A company may wish to be struck off the register for a number of reasons. There are conditions to be fulfilled before applying to be struck off. Reasons for applying to be struck off include the business no longer having a lucrative market or the directors retiring but having no replacement to carry on the business. To apply to be struck off the register, a company must have paid its business or trading debts in the last three months.

A company must apply to be struck off by completing and submitting a form DS01 to Companies House. The form has to be signed and dated by all the directors, or the majority. A fee is payable for the application and must be submitted with the application. If the application is acceptable, Companies House will register the information on your company’s public record. The proposed striking off of the company will be published in the Gazette which is relevant to the area of the company. This will allow parties who may have an interest to object to the striking off of the company. After a period of three months minimum, the registrar will strike the company off the register.

Any interested parties have to be informed of a voluntary striking off application within seven days. The interested parties include HM Revenue & Customs, creditors, employees and trustees or managers of an employee pension fund. Objections to the striking off may be made by any of the interested parties to the registrar.

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