First Gazette notice for voluntary strike-off: what it means for a creditor

What does "first Gazette notice for voluntary strike-off" mean?

It means the company's own directors have applied to have it removed from the register, and Companies House has published a notice in The Gazette that the company will be struck off and dissolved unless someone shows cause why not. The application is form DS01, made under section 1003 of the Companies Act 2006.

Key facts:

• The application must be made by the directors, or a majority of them (s.1003(2)).
• Companies House cannot strike the company off until 2 months after the notice is published (s.1003(3)).
• The company is dissolved when a second, final notice is published (s.1003(5)).
• Any personal liability of the directors and members continues after dissolution, and the court can still wind the company up (s.1003(6)).
• Within 7 days of applying, the directors must send a copy of the application to every shareholder, employee, creditor, director who did not sign it, and manager or trustee of an employee pension fund (s.1006).
• Any creditor or other interested party can object once the notice is published.

For a creditor still owed money, the notice is a deadline: once the company is dissolved, recovery becomes slow and expensive.

How it appears in the filing history

Each step leaves an entry in the company's filing history on Companies House, so you can read the process in order.

While the notice is live, the company status reads "Active - Proposal to Strike off", the same label used for compulsory strike-off. The register file does not say which route applies, so look for the DS01 and the "(A)" suffix in the filing history. The full list of statuses is on our company status page.

The timeline from DS01 to dissolution

The voluntary route has four stages and takes at least 2 months from the Gazette notice, often longer.

1. DS01 filed. The directors apply online (£13) or on paper (£18), according to the current GOV.UK guidance on the form.
2. Copies sent within 7 days. The directors must give a copy of the application to the people listed in section 1006. Anyone who becomes a shareholder, employee, creditor or director while the application is pending must also get a copy within 7 days (s.1007).
3. GAZ1(A) published. Once Companies House accepts the application, it publishes the first notice in the relevant Gazette, inviting anyone to show cause why the company should not be struck off.
4. GAZ2(A) published. Not less than 2 months after the first notice, if no objection stops it, the registrar strikes the company off and publishes a final notice. The company is dissolved on that publication.

The DS02 withdrawal can be filed at any point before dissolution, and the directors must withdraw "forthwith" if the company starts trading again, changes its name, or becomes subject to insolvency proceedings (s.1009).

Who is allowed to apply

Directors can only apply if the company has been quiet for 3 months and is not in an insolvency process. If those conditions are not met, the application is not allowed, and making it is an offence.

Under section 1004, the company must not have done any of the following in the previous 3 months:

• Changed its name.
• Traded or otherwise carried on business.
• Disposed of property or rights for value that it held for disposal in the normal course of trade.
• Carried on any other activity, except what is needed to make the application, conclude its affairs or meet legal requirements.

Under section 1005, it must not be in administration, in liquidation or facing an undecided winding-up petition, have a voluntary arrangement or a proposed one pending, have a receiver or manager over its property, or have a court application for a scheme or restructuring plan pending. GOV.UK sums this up: a company that "is threatened with liquidation" or "has agreements with creditors" must use voluntary liquidation instead.

The law does not require every debt to be paid before applying. It requires creditors to be told and gives them the right to object. GOV.UK also reminds directors that they have responsibilities to close the business properly.

Should you have been told?

If you are owed money and did not receive a copy of the DS01 within 7 days of the application, the directors may have committed an offence. Section 1006 puts the duty on the directors, and failing to give a copy is an offence; if it was done intending to hide the application from you, it is an aggravated offence punishable on indictment by up to 7 years in prison.

The duty covers "likely" creditors as well as existing ones in GOV.UK's wording: banks, suppliers, former employees owed money, landlords and tenants. A supplier with an unpaid invoice is plainly included. A missing notice is also one of the strongest grounds for an objection, alongside evidence that the company traded in the 3 months before applying.

How a creditor objects

Object through the Companies House online service after the notice is published and before the strike-off date, with evidence less than 6 months old showing the debt. The process is the same for voluntary and compulsory strike-off and is covered step by step in how to object to a company being struck off.

The points that matter most:

• Timing. The online service accepts objections until the strike-off date; objections by email or post must arrive at least 2 weeks before it (GOV.UK).
• Evidence. Invoices, a statement of account or a court claim, each under 4MB, less than 6 months old, naming the company with its correct ending.
• Grounds. You are owed money or have a legal claim; for a DS01, also that you were not sent a copy, or that the company was not eligible to apply.
• After acceptance. The company will not be struck off for another 6 months, and Companies House expects you to use that time to make progress, such as starting legal action. Another invoice is unlikely to be enough.

An objection does not collect the debt; it buys time to issue proceedings or a statutory demand.

