Strike off & deregistration

Hong Kong: deregistration of a defunct solvent company

A Hong Kong private company can apply for deregistration if it is solvent and meets the conditions in the Companies Ordinance. According to the Companies Registry, the company must not have started business, or must not have operated during the three months before the application. It must also have no outstanding liabilities, no immovable property in Hong Kong and not be a party to legal proceedings, among other conditions.

The company first obtains a Notice of No Objection from the Commissioner of Inland Revenue. The deregistration application (Form NDR1) is then delivered within three months of the date that notice was issued, with a HK$420 fee (Companies Registry, as of September 2026).

The Registrar publishes a notice in the Gazette. Unless cause is shown to the contrary, the company is struck off and dissolved at the end of three months after the date of that notice.

UK: voluntary strike-off

A UK private limited company can apply to be struck off using form DS01 if, in the last three months, it has not traded or sold off stock and has not changed its name. It must not be threatened with liquidation or have an agreement with creditors such as a company voluntary arrangement.

Copies of the application must be sent within 7 days to interested parties, including shareholders, creditors, employees, any pension managers or trustees, and directors who did not sign. Not doing so is an offence.

Companies House publishes a notice in the Gazette. If nobody objects, the company is struck off once the two months stated in the notice have passed, and a second notice confirms dissolution.

Offshore jurisdictions

Offshore companies can usually be closed by voluntary strike-off or by a short solvent liquidation. Strike-off is quicker and less costly, while a voluntary liquidation gives a more formal end with a liquidator's confirmation that affairs are settled.

Most registries require annual fees to be paid up to the date of the application and any required returns to be filed. We check the company's status with the registry and the registered agent before recommending a route.

Before you apply

Anything the company still owns when it is dissolved may pass to the state, depending on the jurisdiction. Close bank accounts, transfer or sell assets and collect any money owed before applying.

Keep the company's records after dissolution for as long as the law requires. Tax authorities can still ask questions about past years, and directors remain responsible for what happened while the company was active.

• Pay all debts and taxes, or agree them with creditors
• Close bank and payment accounts
• Transfer or distribute remaining assets
• Cancel licences, domain registrations and contracts in the company's name
• Keep the statutory records safe

Strike-off or liquidation

Strike-off and deregistration are administrative procedures. They are faster and cost less, but they rely on the company having nothing left to deal with. If a creditor or former shareholder later objects, the company can be restored to the register.

A members' voluntary liquidation is a formal procedure for solvent companies run by a liquidator. It takes longer and costs more, but it gives creditors a set process to claim and ends with the liquidator's final account. It suits companies with assets to distribute, many shareholders or a history that makes a clean end important.

We recommend the route after the eligibility check. If liquidation is the better fit, we tell you before you pay for a strike-off that could later be challenged.