If a company is about to be struck off the Companies House register, interested parties may have a legal and practical reason to stop it. This is particularly important where the company owes money, is involved in a dispute, has ongoing legal obligations, or has applied for strike-off when it should not have done so. The good news is that you can object to a proposed company strike-off before the company is dissolved. The process is handled through Companies House, and you will normally need evidence supporting your objection.

Timing matters. Once the company has already been dissolved, the process becomes considerably more complicated because you may need to seek restoration of the company to the register. This guide explains how to object to a company strike-off, who can object, what evidence you need, the deadlines to watch, and what happens after you submit an objection.

What Does It Mean to Object to a Company Strike-Off?

A company strike-off is the process by which a company is removed from the Companies House register and dissolved. A company may enter the strike-off process voluntarily, usually because its directors no longer need it, or Companies House may begin compulsory strike-off proceedings when the registrar has reason to believe the company is no longer operating or has failed to meet its statutory obligations.

Once dissolved, the company legally ceases to exist. Its bank account can be frozen and remaining assets may pass to the Crown as bona vacantia. An objection is therefore a formal request asking Companies House not to dissolve the company because there is a legitimate reason why it should remain on the register. For example, you might object because:

• The company owes you money.
• You have an ongoing legal claim against the company.
• You have not been properly informed about its proposed closure.
• The company's directors have made an inaccurate or false declaration.
• The company still has business activity or assets.
• You are an interested party whose rights could be affected by dissolution.

Companies House specifically recognises creditors, shareholders and other interested parties as potential objectors.

Who Can Object to a Company Being Struck Off?

You do not have to be a director or shareholder to object. Companies House allows an interested party to object where there is a genuine reason to prevent dissolution. This can include:

Creditors

A creditor is one of the most common types of objector. Suppose a limited company owes your business £12,000 for services you provided. You discover that the company has applied for voluntary strike-off before paying your invoice. You may object because dissolution could make it significantly harder to pursue the debt. Your objection should be supported by evidence such as invoices, contracts, statements of account or correspondence acknowledging the debt.

Shareholders

A shareholder may object if the company is being dissolved in circumstances that could affect their interests. For example, the company may still own assets or have unresolved financial affairs that have not been properly dealt with before the proposed strike-off.

Employees

Employees can potentially have grounds to object where the company has outstanding employment-related obligations. This could include unpaid wages or other unresolved claims, depending on the circumstances.

Other Interested Parties

The category is broader than creditors and shareholders. Companies House guidance recognises that other people may object where they have a legitimate reason to prevent dissolution, such as a legal claim against the company. The key point is that an objection should be based on a real interest and supported by evidence, rather than simply a disagreement with the company's decision to close.

When Can You Object to a Company Strike-Off?

You generally cannot object simply because you know that a company is going to close. The formal objection process becomes available after the notice of proposed strike-off has been published in The Gazette. The Gazette notice will normally state the date on which the company is expected to be struck off.

For a typical voluntary strike-off, the company will not be dissolved until at least two months after the Gazette notice has been published. In some compulsory strike-off situations, the notice period can be shorter, including 28 days. This creates an important practical rule:

Do not wait until the last few days to object.

Companies House says online objections should be made before the company is struck off. If you cannot use the online service and need to object by email or post, your objection needs to arrive at least two weeks before the proposed strike-off date.

How to Object to a Company Strike-Off

The simplest route is to use the Companies House online objection service.

Step 1: Find the Company's Strike-Off Notice

Search for the company on the Companies House register and check its filing history. Look for information indicating that a strike-off action has started. You should also check The Gazette notice because this will tell you the proposed dissolution date. The Gazette is particularly important because it establishes the formal timetable for the strike-off process.

Step 2: Establish Your Reason for Objecting

Before submitting anything, clearly identify why the company should not be dissolved. A strong objection might be:

"The company owes my business £15,400 under an unpaid contract dated 14 January 2026, and the debt remains outstanding."

A weak objection would be:

"I don't think this company should be allowed to close."

Companies House needs a substantive reason supported by evidence.

Step 3: Gather Supporting Evidence

Evidence is one of the most important parts of the process. Companies House currently requires supporting documents for online objections to:

• Be less than six months old.
• Clearly identify the company, including its correct legal name.
• Support the reason for your objection.
• Be in an accepted digital format.
• Be no larger than 4MB per relevant submission requirement.

