What do "dormant", "dissolved", "in liquidation" and "proposal to strike off" mean on Companies House?
The short answer
Only dissolved. That is the one label that means it has gone, and what it owned passes to the Crown4. A proposal to strike off is a clock: it usually runs out 2 months after the first Gazette notice3. In liquidation, a liquidator winds up the company's affairs8, and dormant2 is a word about its accounts, not about whether it is alive.
England and Wales only. WolfX is software, not a law firm.
What you can add
A £2,650 invoice, 63 days late, with a strike-off pending
Say you invoiced another business £2,650, due on 6 July 2026, and it is still unpaid. On 21 July the filing history shows a first Gazette notice: the company has proposed to strike itself off. Say the notice names 21 September 2026. Object online before then; by email or post, your objection must arrive 2 weeks before, by 7 September, which is 48 days after the notice. On that day the invoice is 63 days late. Interest runs at 11.75% a year12, the rate for invoices that went late between 1 July and 31 December 2026.
That is the sum at stake if the company is struck off. It grows by £0.85 a day until they pay.
The road ahead
Six steps. Checking is free.
Step 1: Match the company number
Search the register9 and check the number against your contract or invoice. A similar name is a different company, and a label on the wrong one tells you nothing.
Step 2: Read the filing history, not just the label
A label is only as new as the last filing. A strike-off, whether the company asked for it or the registrar started it, shows as a Gazette notice on the company's record1. Look at its date, and at the date of anything filed after it.
Step 3: Strike-off notice: object before the date
Until a second Gazette notice dissolves the company1, it still exists, so a proposal is a deadline you can act inside.
The notice states the date, usually 2 months from the notice and occasionally 28 days1.
Object online before that date; by email or post, your objection must arrive at least 2 weeks before it3. The steps are on the objection page.
Step 4: In liquidation: send your claim to the liquidator
The company still exists. The liquidator calls in its assets and pays creditors and shareholders8, so your claim goes to the liquidator: how to claim.
A liquidation usually ends in dissolution 3 months after the final account is registered (voluntary6, by the court7).
Administration, receivership and a CVA8 each have their own office-holder: an administrator, an administrative receiver or a supervisor. A CVA is an agreement with creditors, explained here.
Step 5: Dissolved: check the six-year window
The company is gone, but a creditor can apply to the court to restore it1.
In most cases that must happen within 6 years of dissolution5. The steps are on the dissolved-company page.
Step 6: Read dormant as a note about the accounts
The letter
This page is a glossary, so there is nothing to send. An objection to a strike-off is a filing with Companies House and has its own page.
When not to bother
When it isn't worth it
- A label is one data point, not a credit check. Companies House does not check the accuracy of what is filed9, so use the label to choose your next move, not to judge the firm.
- The company is active and trading. A dormant year in its history is not a warning, because dormant describes the accounts2 for a period and says nothing about now.
- Nothing is owed to you. Note the label and move on. A strike-off objection comes from an interested party1, such as someone the company owes.
- The company was set up in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Notices go in the Edinburgh or Belfast Gazette1 and its insolvency routes differ, so check there first.
The Wolf's note
Only one of these labels means the company has gone, and a court can still bring that one back. A strike-off has a date and a liquidation has a name; each tells you where the next move goes. Check the number first.
Mr. Wolf · the AI inside WolfX
What comes next
Your next move
How do I check if a company is insolvent or about to go under?
Three searches, ten minutes and £6: Companies House, The Gazette and the judgments register.
6 min read
If they go under
How do I object to a company being struck off when it owes me money?
Object online to Companies House with an invoice as proof, before the strike-off date; aim for 2 weeks before.
6 min read · Letter included
If they go under
How do I claim money from a company in liquidation?
Send the liquidator a proof of debt before their last date: a letter or form with the amount owed including VAT, how it arose and your invoices.
7 min read · Letter included
Don't want to do this yourself?
The Wolf does every step for you. He works out the sums, writes the letters and keeps track of every date. Nothing goes without your yes.