the pricing page, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before anything begins.
What software works with dormant company bookkeeping?
Dormant company bookkeeping runs inside QuickBooks Online or Xero, whichever you already use. If you are not yet set up in either, we can configure a file in your name so you keep ownership of it once the engagement is under way.
Industries
- Real estate and property managementBookkeeping for property owners and managers tracking income, expenses and reserves at the level of each individual property.
- Professional servicesBookkeeping for professional service firms such as engineering, architecture and IT consulting billing clients by project or retainer.
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.