Company strike off objections move online only

Sara White, Editor, Business & Accountancy Daily. Croner.

Companies House to stop accepting written email objections from directors trying to avert strike off action in switch to digital only submissions later this year.

From 1 December 2026, directors will only be able to submit objections online to limited company strike offs as Companies House confirms it ‘will no longer accept objections by email’ in switch to website forms only using Gov.uk One Login, and existing Government Gateway accounts.

In future, any objections to strike off decisions will have will to be made through the web page, Make an objection online service, part of the company register site, rather than via email, creating a more streamlined and consistent service.

Companies House said: ‘This change will make submitting objections easier, quicker and more secure. It’s part of our work to digitally transform our services.’

The move should improve security and transparency, with Companies House stressing that supporting documents must be less than six months old, clearly show the full name of the company, including the correct name ending - for example ‘limited’ or ‘ltd’, and must provide tangible evidence of the reason for objecting, for example, invoices proving the company owes the director money.

Another point of security is that any director filing an objection ‘must have a Companies House account to make an objection online’, hopefully helping to filter out dubious claims.

For digitally excluded directors, it may be possible to secure an exemption from digital only strike out objections, but this must be agreed in advance.

Companies House stated: ‘Contact Companies House if you cannot object online or need support because of a disability or health condition. You might get support to use the service, or be able to object by email or post. If you object by email or post, your objection will need to arrive at least two weeks before the company will be struck off.’

The move is part of Companies House’s more robust anti fraud activities, highlighting the importance of cleaning up the register generally.

Dana Wagstaff, global product lead at Vistra, said: ‘Companies House has stepped up scrutiny of the register, and its active approach to enforcement has seen 360 directors convicted for filing offences between January and March 2026, and 151,000 registered office addresses removed since March 2024.

‘Moving strike-off objections to its online service is a further shift towards more streamlined, efficient enforcement from the registrar.

‘But businesses should not rely on the objection process as a safety net. The priority must be to avoid preventable compliance issues in the first place. That means strong governance processes, on-time filings, accurate records and clear ownership of compliance responsibilities. Companies must find and fix any gaps now, before Companies House gets there first.’

Useful link

Companies House guidance, Object to a limited company being struck off