Every document a company files with Companies House is listed on its filing history, newest first, with a date, a form code and a one-line description. The list looks dry. It is in fact the most honest account of a company's life you can read without talking to anyone, because filings are obligations, not marketing.
The codes you will see most
| Code | Filing | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| NEWINC | Incorporation | The company was formed. The document lists the first officers, PSCs, share capital and articles. |
| CS01 | Confirmation statement | Annual confirmation of details. Filed on time: healthy. Overdue: a warning. |
| AA | Annual accounts | Financial statements. For small companies usually abbreviated, but they show net assets and headcount bands. |
| AP01 / AP03 | Appointment of director / secretary | Someone new joined the board. Growth, investment or a founder bringing in help. |
| TM01 / TM02 | Termination of director / secretary | Someone left. One departure is normal; several in quick succession is not. |
| CH01 | Change of director's details | Often a change of correspondence address or occupation. |
| AD01 | Change of registered office | The company moved, or moved from its formation agent to a real address. |
| SH01 | Return of allotment of shares | New shares issued: an investment round, a co-founder, or an employee scheme. |
| PSC01 – PSC09 | PSC changes | Ownership or control changed hands. |
| MR01 | Registration of a charge | The company borrowed against its assets. A lender is involved. |
| MR04 | Satisfaction of a charge | A loan was repaid. |
| DS01 | Application to strike off | The directors are closing the company voluntarily. |
| GAZ1 / GAZ2 | Gazette notices | Compulsory strike-off proceedings, usually for failing to file. |
| RESOLUTIONS / MA | Resolutions and new articles | Governance changes, often around a name change or investment. |
What a healthy new company looks like
For a company in its first year, the filing history is short: the incorporation, perhaps an AD01 when it moves off the formation agent's address, and perhaps an AP01 as a co-founder is formalised. That is fine. The important dates are the ones that have not happened yet. The first confirmation statement is due within 14 days of the first anniversary of incorporation, and the first accounts are due 21 months after incorporation. Company Signal shows both on the profile, and the AI analysis uses them to explain why now: a company approaching its first accounts deadline is a company about to need an accountant if it does not have one.
Filings that signal opportunity
- SH01 within the first year often means investment or a second founder. Budgets exist that did not exist before.
- AP01 adding a second director with a finance or operations occupation suggests the company is professionalising.
- AD01 from a formation address to a commercial address means premises, and premises mean insurance, fit-out, IT and utilities.
- MR01 means a lender has done due diligence and lent. It is both a validation and a sign of assets to protect.
- A change of name or new articles frequently precedes a launch or a rebrand.
Filings that signal caution
An overdue confirmation statement or accounts is the first sign of a company that has stopped paying attention. A GAZ1 notice means Companies House has begun compulsory strike-off, usually because filings are late; many companies recover, but it is not a moment to pitch. A DS01 means the directors are closing it down. Multiple TM01s in a short period with no replacements suggest a dispute or a wind-down.
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions this article answers
- What does CS01 mean on Companies House?
- CS01 is the confirmation statement, filed at least once a year to confirm that the company's registered details, shareholders, PSCs and SIC codes are correct. Its absence past the due date is an early warning sign.
- When are a new company's first accounts due?
- For a private company, the first accounts are due 21 months after incorporation. After that, accounts are due nine months after each financial year end.