Company Restoration Cost UK: Fees, Penalties and Other Costs
The cost of restoring a UK company depends on the restoration route, government fees, overdue filings, penalties, Crown costs, and professional work. Administrative restoration currently starts with a £341 Companies House fee. A court restoration application in England and Wales currently carries a £326 court fee. These figures are only the starting costs. A dissolved company can also have outstanding accounts, confirmation statements, Companies House penalties, Corporation Tax liabilities and professional fees. A standard Treasury Solicitor Bona Vacantia waiver currently costs £64 where that Crown representative has jurisdiction. The final company restoration cost in the UK therefore depends on the company’s individual compliance history.
How Much Does It Cost to Restore a Company?
There is no single fixed price for restoring every dissolved company because each case has different statutory and compliance costs. The restoration route determines the first government fee. Other costs then depend on the company’s outstanding filings and liabilities.
| Cost item | Current amount | When it can apply |
| Administrative restoration application | £341 | RT01 applications |
| Court restoration application | £326 | England and Wales court applications |
| Treasury Solicitor waiver | £64 | Qualifying Bona Vacantia cases |
| Paper confirmation statement | £110 | When the annual CS01 fee is due |
| Late filing penalty | £150–£1,500 per filing | Accounts overdue before dissolution, before doubling rules |
| Other Companies Act fines or penalties | Varies | Where outstanding against relevant persons |
| Annual accounts preparation | Varies | Where accounts must be brought up to date |
| Professional restoration fees | Varies | According to the work required |
| Solicitor or legal costs | Varies | Mainly court restoration cases |
| HMRC liabilities | Varies | Where Corporation Tax or penalties remain outstanding |
A straightforward case can therefore cost much less than a restoration involving several years of accounts, penalties and Crown property. The most useful starting point is identifying what was already outstanding when the company was dissolved.
What Does Administrative Restoration Cost?
Administrative restoration currently has a £341 Companies House application fee, plus any outstanding filings, penalties and Crown costs that apply.Companies House charges £341 for an RT01 administrative restoration application. The £341 payment does not cover the entire restoration. Other costs can include:
- confirmation statement fees;
- late filing penalties;
- overdue accounts preparation;
- Companies Act fines or financial penalties;
- Bona Vacantia costs; and
- professional restoration fees.
For example, a company requiring an RT01 application, one chargeable paper confirmation statement and a standard Treasury Solicitor waiver could have official restoration-related charges of:
£341 + £110 + £64 = £515
That example excludes professional fees, annual accounts preparation, Companies House penalties and HMRC liabilities. The total cost can therefore be substantially higher. See our RT01 form guide for the application requirements rather than repeating the restoration procedure here.
What Can Court Restoration Cost?
The £326 court restoration fee is only the court application charge; other court, Crown, professional and compliance costs can also apply.The current application fee for court restoration in England and Wales is £326. That amount does not include every cost connected with the case.
Additional costs can include:
- Registrar costs;
- Crown-related costs;
- solicitor or other professional fees;
- overdue Companies House filings;
- late filing penalties; and
- other outstanding compliance costs.
Professional legal costs vary according to the complexity of the case and whether additional court work is required.A useful court-restoration budget therefore separates:
court fee + court or Crown costs + professional fees + overdue compliance + penalties
Which Companies House Fees Can Apply?
Companies House restoration costs can include the £341 RT01 fee, paper confirmation statement fees, and penalties connected with overdue company filings. The administrative restoration application currently costs £341. Confirmation statements are another common restoration cost. A company being restored must use paper Form CS01 for the required confirmation statement. The current paper filing fee is £110 when the annual fee is due for the relevant 12-month payment period.
This does not mean every overdue confirmation statement automatically costs another £110. Companies House uses a separate 12-month payment period. The annual fee is payable with the first confirmation statement filed within that payment period. Further confirmation statements filed within the same payment period do not normally create another annual fee. This distinction can materially reduce the amount required where several confirmation statements are outstanding.
Are Late Filing Penalties Payable After Restoration?
Late filing penalties remain payable where accounts were already overdue before the company was dissolved.A private company’s standard Companies House late filing penalties are:
| How late the accounts are | Penalty |
| Up to 1 month | £150 |
| More than 1 month and up to 3 months | £375 |
| More than 3 months and up to 6 months | £750 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 |
These figures apply per late accounts filing. The penalty doubles where accounts are filed late in 2 successive financial years. The dissolution period also matters. Companies House does not charge late filing penalties for accounts that became due while the company was dissolved. A company can therefore have several outstanding accounting periods without automatically having a penalty for every period. The original filing deadlines and dissolution date should be checked before estimating penalty exposure.
