Form DS01 is the Companies House application by directors to voluntarily strike a UK limited company off the register. Striking off is the low-cost way to close a company that has stopped trading and has no significant assets or debts. Once accepted and after a two-month public notice period in the Gazette, the company is dissolved and ceases to exist as a legal entity. Any remaining assets become "bona vacantia" and pass to the Crown, so directors must distribute or otherwise deal with assets before applying.
DS01 must be signed by a majority of the company's directors. The company must not have: traded or sold off any stock in the last three months; changed its name in the last three months; been threatened with liquidation; have any current legal proceedings against it; or have entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) or administration. If any of those apply, DS01 cannot be used - creditors' voluntary liquidation or another formal process is required instead.
Within seven days of sending DS01 to Companies House, the directors must send a copy to all interested parties: shareholders (members), creditors (including HMRC), employees, pension trustees, and any directors who didn't sign the form. Failing to notify these parties can lead to the strike-off being suspended or the directors being personally liable for the company's outstanding debts. HMRC frequently objects to strike-offs where corporation tax, PAYE, or VAT is outstanding.
Companies House checks the application, publishes a notice in the Gazette (London, Edinburgh, or Belfast), and waits two months. If no one objects, the company is struck off the register and dissolved - announced in a second Gazette notice. Objections from creditors, HMRC, or others suspend the process until resolved. After dissolution, any remaining assets (bank balances, property, IP) become bona vacantia and pass to the Crown, so tie up loose ends before applying.
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