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CRO resumes strike-offs against non-compliant firms

Lawyers at Eversheds Sutherland say that the Companies Registration Office (CRO) has resumed enforcement activities against non-compliant companies. 

The firm’s lawyers note that the CRO Gazette dated 5 February lists 20 companies that were struck off the register on 31 January. 

A further 20 companies are slated for dissolution within the next 28 days. 

What the lawyers call “a significant development” comes after a temporary suspension of all involuntary strike-offs in February last year due to complications with the CRO’s IT system.

The CRO had previously resumed strike-off proceedings in late 2023 after a reprieve during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Grounds for strike-off 

Under the Companies Act 2014, the CRO has several grounds for striking a company off – including failure to file an annual return. 

In a note on the firm’s website, the Eversheds Sutherland lawyers note that three new grounds for involuntary strike-off have been introduced by the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024:

• The company has failed to deliver notice of change of registered office address,
• The company has no current secretary listed on CRO records,
• The company has failed to notify the Registrar of Beneficial Ownership of its beneficial-ownership information. 

These new grounds will not give rise to the disqualification of directors.