How to close Ltd Company

[anonymous-user]

I set up a limited company about 10 months ago, never traded, just registered the name and a domain name but got no further.

How do I close it?

Thank you all

[4x4Tyke]

Pretty much the same way you opened it, fill in a form at company house

https://www.gov.uk/strike-off-your-company-from-co...

[Eric Mc]

Simple procedure called Striking Off - costs £10.

[Europa1]

If you have done nothing with it at all eventually the Registrar of Companies will strike it off for you.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for the responses, will get it done. The company I was working for had some redundancies and I thought if I got made redundant I would set up my own small company, I didn't get made redundant! Cheers.

[CharlieAlphaMike]

1TurboTom said:

I set up a limited company about 10 months ago, never traded, just registered the name and a domain name but got no further.

How do I close it?

Thank you all

When you say you 'registered the name' do you mean you actually formed a Ltd Company through Companies House? Or did you just register a name? There is a distinct difference. Also, registering a 'domain name' has nothing to do with registering a business. Having a domain means that...you have a domain. Nothing else.

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Europa1 said:

If you have done nothing with it at all eventually the Registrar of Companies will strike it off for you.

Having a 'Compulsory Strike Off' doesn't look good though. Better to close the company yourself as a Voluntary Liquidation.

[Eric Mc]

CharlieAlphaMike said:

Europa1 said:

If you have done nothing with it at all eventually the Registrar of Companies will strike it off for you.

Having a 'Compulsory Strike Off' doesn't look good though. Better to close the company yourself as a Voluntary Liquidation.

Striking Off is absolutely fine and is low cost (£10). Liquidations are formal and can be expensive.


The vast bulk of small companies these days use the Striking Off procedure as it makes economic sense. That is the reason why the government invented it.

[WinstonWolf]

Make sure you transfer any money out of the bank account before you close the company.

[Eric Mc]

WinstonWolf said:

Make sure you transfer any money out of the bank account before you close the company.

Based on what the OP states, I doubt there is any money in the company bank account.

If a company has ceased trading but is still owed money by debtors or owes money to creditors (or both), it should not be "Struck Off" until all its debts and obligations have been fulfilled.

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Eric Mc said:

CharlieAlphaMike said:

Europa1 said:

If you have done nothing with it at all eventually the Registrar of Companies will strike it off for you.

Having a 'Compulsory Strike Off' doesn't look good though. Better to close the company yourself as a Voluntary Liquidation.

Striking Off is absolutely fine and is low cost (£10). Liquidations are formal and can be expensive.


The vast bulk of small companies these days use the Striking Off procedure as it makes economic sense. That is the reason why the government invented it.

Voluntary Strike Off, yes. You'll need to complete a form DS01 from Companies House (and pay the £10 fee to Companies House as mentioned). Compulsory Strike Off is where Companies House will seek a court order to have the company 'struck off'. Not a good option.

[Eric Mc]

Yes - I was talking about what the OP asked - how to go about closing his company down i.e. something he wants to do voluntarily.

[Frankthered]

Any idea of how much voluntary liquidation would cost, chaps?

I guess it's probably different for different companies, but if there's a general idea, that would be a help!

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Frankthered said:

Any idea of how much voluntary liquidation would cost, chaps?

I guess it's probably different for different companies, but if there's a general idea, that would be a help!

Think £1,000's rather than £100's for a start. Also, consider why you're going into 'liquidation'?

If there are assets and liabilities and assuming you can confidently satisfy any outstanding liabilities, then a Members Voluntary Liquidation (MVL) would be an option (albeit an expensive one). If the company is insolvent, then a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL) might be your only option; whereby the Directors/Shareholders decide the company is insolvent, Creditors are contacted, Liquidator's appointed etc

Assuming the company has no assets or liabilities and if you are simply 'winding down' (to perhaps retire for example), then a Voluntary Strike Off might be the better option.

[rich12]

Rather than starting a new thread, I thought i'd piggy back on this one.

I have a company that is still technically trading (car sales) but am looking to close the company as I can't spend any more time on this one as our other business is taking up all of my time.

I have a couple of cars still for sale but aren't owned by the company and have no creditors etc. What's the easiest and most cost effective way of closing the company?
As a director of another company, I just want to make sure I don't ruin anything in that respect.

[Eric Mc]

What are the current assets and liabilities of the company?

[stuart-b]

Can't you just mark it as non-trading/dormant? In case you need it in the future?

I think the online process for submitting returns on a dormant company is very easy.