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Quick answer: "In Business" means the company is active on the companies register. A deregistration-process status means the companies registry has started removing the company, usually for unfiled annual returns, and you can stop it by filing everything outstanding before final deregistration.
The statuses you are most likely to see
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| In Business | Active and on the register | Keep filing annual returns and beneficial ownership on time |
| AR deregistration process | Annual returns are outstanding and the companies registry has started deregistration | File all outstanding annual returns and beneficial ownership now |
| Final deregistration (deregistered) | The company has been removed from the register and has lost its legal personality | Apply for re-instatement if the company should continue |
| Re-instatement process | Re-instatement has been applied for, but filings are still outstanding | File the outstanding returns and documents within 30 business days |
Other statuses exist for companies in liquidation, business rescue or voluntary deregistration. These follow their own legal processes; ask us or a professional adviser if you see one.
Getting a deregistered company back
- Re-instatement is only possible once the company is finally deregistered.
- The company must have been active or held assets (economic value) at the time it was deregistered.
- The application is made online through the registry’s systems.
- After re-instatement is applied for, the outstanding annual returns, beneficial ownership and financial information must be filed within 30 business days, or the status goes back to deregistered.
Why act early
A deregistered company can't legally trade, and its bank accounts and assets can be affected. Stopping the deregistration process by filing on time is far simpler than re-instatement afterwards.
We can check your company's status and file overdue returns. Contact us.
Company Registration from Digitalx, priced in writing before we start.