Depending on the circumstances, useful evidence might include:

• Unpaid invoices.
• Contracts.
• Purchase orders.
• Bank statements.
• Letters or emails acknowledging a debt.
• Court documents.
• Legal correspondence.
• Employment records.
• Evidence of continuing business activity.
• Documents demonstrating ownership or entitlement to assets.

The objective is not to upload everything you have. It is to provide clear evidence that directly supports your reason for objecting.

Step 4: Submit Your Objection Online

The Companies House online service requires the company's registration number and your supporting documents. You will also need a Companies House account to submit an online objection. Make sure the information you provide is accurate and consistent with your supporting documents.

For example, if your invoice says the company owes £20,000 but your objection says £25,000, that inconsistency could create unnecessary questions. A useful objection should make it easy for the reviewer to understand three things:

1. Who you are
2. Why the company should not be dissolved
3. What evidence proves your position

What Happens After You Object?

Submitting an objection does not automatically mean the company will remain on the register permanently. Companies House will assess the objection and notify you whether it has been successful. If your objection is successful, the company will not normally be struck off for another six months.

That additional period gives the relevant parties time to resolve the underlying issue. For example, imagine that ABC Limited owes you £8,000. You object to its proposed strike-off and provide the relevant invoices and correspondence. Companies House accepts your objection. The company remains on the register, giving you additional time to pursue payment or take appropriate legal action. But the clock does not necessarily stop forever. If the problem remains unresolved, you may need to take further action.

What If You Still Need More Time?

This is an important point that is sometimes overlooked. If Companies House has accepted your objection and you still need the company to remain on the register, you may need to contact Companies House before the objection period expires. Companies House may ask for evidence that meaningful progress has been made.

For example, simply sending another invoice may not be enough to justify an extension. However, evidence that you have started legal proceedings to recover a debt may provide a stronger basis for requesting additional time. This means an objection should not be treated as a substitute for dealing with the underlying dispute. The purpose of the objection is to prevent premature dissolution while the legitimate issue is being addressed.

What If the Company Has Already Been Struck Off?

This is where the situation changes significantly. Once the company has been dissolved, you generally cannot use the normal objection process because the company is no longer on the register. Instead, restoration may be required.

Companies House states that if a company has already been struck off, an interested party may need to apply for a court order to restore it in appropriate circumstances, such as where the company owed the person money when it was dissolved. There are also circumstances in which administrative restoration may be available to former directors or members, subject to specific eligibility requirements. Voluntary strike-off cases, for example, are treated differently under the administrative restoration rules.

Restoration can be considerably more complicated and expensive than preventing dissolution in the first place. If your rights or money are at stake, act before the strike-off date wherever possible.

Why Objecting Before Dissolution Matters

The consequences of dissolution can be serious. Once a company is dissolved, it no longer exists as a legal entity. Its bank accounts may become inaccessible and assets remaining in the company's ownership can pass to the Crown. This can create problems for creditors.

Imagine a company owes you £30,000 but has £50,000 sitting in its bank account. If the company is dissolved before the situation is addressed, recovering the money may become substantially more complicated. This is why creditors should monitor companies that owe them money rather than assuming the debtor will remain active until the debt is resolved.

Common Reasons for Objecting to a Strike-Off

While every situation needs to be considered on its own facts, the following are common scenarios.

1. The company owes you money

This is perhaps the clearest example. Provide evidence showing the debt exists and remains outstanding.

2. You are pursuing legal action

If you have a genuine legal claim against the company, dissolution could interfere with your ability to pursue it. Provide relevant court documents or legal correspondence where appropriate.

3. The company is still trading

A company that continues to operate may not satisfy the conditions for voluntary strike-off. Evidence of continuing activity may therefore be relevant.

4. The strike-off application contains inaccurate information

Companies House guidance notes that an objection can be appropriate where declarations connected with the strike-off are false.

5. You were not properly informed

In some circumstances, an interested party may object because they were not told about the company's decision to seek strike-off. The specific facts matter, so supporting evidence is important.

Can You Object Without a Solicitor?

Yes. You do not generally need a solicitor simply to submit an objection to a proposed strike-off. Companies House provides an online service specifically for objections. However, whether you should handle the underlying dispute yourself is a different question. Professional legal advice may be sensible if:

• The debt is substantial.
• There is an ongoing court case.
• Fraud or misconduct is suspected.
• Company assets are disputed.
• The company is insolvent.
• You need to pursue directors personally.
• The company has already been dissolved.
• The situation involves complex shareholder or contractual rights.

An objection protects your position against premature dissolution; it does not automatically recover your money or win a legal dispute.

