Short answer. Annual accounts report the company's finances for an accounting period. A confirmation statement confirms that the register's details about the company are up to date. They are different filings with different due dates.
Annual accounts
Accounts cover an accounting period, ending on the company's accounting reference date. What must be filed depends on the size and type of company: micro-entity, small, medium or full accounts, and dormant accounts where applicable. The register shows the period the last accounts were made up to and the next due date.
Confirmation statement
A confirmation statement is a periodic check that the information Companies House holds is still correct: registered office, officers, people with significant control, share capital and SIC codes. It is a confirmation, not a financial return, and it must be filed even if nothing has changed.
Why the dates differ
Accounts deadlines follow the accounting reference date. Confirmation statement dates follow a review period based on incorporation or the last statement. Two companies incorporated on the same day can end up with quite different patterns once accounting dates are changed.
How we present them
On our company profiles the two are always in separate blocks, with the date we checked the record. We show the due dates the register reports and never calculate a substitute date from a general rule. If the register reports no date, we show "Not available" rather than guessing.
Before you rely on a deadline
Check the official company record, and confirm current filing requirements and any fees on GOV.UK. Deadlines can change when a company alters its accounting reference date, and penalties for late accounts are set by Companies House.
This guide is general information about public company records, not legal, tax or financial advice. Independent service. Not affiliated with Companies House or GOV.UK.