Short answer: If a company that owes you money has a strike-off notice in The Gazette, object to Companies House before the strike-off date, with invoices or other evidence of the debt. An accepted objection normally pauses the strike-off for 6 months, which gives you time to start recovery. From 1 December 2026 objections must be made online. If you miss the date and the company is dissolved, getting paid becomes much harder and usually needs a court application to restore it.
Companies are removed from the register in two common ways: Companies House strikes off a company it believes is no longer trading, or the directors apply to close it themselves. Either way, a struck-off company is dissolved. It no longer exists as a legal person you can sue, and an unpaid invoice can effectively disappear with it. For a supplier, a strike-off notice is a warning to act this week, not next month.
This guide is general information for UK businesses, not legal advice. It covers companies registered in England and Wales. Sources were checked on 27 October 2026: the Companies Act 2006 (sections 1000, 1003, 1004, 1006, 1009, 1012, 1024, 1029 and 1030), the GOV.UK guide Object to a limited company being struck off, the Companies House notice on objections moving online only from 1 December 2026 and the company restoration guide.
The two routes to strike-off
| Route | Who starts it | What it means for you as a creditor |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory strike-off (section 1000) | Companies House, when it believes the company is not carrying on business, often after missed accounts or confirmation statements | A Gazette notice says the company will be struck off and dissolved unless cause is shown. You can object with evidence of the debt. |
| Voluntary strike-off (section 1003) | The directors, by application to Companies House | Directors must send creditors a copy of the application within 7 days (section 1006). The company is struck off no sooner than 2 months after the Gazette notice. You can object. |
Voluntary strike-off is meant for solvent companies that have stopped trading. Section 1004 says directors must not apply if, in the previous three months, the company has traded, changed its name or disposed of property for value. Section 1009 says the application must be withdrawn if, among other things, an administration or winding-up starts. If the company owes you money and is still trading, say so in your objection.
How to spot a strike-off in time
- Check the company record. On the Companies House register, a status such as "Active - Proposal to Strike off" means a Gazette notice has been published.
- Search The Gazette. Strike-off notices are published in The Gazette, and the notice gives the date the company will be struck off.
- Watch for missed filings. Overdue accounts and confirmation statements often come before a compulsory strike-off, and they are also among the insolvency warning signs worth acting on.
- Read any letter from the directors. If you receive a copy of a strike-off application, the company is telling you it plans to close. Treat it as a deadline.
How to object, step by step
- Get the company number from the Companies House register and note the strike-off date from the Gazette notice.
- Gather your evidence. GOV.UK says supporting documents must be less than 6 months old, show the full company name with the right ending (for example Ltd or Limited), support your reason for objecting and be under 4MB each. A current statement of account with the unpaid invoices works well; see the proof of debt checklist.
- Object online through Companies House. You need a Companies House account. From 1 December 2026 Companies House will no longer accept objections by email. If you cannot use the online service, contact Companies House; GOV.UK says objections made by other means must arrive at least 2 weeks before the strike-off date.
- Diary the 6 months. If your objection succeeds, GOV.UK says the company will not be struck off for another 6 months. If you need longer, tell Companies House before that deadline and show real progress. Sending another invoice is unlikely to be enough; starting legal action to recover the debt may be.
Use the pause to recover the debt
An objection only buys time. It does not make the company pay. Use the 6 months to escalate:
- Send a final demand, then a letter before action, adding statutory interest and fixed compensation where your terms do not set a different rate.
- If there is no response, consider a county court claim. Issued proceedings are the kind of progress that may support an extension.
- Check whether a director signed a personal guarantee. That is a separate claim against the guarantor.
- Keep the 6-year limitation period in mind for older invoices.
If the company has already been struck off
On dissolution, the company's remaining property passes to the Crown as bona vacantia (section 1012), and you cannot pursue the company itself. There are still limited options:
- Court restoration. Under section 1029, a person who was a creditor at the time of dissolution can apply to court to restore the company. Under section 1030, the application must normally be made within six years of dissolution. Restoration costs money and takes time, so it is usually only worth it for larger debts or where the company had assets. Take advice from a solicitor first.
- Administrative restoration through Companies House (section 1024) is only open to former directors or members, not creditors.
- Personal liability. Section 1003(6) keeps the liability, if any, of directors and members after a voluntary strike-off. A personal guarantee is the most common example.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stop a company being struck off if it owes me money? Yes, if you object in time. Once Companies House has published a notice in The Gazette that the company will be struck off, a creditor can object with evidence, such as invoices, showing the company owes money. If the objection is accepted, the strike-off is normally paused for 6 months.
How long do I have to object to a strike-off? Until the date the company will be struck off, which the Gazette notice gives. GOV.UK says it will be either 2 months or 28 days from the date of the notice. Object as early as you can, because once the company is struck off the only route back is a court application.
How do I object to a company being struck off? Use the Companies House online objection service. You need a Companies House account, the company number and digital copies of your supporting documents. Companies House has said that from 1 December 2026 objections must be made online and it will no longer accept them by email.
What evidence does Companies House need for an objection? Documents that support your reason for objecting, for example invoices or statements showing the company owes you money. GOV.UK says they must be less than 6 months old, show the full company name with the correct ending such as Ltd or Limited, and each file must be under 4MB.
Will Companies House keep extending my objection? Not automatically. If you need more time you must ask before the 6 months run out and show progress. GOV.UK says simply sending another invoice is unlikely to be enough, but having started legal action to recover the debt may be.
Should directors have told me they were applying to strike off the company? Yes. Under section 1006 of the Companies Act 2006, directors applying for voluntary strike-off must give a copy of the application to every creditor within seven days. Failing to do so is an offence. A company also must not apply if it has traded in the previous three months (section 1004).
What if the company has already been struck off? The company is dissolved and its remaining assets pass to the Crown as bona vacantia (section 1012). A creditor at the time of dissolution can apply to court to restore it under section 1029, normally within six years of dissolution (section 1030). Administrative restoration through Companies House is only open to former directors or members.
Can your partner help if the company is being struck off? We are an introducer, not solicitors or an FCA-authorised firm. Where an undisputed debt owed by a Ltd, LLP or PLC is accepted by our partner, the fee is 15% of what is recovered, payable only when you have been paid. Recovery is not guaranteed, and you should still lodge your own objection with Companies House before the deadline.
If a Ltd, LLP or PLC that owes you an undisputed invoice is heading for strike-off, object to Companies House first, then upload the invoice via business debt collection or read how no collection, no fee works. The fee is 15% of what is recovered, payable only when you have been paid. Recovery is not guaranteed.