Why is a company struck off or dissolved?
Download the the struck off or dissolved company restoration application form (PDF 69.9Kb).
Dissolution is usually voluntary by the members (shareholders) if they have no further use for the company. Under section 652 of the Companies Act 1985 the Registrar of Companies at Companies House may remove the company from the register (striking off) if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that no business is being carried on. Typically this could be due to a failure to submit an annual return form 363 or file accounts on time. A common cause of companies being struck off is due to a change of registered office address that is not notified to Companies House.
It is worthwhile noting that prior to limited companies being struck off or dissolved a notice is placed by the Registrar of Companies in the London Gazette. It can pay to be vigilant if you have interests in one or more companies and you can subscribe to notification services to be on the lookout for such important events and if you act quickly enough you may be able to prevent your company from becoming a struck off or dissolved company.