Repayment of restored company funds

When a company is dissolved, its remaining funds become ‘bona vacantia’, a legal term for ownerless property. These funds automatically pass to the Crown by operation of law under the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. 

If a dissolved company is subsequently restored, the officers of that restored company can apply to the KLTR for repayment of any sums that were sent to the KLTR at or after dissolution.

KLTR is unable to provide advice on the process of restoring a company to the Register. For detailed information on how to restore a dissolved company, please refer to the Companies House guidance available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/restore-dissolved-company

Please note: Repayment can only be processed after a third party, such as a bank, has referred the dissolved company’s assets to KLTR. If you are unsure whether a referral has been made, please verify this before applying to KLTR for a repayment.

KLTR charges an administration fee for processing applications for the repayment of company funds. This fee will be deducted from the funds held. The administration fee is £50 for companies restored through administrative restoration, and £100 for those restored by court order.

To apply for a repayment of company funds held by KLTR, an officer, agent, or representative of the company, must submit the following:

1. Completed Application Form
2. Evidence of the Restored Company's Active Status: This can be a letter from Companies House or a printout from their website, showing the company's name, number, and business address.
3. Evidence of the Restored Company’s Bank Account Details: The bank account must be a business account, not a personal account of a director. Provide a bank statement or letter dated within the last 3 months.

If the amount being repaid exceeds £5,000, the following additional documents and proofs of identity are required:

1. Details of the Company's Current Officers and Shareholders: Include names of directors, company secretary, and shareholders.
2. Copy of the Company's Last Filed Confirmation Statement/Annual Return: Include details of any changes since then.
3. Proof of Identity for Each Company Officer dealing with the transaction.
4. Proof of Identity for All Individuals or Entities with 25% or More of the Shares or Voting Rights: If there is a controlling shareholder company, provide full details of its current officers and a copy of its last filed confirmation statement/annual return.

Note: If you are applying for the repayment of funds exceeding £5,000, please review the guidelines on Identification Requirements and Acceptable Forms of ID below before applying.

Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by post to the KLTR Office. You can access the application form by visiting the link provided at the bottom of this page. 

When providing proof of identity, please ensure that two forms of identity from Lists A and B below are provided, one for your name and another for your address. For instance, if you use your driving licence to verify your name, you must provide a different form of identification to verify your address.  

Individual IDs must be originals or copies certified as a true copy by a solicitor/accountant for each applicant. To ensure the authenticity and integrity of submitted documents, applicants must provide wet ink certified true copies. Certification must be performed in person, with the certifier signing and stamping the document using ink. Digital or electronic certifications, including scanned copies or digital signatures, will not be accepted under any circumstances. To avoid delays and ensure timely processing of your application for repayment, please submit all certified true copies in their original physical form. 

You must provide at least one document from List A and another from List B. 

The table below lists acceptable forms of identification: 

List A 

• Current valid passport  

• EEA National identity card (if not also used as proof of address) 

• A UK biometric residence permit (BRP)  

• A UK biometric residence card (BRC). 

• Full UK/EEA photocard driving licence (if not also used as proof of address) 

• UK HM Forces ID card 

List B 

• Council tax bill for the current tax year 

• Bank or building society statement dated within the last three months 

• UK driving licence (if not used for proof of identity) 

• National identity card (if not also used as proof of address) 

• Utility bill (electricity, gas, telephone or broadband) dated within the last three months 

• Rental agreement or mortgage statement dated within the last year 

The KLTR reserves the right to ask for additional proof of identity or address if warranted for fraud protection purposes. 

If you are unable to supply the documentation listed above, please contact the KLTR team.