Strike-off objection process guide
A company applying to be struck off must send a copy of its DS01 to every creditor, including HMRC where tax is owed, within 7 days (Companies Act 2006, s1006); any creditor can then object with evidence once the Gazette notice is published. A blocked strike off doesn't clear the underlying debt, so most companies still need a formal liquidation route once the objection lands. The Gazette; Companies House
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| First Gazette notice | Companies House proposes to strike the company off; opens a 2-month objection window |
| Objection filed | A creditor, including HMRC, objects with supporting evidence before the strike-off date given in the notice; an objection by email or post must arrive at least 2 weeks before that date |
| Outcome | Struck off (second Gazette notice confirms it), or, if the objection succeeds, not struck off for another 6 months, which Companies House can extend if the objector shows progress such as legal action |
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If you close a company that still owes money, creditors can object to it being struck off, and a company struck off with debts can be restored later. Where there are debts, a formal route is usually the safer way to close.
General information, not advice about your company.
Methodology and source
This page explains how a DS01 strike off can be blocked, using The Gazette and Companies House guidance. The directors must send a copy of the DS01 application to every creditor, including HMRC where tax is owed, within 7 days of making it (Companies Act 2006, s1006). Once Companies House publishes the first Gazette notice, any creditor, HMRC included, can object with evidence such as invoices, before the strike-off date in the notice (Companies House guidance on gov.uk). Neither Companies House nor HMRC publishes an aggregate count or rate of objections, so this page is a process guide rather than a numeric tracker. See The Gazette (linked above) for current strike-off notices, and our strike-off objection risk checker for your own situation. A blocked strike off does not clear the debt, so an insolvent company usually needs a CVL instead.
Reading a real Gazette strike-off notice: strike-off notices are published as bulk lists under a paragraph citing the section of the Companies Act 2006 being used. The date printed beside each company is the day the notice was published, not the strike-off date, so the objection window runs 2 months (or 28 days for a false-registration case) from that date. Always match the company number, not just the name. Our strike-off objection timeline and Gazette notice guide takes a real notice apart line by line and lists every time limit with the section behind it, and the DS01 strike-off walkthrough covers the filing side.
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