Companies House pauses voluntary and compulsory strike off processes

Companies House has announced it will pause voluntary and compulsory strike off processes for one month until 21 February 2021.

The pause follows ongoing Covid-19 restrictions which have led to delays in processing correspondence, documents and forms. As a result of the postponement, companies will not be adversely affected by these delays.

Companies House said it will continue to publish first Gazette notices for voluntary strike off applications to minimise the impact on those who have applied to close their company – but it will not be publishing the second Gazette notice and striking companies off during this period.

For companies on the compulsory strike off path, Companies House claimed it will not be publishing first and second Gazette notices.

A statement released on its website said: “Pausing our strike off processes will provide companies with more time to update their records and help them avoid being struck off the register. It’ll also protect creditors and other interested parties who might have had difficulties in receiving notices or registering an objection, or whose objections have not yet been processed.

“We’ll continue to remind customers about their filing responsibilities during this period. Our digital services are available as normal, and we encourage all customers to file online if you’re able to. You can find your filing deadlines on your company overview page on Companies House service.”