How to tell if a UK company is still trading
The short answer
No register field says "trading": Companies House records the legal status of a company, and you infer trading from what it files and how. A company can be "Active" and dormant, "Active" and abandoned by its directors, or "Active" and busy.
The status tells you whether the company still exists and whether a formal process is under way. The filing history and accounts tell you whether anyone is running it. You need both.
Key facts:
- A company is dormant for Companies House when it has no significant accounting transactions in the period (Companies Act 2006, s.1169).
- The registrar can strike off a company it has reasonable cause to believe is not carrying on business or in operation (Companies Act 2006, s.1000).
- Companies House keeps the records of dissolved companies for 20 years and has paused destruction while it reviews that period (GOV.UK, May 2026).
- On 1 October 2026, 5,166,057 companies were "Active" and 423,006 "Active - Proposal to Strike off" (UK Company Data, strike-off study).
What each company status means
The status line on the company overview is the first thing to read, and each value means something specific. The descriptions below are the display values Companies House uses.
| Status shown | What it means | Can it still trade? |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Exists, no insolvency or closure status recorded | Yes, but check filings |
| Active - Proposal to Strike off | First Gazette notice published, compulsory or voluntary strike-off under way | Possibly, but it may be dissolved in 2 months or more |
| Liquidation | A liquidator has been appointed to wind it up | Only as the liquidator directs; normally winding down |
| In Administration | An administrator runs the company to rescue it or get a better result for creditors | Often yes, under the administrator's control |
| Voluntary Arrangement | A company voluntary arrangement with creditors is in place | Yes, under the terms of the arrangement |
| Receiver Action | A receiver has been appointed, usually by a secured lender | Depends on the receivership |
| Dissolved | Removed from the register; no longer a legal person | No |
| Converted / Closed | Converted to another entity type or closed | No, as this entity |
Source: Companies House status values. On 1 October 2026 the register file held 108,330 companies in liquidation and 3,709 in administration. See company status for definitions.
Dissolved vs active
A dissolved company no longer exists, so it cannot trade, sign contracts or be sued until a court or the registrar restores it. If someone is invoicing you under the name and number of a dissolved company, the company is not your counterparty; whoever sent the invoice is.
The dissolved record stays searchable on the register for 20 years, with the last status and filing history. If a dissolved company owes you money, our guide on what to do when a dissolved company owes you money covers restoration and the limits on claims against directors.
"Active - Proposal to Strike off" sits between the two. The company still exists, but a first Gazette notice has been published. In our 1 October 2026 snapshot, 58% of companies with that status were also overdue with their accounts, which suggests many of them had already stopped operating (strike-off study).
Signs a company has stopped trading
No single sign proves a company has stopped trading; three or more together usually mean it has. These are the signals you can check for free.
- Dormant accounts. The latest accounts are marked dormant, meaning no significant accounting transactions in that year. See dormant company.
- SIC code 99999. The company describes its activity as "Dormant Company". It is self-declared and may be out of date.
- Overdue filings. Accounts or the confirmation statement are past their due date and nothing new has arrived.
- A strike-off proposal. The status reads "Active - Proposal to Strike off" or the filing history shows a first Gazette notice.
- Registered office at the default address. Companies House moved the registered office to PO Box 4385, Cardiff CF14 8LH because the company had no right to use its address.
- All directors resigned. The officers tab shows only resigned directors, or a single remaining director.
- VAT number no longer valid. HMRC's online VAT checker shows whether a UK VAT number is valid; you need the number to search.
- No outside footprint. The website is down, the phone line is dead or the trading address is empty.
Dormant is not the same as closed
A dormant company still exists and can start trading the next day without telling Companies House first. Dormant accounts describe the past year only. If a company sends you invoices for a period covered by dormant accounts, the two do not match and you should ask why.
What the filing history tells you
The filing history is the most reliable trading signal on the register, because a company that is being run keeps filing. Read it from the newest entry downwards and note gaps.
| Entry in the filing history | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Full, small or micro-entity accounts filed on time | Someone is running the company and paying an accountant |
| Dormant accounts | No trading in that year |
| Confirmation statement made, with or without updates | Someone is looking after the company's records |
| Application to strike off (form DS01) | The directors have asked to close the company |
| First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off | The registrar believes the company is not operating |
| Compulsory strike-off action suspended or discontinued | An objection was made or the company caught up with filings |
| Appointment of liquidator or administrator | Formal insolvency process |
| Final Gazette notice, dissolved | The company no longer exists |
A run of on-time filings followed by silence is the classic pattern of a company that stopped trading without closing properly. The registrar's compulsory strike-off usually follows; our guide to the first Gazette notice explains that timeline.
How common are dormant and non-filing companies?
Dormant and not-yet-filing companies make up more than a third of active companies, so "Active" on its own is weak evidence of trading. On 1 October 2026:
| Accounts category of active companies | Companies | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Micro-entity | 1,674,362 | 32.4% |
| No accounts filed yet | 1,341,352 | 26.0% |
| Total exemption full | 1,228,842 | 23.8% |
| Dormant | 559,853 | 10.8% |
| Full | 79,385 | 1.5% |
Source: UK Company Data analysis of the Companies House register, 1 October 2026 (accounts type study).
Companies with no accounts yet are mostly new: 715,974 live companies were incorporated in 2025 and 592,744 in 2026 up to 1 October. A new company has no track record either way, so for those you rely on other checks.
Check a company in one place
To see a company's status, accounts type, due dates and recent filings together, search it on our accounts page. For a full pre-trade routine, see how to check a UK company.
Sources
- Companies Act 2006, section 1169: dormant companies, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Companies Act 2006, section 1000: power to strike off company not carrying on business or in operation, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Companies House is reviewing the retention period for dissolved company records, GOV.UK, 12 May 2026, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Companies House API enumerations: company status, Companies House on GitHub, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Check a UK VAT number, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Dormant companies and associations: dormant for Companies House, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
- Restart a non-trading or dormant company, GOV.UK, accessed 17 October 2026.
FAQ
How can I tell if a company is still trading?
Start with the status on Companies House, then read the filing history and latest accounts. A company filing trading accounts and confirmation statements on time is almost certainly operating. Dormant accounts, overdue filings, a strike-off notice, resigned directors or an invalid VAT number suggest it has stopped. No register field records trading directly, so combine several signals.
Does Active on Companies House mean the company is trading?
No. Active means the company exists on the register and no insolvency or closure status is recorded. Dormant companies, newly formed companies and companies whose owners have walked away can all show Active. On 1 October 2026, 10.8% of active companies had last filed dormant accounts and 26.0% had filed no accounts yet.
What is the difference between dissolved and struck off?
Struck off describes how a company was removed from the register, either by the registrar or at the directors' request. Dissolved is the result: the company no longer exists as a legal person. A company can also be dissolved at the end of a liquidation. In each case it can only be revived by administrative restoration or a court order.
Can a dormant company start trading again?
Yes. A dormant company still exists and its directors can restart trading at any time without first telling Companies House. The next set of accounts will no longer be dormant accounts. With HMRC, the company must register for Corporation Tax again. Dormant accounts only describe the past financial year, not what the company is doing today.
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