First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off: what it means
What the notice means
A first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off is the registrar's public announcement that a company will be removed from the register and dissolved unless someone shows a reason not to. It is published in The Gazette, the UK's official public record, and appears in the company's filing history on Companies House.
Key facts:
- The registrar can strike off a company it reasonably believes is not carrying on business or in operation (Companies Act 2006, s.1000).
- The company can be struck off not less than 2 months after the first Gazette notice; for companies registered on a false basis, not less than 28 days (GOV.UK).
- An objection that succeeds stops the strike-off for 6 months (GOV.UK).
- After dissolution, any remaining company assets pass to the Crown, and directors' liabilities continue (s.1000(7)).
- On 1 October 2026, 423,006 companies carried the status "Active - Proposal to Strike off" (UK Company Data, overdue accounts study).
The notice is not a finding of fraud or insolvency. It is the registrar's way of clearing companies that appear to have stopped operating, and many companies stop the process by bringing their filings up to date.
Why do companies get one?
Most compulsory strike-offs start because Companies House has reasonable cause to believe the company is no longer carrying on business. Missing accounts and confirmation statements are the usual evidence: a company that stops filing looks like a company that has stopped trading.
Companies House guidance lists three grounds for compulsory strike-off:
- The registrar has reasonable cause to believe the company is not carrying on business or in operation.
- The company was registered on a false basis, meaning information in its application was misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.
- The company's registered office was moved to the Companies House default address and the company did not supply a new, appropriate address within 28 days.
If you are tracking a company with overdue filings, read what "accounts overdue" means for the earlier stages, and check whether its confirmation statement is also late.
Timeline to dissolution
The timeline is set by section 1000 of the Companies Act 2006, and the shortest path from first letter to dissolution is about three months.
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registrar sends a communication asking if the company is still carrying on business | Start |
| 2 | If no answer, a second communication warns that a Gazette notice will follow | No answer within 14 days, then sent within the next 14 days |
| 3 | First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off is published | If no answer within 14 days of the second communication, or the company confirms it is not operating |
| 4 | Company can be struck off | Not less than 2 months after the first notice |
| 5 | Final Gazette notice: the company is dissolved | On publication of the second notice |
Source: Companies Act 2006, s.1000; GOV.UK guidance on striking off or dissolving a limited company.
Entries to watch in the filing history:
- First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off. The process has started.
- Compulsory strike-off action has been suspended. Someone has objected or Companies House has paused the action.
- Compulsory strike-off action has been discontinued. The process has stopped, commonly after the company files what was missing.
- Final Gazette dissolved via compulsory strike-off. The company no longer exists.
Compulsory vs voluntary strike-off
A voluntary strike-off starts when the directors apply to close the company, and it also leads to a first Gazette notice with a 2-month window. A company can apply only if, among other conditions, it has not traded or changed its name in the last 3 months and is not threatened with liquidation. Creditors can object to both kinds of strike-off in the same way.
How does a creditor object?
Any interested party, such as a creditor or shareholder, can object once the first Gazette notice has been published, and must do so before the company is struck off. You need evidence that supports the objection, for example invoices showing the company owes you money.
How to object:
- Find the company number and the date of the first Gazette notice in the filing history.
- Gather evidence: documents less than 6 months old that show the full company name and support your reason for objecting. Online uploads must be under 4MB each.
- Use the Companies House strike-off objection service, which needs a Companies House account. If you cannot object online, contact Companies House; objections sent by email or post must arrive at least 2 weeks before the strike-off date.
- Watch the filing history for "Compulsory strike-off action has been suspended".
If the objection succeeds, the company will not be struck off for another 6 months. Use that time to take real steps to recover the debt: Companies House says another invoice is not enough and looks for meaningful progress, such as starting legal proceedings. Contact Companies House before the 6 months end if you need more time or no longer object.
What happens to debts after dissolution?
Once a company is dissolved it no longer exists as a legal person, so a creditor has nobody left to sue. That is why objecting before the strike-off date matters.
What happens next:
- Company assets pass to the Crown as bona vacantia, and the company's bank account is frozen.
- Directors' liabilities continue and can be enforced as if the company had not been dissolved (s.1000(7)).
- Restoration by court order lets a creditor, among others, apply to restore the company, normally within 6 years of dissolution; there is no time limit for personal injury claims.
- Administrative restoration is available only to a former director or member, within 6 years, and not when the directors applied for voluntary strike-off.
A restored company is treated as if it had never been struck off, so the debt becomes recoverable again.
How many companies are proposed for strike-off?
Strike-off proposals are common: 423,006 companies carried the status "Active - Proposal to Strike off" on 1 October 2026, about 7.4% of the 5,704,712 companies on the register file. The figure includes both compulsory and voluntary proposals.
For comparison, 93,785 companies with the plain "Active" status were past their accounts due date on the same day, 108,330 were in liquidation and 3,709 in administration. A company appearing in the first group today can move into the strike-off group within a few months if it does not file.
To see whether a customer or supplier is under a strike-off proposal or late with its filings, search it on our accounts page. For the full routine, see how to check a UK company.
Sources
- Companies Act 2006, section 1000: power to strike off company not carrying on business or in operation, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Striking off or dissolving a limited company, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Object to a limited company being struck off, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Object to a limited company being struck off: after you object, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Restoring a company to the Companies House register, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Strike off your limited company from the Companies Register, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
FAQ
What does first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off mean?
It means the registrar of companies has published a notice in The Gazette saying the company will be struck off the register and dissolved unless cause is shown. It usually follows missed filings and unanswered letters. The company can be struck off not less than two months after the notice, unless someone objects or the company brings its filings up to date.
How long after the first Gazette notice is a company dissolved?
Not less than two months after the notice in most cases, or not less than 28 days if the company was registered on a false basis. Dissolution takes effect when the registrar publishes the second, final Gazette notice. If the action is suspended because of an objection, the company will not be struck off for another six months.
Can a creditor stop a company being struck off?
Yes. A creditor can object after the first Gazette notice is published, using the Companies House online objection service or by contacting Companies House, with evidence such as unpaid invoices. A successful objection delays strike-off for six months, during which the creditor is expected to take real recovery steps, such as starting legal proceedings.
What happens to money owed by a dissolved company?
Once dissolved, the company no longer exists, so the debt cannot be pursued against it. Its remaining assets pass to the Crown. A creditor can apply to court to restore the company, normally within six years of dissolution, after which the company is treated as if it had never been dissolved and the debt can be pursued again.
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