How do you apply for administrative restoration? Alex Till, Chief Executive of MENTA, explains how to restore a dissolved company.

What is a dissolved company?

A dissolved company is a company that has been “closed down” and removed from the official list of companies held at Companies House so that it no longer legally exists.

How do you apply for administrative restoration?

Applying to restore your company on Companies House is known as administrative restoration. In order to apply for administrative restoration, you need to do send Companies House the following:

• a completed application for administrative restoration (form RT01)
• a cheque for £100, payable to ‘Companies House’
• any outstanding documents, such as accounts or confirmation statements (previously annual returns)
• any filing fees or penalty payments
• a waiver letter from Bona Vacantia (if your company had assets)

What is a court restoration order?

A court restoration order is a method of restoration where restoration is sought for a limited period to recover assets or pursue a claim, as it is not necessary in those circumstances to file overdue accounts and annual returns and there will be no late filing penalties to pay in respect of any overdue accounts.

An application for a court restoration order may be made irrespective of whether the company was struck off for failing to deliver accounts and annual returns on time or an application for voluntary striking off by directors.

Who can apply to the court to restore a company to the register?

You can only apply to Companies House to get your company restored if:

• you were a director or shareholder
• it was struck off the register and dissolved by the Registrar of Companies within the last 6 years
• it was trading at the time it was dissolved

Otherwise you’ll have to get a court order to get the company restored.

When a company is dissolved, all its assets pass to the Crown and are legally known as ‘bona vacantia’ (ownerless property). Assets include:

• property and land
• mortgages
• shares
• intellectual property, for example trademarks, registered designs and patents

You may be able to claim money back or buy assets from the dissolved company by:

• getting a court order to restore the company - if they owe you money
• buying or claiming some of their assets - if you’re affected by the company closing
• applying for a discretionary grant - if you were a shareholder

How long does it take to restore a dissolved company?

The company restoration process can be expected to be approximately 4 months if all runs according to plan. An administrative restoration will be quicker as there is no need to go through the courts.

About the author

Alex Till is the Chief Executive of MENTA, a leading provider of support for businesses of all shapes and sizes who have provided business advice and support to over 35,000 businesses taking them through their journey of knowledge to the point of establishing their business and securing funding for start-up costs and working capital.

See also

What are Gazette company profiles?

A guide to writing business plans

A guide to memorandum and articles of association

How to apply for a Start Up Loan for your business

Find out more

Companies House (GOV.UK)

RT01 application for administrative restoration to the register (GOV.UK)

Apply for a waiver letter (WA1) (GOV.UK)

Image: Getty Images

Publication date: 9 July 2021

Any opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and the author alone, and does not necessarily represent that of The Gazette.