What Companies Should Do If They Receive an Objection

If you are a company director and someone objects to your proposed strike-off, do not simply ignore it. First, establish why the objection was made. For example, the company may have forgotten an outstanding supplier invoice, or there may be a genuine dispute over the amount claimed.

If the company no longer meets the conditions for voluntary strike-off, the directors may need to withdraw the application. Companies House guidance states that a strike-off application should be withdrawn when the company no longer meets the relevant conditions. If the company has outstanding creditors, is trading, or is otherwise unable to close through voluntary strike-off, professional insolvency or legal advice may be appropriate.

A Practical Strike-Off Objection Checklist

Before submitting your objection, work through this checklist:

Company details

• Correct company name
• Correct company registration number
• Strike-off notice located
• Proposed dissolution date confirmed

Reason for objection

• Clear explanation of why dissolution should be stopped
• Genuine interest in the company established
• Any debt or legal claim clearly identified

Evidence

• Relevant invoices or contracts
• Supporting correspondence
• Court or legal documents where applicable
• Documents are recent enough
• Company name is clearly shown
• Files meet Companies House format and size requirements

Timing

• Objection submitted before the strike-off date
• No last-minute reliance on postal delivery
• Further action planned if the objection is accepted

For founders managing several companies, keeping track of Companies House notices is particularly important. Companies House also allows users to follow companies and receive email alerts when changes are made to their records, including proposed removal from the register.

Can IncorpUK Help You Monitor Company Administration?

For founders, investors and international business owners, Companies House compliance can become difficult to manage as the number of companies, directors and filings grows. IncorpUK is a UK company formation and management platform for global founders, and services of this type can be useful where entrepreneurs want administrative processes organised alongside their wider UK company structure.

However, a strike-off objection involving a significant debt, dispute or legal claim should not be treated as a routine company-administration task. Where the circumstances are complex, independent legal or insolvency advice may be appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone object to a company being struck off?

No. You should have a legitimate interest or reason for preventing the company from being dissolved. Examples include being a creditor, shareholder or another interested party with a legal claim or other relevant interest.

How long do I have to object to a company strike-off?

The exact deadline appears in the Gazette notice. In many cases, the proposed strike-off is at least two months after publication, while some compulsory strike-off situations can involve a shorter 28-day period. Companies House advises that objections must be made before the company is struck off.

What evidence do I need to object?

Evidence depends on the reason for your objection. For a debt, this could include invoices, contracts and correspondence. Companies House says supporting documents should be recent, clearly identify the company and support the reason for the objection.

Can I object if the company owes me money?

Yes. Being a creditor with an outstanding debt can provide grounds for objecting to a proposed strike-off. You should provide evidence demonstrating that the debt exists.

What happens if Companies House accepts my objection?

Companies House will tell you whether the objection was successful. If successful, the company will not normally be struck off for another six months. You may need to provide further evidence or request additional time if the underlying issue remains unresolved.

Can I object after the company has been dissolved?

The normal objection process is no longer available once the company has been dissolved. Depending on the circumstances, you may instead need to pursue restoration of the company, potentially through the courts.

Do I need a solicitor to object?

Not necessarily. Companies House provides an online objection service. However, legal advice can be valuable if the objection involves substantial debts, litigation, disputed assets, insolvency or complex legal rights.

Does an objection guarantee that the company will remain active?

No. An accepted objection generally prevents or delays the proposed strike-off while the relevant issue is addressed. It does not permanently prevent the company from being dissolved later if the circumstances allow it.

Can a director withdraw a voluntary strike-off application?

Yes. A director can withdraw the company's application, and Companies House says it must be withdrawn if the company no longer meets the conditions for strike-off.

Conclusion: Act Before the Company Is Dissolved

Objecting to a company strike-off is primarily a timing and evidence exercise. If a company owes you money, you have a legal claim, or you have another legitimate interest that could be harmed by dissolution, do not wait until the company disappears from the register. Check the Companies House record, read the Gazette notice, establish the exact strike-off deadline and prepare evidence supporting your objection.

The online Companies House objection process makes submitting an objection relatively straightforward. The difficult part is often what comes next: pursuing the debt, resolving the dispute or taking legal action before the additional time runs out. Most importantly, an objection is not the same thing as debt recovery or legal enforcement. It is a mechanism for preventing the company from being dissolved while there is a legitimate reason for it to remain on the register.

If the deadline has already passed, the situation becomes more complicated and restoration may be necessary. That is why, when a company is facing strike-off and your interests are involved, early action is usually far better than trying to reverse the process after dissolution.