Voluntary strike-off versus compulsory strike-off

Both end in dissolution, and both use the same status label and objection process, but they start from opposite places: in a voluntary strike-off the directors chose to close; in a compulsory one the registrar acted because the company appeared to have stopped operating.

That last row matters to creditors. A company dissolved after a DS01 cannot be restored by the simpler administrative route; it needs a court order, generally within 6 years of dissolution. For the compulsory process, see the first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off and compulsory strike-off discontinued.

What our data shows

Strike-off proposals are a large part of the register, and the register file does not separate voluntary from compulsory ones. On 1 October 2026, 423,006 companies had the status "Active - Proposal to Strike off", 7.6% of active plus proposed companies, and 58% of them were also overdue with their accounts (strike-off study).

A proposal against a company whose accounts are up to date can be voluntary, because directors closing a company in an orderly way often keep filing until the end, while a proposal against a company with accounts two years late is usually compulsory. These are only hints: the filing history is the only reliable way to tell.

What to do when a customer files a DS01

Treat a DS01 from a customer who owes you money as a deadline, not a formality. A practical sequence:

1. Check the dates. Note the DS01 date and the GAZ1(A) date; your strike-off date is 2 months after the notice.
2. Check whether you were told. If no copy reached you within 7 days, keep a record.
3. Ask for payment in writing. Directors closing voluntarily often pay rather than face an objection.
4. Object if unpaid. Use the online service with a current statement of account.
5. Look at the last balance sheet. Cash and debtors in the latest accounts tell you whether recovery is realistic.
6. Act within the 6 months if the objection is accepted, or the company will be struck off.

If the company has already been dissolved, see what to do when a dissolved company owes you money.

To see a company's status, filing dates and balance sheet history in one place, search it on our accounts page. To be alerted when a customer gets a strike-off proposal, add it to a watchlist through our API with a free key.

General information, not legal advice.

Sources

1. Companies Act 2006, section 1003: striking off on application by company, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 21 October 2026.
2. Companies Act 2006, sections 1004 and 1005: circumstances in which application not to be made, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 21 October 2026.
3. Companies Act 2006, sections 1006 and 1007: copy of application to be given to members, employees and others, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 21 October 2026.
4. Companies Act 2006, section 1009: circumstances in which application to be withdrawn, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 21 October 2026.
5. Strike off your limited company from the Companies Register, GOV.UK, accessed 21 October 2026.
6. Important: before you apply to strike off your company (DS01), GOV.UK, accessed 21 October 2026.
7. Striking off or dissolving a limited company, GOV.UK, accessed 21 October 2026.
8. Object to a limited company being struck off, GOV.UK, accessed 21 October 2026.
9. Restoring your company after voluntary strike off, Companies House blog, accessed 21 October 2026.

FAQ

What does first Gazette notice for voluntary strike-off mean?

It means the directors applied on form DS01 to close the company and Companies House has published a notice in The Gazette inviting objections. The company can be struck off and dissolved no sooner than 2 months after the notice. Until then its status reads "Active - Proposal to Strike off". Creditors who are owed money can object before the strike-off date.

How long does a voluntary strike-off take?

At least 2 months from the first Gazette notice, plus the time Companies House takes to accept the DS01 and publish that notice. Paper applications usually take longer to process than online ones. If a creditor objects successfully, the company will not be struck off for another 6 months. The company is dissolved when the final Gazette notice is published.

Do directors have to tell creditors about a strike-off application?

Yes. Under section 1006 of the Companies Act 2006, the directors must give a copy of the DS01 to every creditor, shareholder, employee, non-signing director and pension fund manager or trustee within 7 days of applying. Failing to do so is an offence, and doing it to hide the application is an aggravated offence that can lead to up to 7 years in prison.

Can a company with debts apply for voluntary strike-off?

The law does not require all debts to be paid first, but creditors must be told and can object. A company cannot apply if it traded or changed its name in the last 3 months, or if it is in liquidation, administration, a voluntary arrangement or receivership. GOV.UK says a company threatened with liquidation should use voluntary liquidation instead.

What is the difference between voluntary and compulsory strike-off?

Voluntary strike-off is started by the directors on form DS01, shows as GAZ1(A) in the filing history and requires creditors to be told. Compulsory strike-off is started by the registrar, usually because filings stopped, and shows as GAZ1. A company dissolved after a voluntary strike-off can only be restored by court order, while a compulsorily struck-off company can also use administrative restoration.

Sources: Companies House register and accounts data (Open Government Licence v3.0), legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK guidance where linked. This page is general information, not legal, tax or credit advice. Spotted an error? Email info@globalmindsetmarketing.co.uk.