Can Other Companies Act Fines Increase the Restoration Cost?
Yes. Outstanding Companies Act fines and financial penalties can increase the cost of administrative restoration.Current administrative restoration rules go beyond ordinary late filing penalties. Relevant persons must also have paid outstanding fines or financial penalties imposed for Companies Act offences relating to the company.
A relevant person can include the applicant and certain former directors who will become directors again immediately after restoration. The amount therefore depends on the company’s individual compliance history. These liabilities should be identified separately from the normal £341 RT01 fee.
Can Overdue Accounts Increase the Restoration Cost?
Yes. Overdue annual accounts can increase restoration costs through both professional preparation fees and Companies House penalties.The amount of accounting work varies considerably between companies.A dormant company with complete records normally requires less work than an active trading company with several bank accounts and missing bookkeeping. The cost can also increase where the accountant needs to reconstruct transactions from bank statements.The number of accounting periods matters as well. For example, preparing 3 overdue sets of accounts normally requires more professional work than preparing a single period. Accountancy fees are separate from Companies House restoration fees.The company records should therefore be reviewed before a fixed accounts quotation is given.
Can Bona Vacantia Add to Company Restoration Costs?
Yes. Bona Vacantia can add Crown costs where company property or rights passed to the Crown after dissolution.A standard Treasury Solicitor waiver application currently costs £64, with no VAT charged, where the company falls within the Treasury Solicitor’s jurisdiction.The £64 amount does not apply universally across every UK restoration. Different Crown representatives can apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland and certain Duchy jurisdictions.More complex asset cases can also involve additional costs. The waiver charge should therefore be described separately from the Companies House restoration fee. See our Bona Vacantia waiver guide for detailed consent requirements.
Can HMRC Liabilities Increase the Overall Cost?
Yes. Outstanding Corporation Tax, interest and HMRC penalties can increase the company’s total financial exposure after restoration. These liabilities are separate from Companies House and court restoration fees. For Company Tax Returns with filing dates from 1 April 2026, the initial HMRC late filing penalty is £200, with further penalties applying as lateness continues.The company’s Corporation Tax position should therefore be reviewed separately where tax returns or payments remain outstanding. Restoration itself does not cancel historic HMRC liabilities.
What Should a Company Restoration Quote Include?
A clear company restoration quote should separate government fees, Crown costs, Companies House penalties, accountancy work, legal costs and professional restoration fees. This makes it easier to understand which charges are fixed and which depend on the company’s circumstances.
A clear quotation should normally identify:
- Companies House or court fees;
- confirmation statement filing fees;
- Bona Vacantia or Crown costs;
- known Companies House penalties;
- annual accounts preparation fees;
- professional restoration fees;
- solicitor costs where applicable; and
- known HMRC work or liabilities.
Separating these amounts also prevents the £341 RT01 fee or £326 court fee from being mistaken for the entire restoration cost. Professional fees should be shown separately from government and third-party charges.
Are Professional Fees Included in Government Restoration Fees?
No. Government restoration charges do not include professional accountancy, restoration or solicitor fees. The £341 administrative restoration fee is a Companies House charge. The £326 court fee is an HM Courts and Tribunals Service application charge in England and Wales. The standard £64 Treasury Solicitor waiver cost is a separate Crown-related charge where applicable. Professional fees depend on the work required to prepare and manage the restoration. A quotation should therefore distinguish professional charges from official fees and third-party costs.
FAQs
No. The £110 paper confirmation statement fee is linked to the company’s 12-month payment period rather than automatically applying to every CS01 filed.The annual fee is normally payable with the first confirmation statement in each payment period.
Yes. A Companies House late filing penalty is doubled where accounts are filed late in 2 successive financial years.The original filing deadlines must therefore be checked when estimating the total penalty exposure.
No. The Government Legal Department states that VAT is not charged on the standard £64 Treasury Solicitor waiver application cost.This applies where the Treasury Solicitor is the relevant Crown representative.
Yes. Professional restoration fees are separate from Companies House, court, and Crown charges.Professional costs depend on the restoration route and the amount of compliance work required.
Get a Company Restoration Cost Review
The most accurate restoration cost can be calculated after reviewing the company’s dissolution and filing history. Tilly & Cooper can review the Companies House record and identify the government fees, outstanding filings, potential penalties and professional work affecting the restoration. This allows government charges, penalties, and professional fees to be shown separately before work begins. Send us the company name and Companies House number for an initial company restoration cost review.
