How to credit check a UK company for free
Six-step free check
A free credit check uses the public Companies House register to answer three questions: does the company exist and file on time, can it pay its short-term debts, and is its balance sheet getting stronger or weaker. It takes about 15 minutes for one company.
- Status. Confirm the company is "Active" and not in liquidation, administration or under a proposal to strike off.
- Filing punctuality. Check that accounts and the confirmation statement are not overdue, and scan the filing history for past late filings.
- Liquidity. From the latest balance sheet, compare current assets with creditors due within one year.
- Solvency trend. Compare net assets across the last three sets of accounts.
- Charges. Look for outstanding charges held by banks or invoice finance providers.
- Gazette notices. Look for a first Gazette notice for strike-off and any insolvency notices.
Key facts:
- Companies House shows company status, officers, people with significant control, charges and filing history free of charge; filing documents from 2003 onwards are free to download (GOV.UK).
- Private companies must file accounts within 9 months of their year end (Companies Act 2006, s.442).
- County court judgments stay on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years (GOV.UK).
- On 1 October 2026, 93,785 active companies (1.8%) had overdue accounts and 108,330 companies were in liquidation (UK Company Data, overdue accounts study).
Liquidity: net current assets and current ratio
Liquidity tells you whether a company can pay the bills due in the next 12 months from assets it can turn into cash within the same period. Two figures from the balance sheet are enough.
Net current assets = Current assets - Creditors due within one year
Current ratio = Current assets / Creditors due within one yearA current ratio below 1, which is the same as net current liabilities, means short-term creditors exceed cash, debtors and stock. That is a reason to look closer, not a verdict: some businesses, such as those paid in advance by customers, run with net current liabilities for years.
Check what sits inside creditors due within one year. Amounts owed to directors or group companies are often less pressing than trade suppliers, HMRC and bank overdrafts, and the creditors note in small company accounts usually splits them out.
Solvency: net assets trend
Net assets show what would be left for shareholders if every asset were sold at book value and every debt paid. The trend over three years matters more than the level in one year.
| Pattern over 3 filings | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Net assets rising | Retained profits or new capital |
| Net assets stable, small positive | Small business paying out most profit as dividends |
| Net assets falling but positive | Losses or large dividends eating into the balance sheet |
| Net assets negative and falling | Continuing losses funded by creditors or owners |
| Net assets negative but improving | Recovery, often a young company growing into its costs |
Negative net assets do not by themselves mean a company is insolvent. Young companies and companies funded by director loans often show them. Our guide on how to read company accounts explains each balance sheet line.
Filing behaviour as a signal
Filing behaviour is free, current and hard to disguise, which makes it one of the most useful signals in a free check. Accounts are a year or more old by the time you read them; the due dates on the register are up to date.
From our data on 1 October 2026:
- 93,785 active companies (1.8%) were past their accounts due date; 74% of them were less than three months late.
- 8,175 active companies were more than two years overdue.
- 423,006 companies carried the status "Active - Proposal to Strike off".
- Larger companies are late more often: 8.4% of companies filing full accounts were overdue, against 1.5% of micro-entities.
A few weeks late with a clean history is a weak signal. Late two years running, or a first Gazette notice for strike-off, is a strong one. See what "accounts overdue" means and the first Gazette notice guide for the consequences.
What free data cannot show
Companies House is a register of what companies file; it is not a credit reference agency, and neither are we. Several things that matter for credit decisions are not on it.
- County court judgments. These are on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, run by Registry Trust Ltd for the Ministry of Justice. The register covers individuals and businesses, and GOV.UK quotes a cost of £6 to £10 per search.
- Payment behaviour. How quickly a company pays its suppliers comes from trade data held by credit agencies.
- Current trading. Filed accounts can be up to 9 months old on the day they are filed, and older by the time you read them.
- Turnover and profit for most small companies. Micro-entities and small companies can currently file a balance sheet only; see how to find a company's turnover.
- Verified figures. Companies House carries out only basic checks on documents, and most small companies are exempt from audit.
When a paid report is worth it
A paid credit report is worth buying when the amount at risk is larger than you could absorb if the customer failed, or when the free check raises a flag you cannot resolve. Paid reports add judgments, trade payment data, a score, a suggested credit limit and monitoring.
| Question | Free check answers it? | Paid report adds |
|---|---|---|
| Does the company exist and is it active? | Yes | Nothing essential |
| Is it filing on time? | Yes | Alerts when that changes |
| Can it cover short-term debts? | Partly, from last year's balance sheet | Ratios and spreads |
| Is the balance sheet improving? | Yes, if you open three filings | Multi-year tables |
| Does it have court judgments? | No (small fee on the judgments register) | Included |
| Does it pay suppliers on time? | No | Trade payment data |
| What credit limit is reasonable? | No | Agency score and limit |
For a comparison of paid services and what they cost, see our Endole alternatives comparison.
To see status, due dates and the net assets trend from past iXBRL filings in one view, search the company on our accounts page. The full routine, including directors and addresses, is in how to check a UK company.
Sources
- Searching the Companies House register, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Companies Act 2006, section 442: period allowed for filing accounts, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 17 October 2026.
- County court judgments for debt: CCJs and your credit rating, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Prepare annual accounts for a private limited company: micro-entities, small and dormant companies, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Striking off or dissolving a limited company, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
FAQ
Can I credit check a company for free in the UK?
Yes, at a basic level. Companies House gives free access to status, filing history, accounts, officers and charges, which lets you check filing punctuality, liquidity and the net assets trend. It does not give a credit score, payment data or county court judgments. Those come from credit agencies or, for judgments, a paid search of the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
What is a good current ratio for a small company?
A current ratio above 1 means current assets exceed creditors due within one year, so the company could in principle pay its short-term debts from short-term assets. Below 1 means net current liabilities. What is normal depends on the business: firms paid in advance by customers can run below 1 safely, so compare the ratio over several years.
How do I check if a company has county court judgments?
Search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which is run by Registry Trust Ltd on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and covers businesses as well as individuals. GOV.UK quotes a cost of £6 to £10 per search. Judgments stay on the register for six years. Paid credit reports usually include judgment data.
Is Companies House data enough for a credit decision?
For small orders and new supplier checks it is often enough, because status, filing punctuality and the balance sheet trend catch most obvious risks. For larger credit, add a paid report or ask the customer for recent management accounts, because filed accounts can be well over a year old and most small companies do not publish turnover or profit.
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