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Fraudulent trading meaning

What does Fraudulent trading mean?
In practice, fraudulent trading means carrying on a company’s business with intent to defraud creditors or for any fraudulent purpose, exposing those knowingly involved to personal liability and prosecution. In England & Wales and Scotland it is a statutory concept: a civil claim lies under the Insolvency Act 1986, s 213 in a winding up (and the parallel administration provision, s 246ZA), enabling the court, on the liquidator’s or administrator’s application, to order persons knowingly party to the fraud to contribute to the company’s assets. There is also a UK‑wide criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006, s 993. Key features are the need for actual dishonesty/intent to defraud (a higher threshold than wrongful trading), the ability to pursue directors, shadow directors and third parties who were knowingly party, and consequences including contribution orders, costs, disqualification and criminal sanctions. Northern Ireland follows a consistent approach under the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, with the Companies Act 2006 offence applying. In Ireland, comparable provisions in the Companies Act 2014 provide civil liability for fraudulent (and reckless) trading and a criminal offence. The claim is used by insolvency practitioners to recover value and by courts to deter abuse of the corporate form.
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View the related Checklists about Fraudulent trading

CHECKLISTS
Head lease alienation due diligence checklist: assignments, underlettings, charges, AGAs, offer back, breaches and forfeiture — England and Wales

Flowchart This Flowchart outlines the prerequisites that need to be met to prove a fraudulent trading claim...

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CHECKLISTS
Procedural checklist and timetable for insolvency office-holders bringing misfeasance, fraudulent and wrongful trading claims under Insolvency Act 1986 ss 212, 213, 214, 246ZA and 246ZB (England and Wales)

Checklist This checklist concerns claims under sections 212–214, 246ZA and 246ZB of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986), brought by an insolvency office-holder. For more detail on claims under IA 1986, ss 212–214, 246ZA and 246ZB in general, refer to the following Practice Notes: Misfeasance claims under section 212 of the Insolvency Act 1986 Fraudulent trading claims under sections 213 and 246ZA of the Insolvency Act 1986 Wrongful trading claims under sections 214 and 246ZB of the Insolvency Act 1986 Step/action Time (days) Section/rule Examine the events and context that led to the company’s insolvency and the issues underpinning any claim against the respondent(s). This entails securing the company’s books and records, and interviewing current and former directors, as well as any individuals holding information about the company’s promotion, formation, business, dealings, affairs or property. Note that if the office-holder intimates a claim against the respondent(s), they may jeopardise the investigative powers under IA 1986, ss 234–236 in...

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CHECKLISTS
UK Ship Register (Part I) registration: eligibility, required documents and procedure—practitioner checklist

Flowchart To prove a fraudulent trading claim, this Flowchart summarises the criteria that must all be met...

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View the related Flowcharts about Fraudulent trading

FLOWCHARTS
Fraudulent trading claims in liquidation and administration (Insolvency Act 1986 ss 213 and 246ZA): elements and procedure flowchart

This diagram depicts the defects procedure within the NEC3 and NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contracts...

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NEWS
Fraudulent trading and misfeasance: director hid accounts, destroyed records; absence of records led to £2.5m restoration; s127 IA 1986 claim admitted (England and Wales)

Thiel-Czerwinke and another (joint liquidators of Courtside Recycling Ltd) v Crabb [2024] EWHC 337 (Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling underlines the uncompromising obligation on directors to maintain trading records, and accepts that discarding or failing to retain them was, on these facts, a constituent part of the director’s fraudulent design. It also clarifies that once office-holders demonstrate that company assets or cash were transferred to a director, the absence of documents showing that the funds or property were applied for the company’s advantage renders the director liable to repay the whole amount to the company. That outcome applies even though the judge did not doubt that Mr Crabb did in fact use some of the cash when making payments for Courtside... What was the background? Mr Crabb served as the Company’s sole director; the business dealt in scrap metal. For the trading periods from August 2014 to February 2018, the Company submitted VAT returns declaring sales, net of VAT, totalling...

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NEWS
UK corporate crime, sanctions and regulatory enforcement—weekly briefing with international updates, 19 September 2024

In this issue Criminal procedure and evidence Appeal and judicial review Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Environmental offences Food safety and hygiene offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Local authority prosecutions International Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Criminal procedure and evidence Challenging the decision not to prosecute (R (on the application of Hillary Smith) v DPP) The High Court’s judgment in R (on the application of Hillary Smith) v Director of Public Prosecutions delivers notable guidance on three fronts: the weight to be attached to inquest conclusions when the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decides whether or not to bring a prosecution; the position the courts are likely to take in judicial review proceedings when scrutinising the reasonableness of the CPS’s application of the two-stage...

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NEWS
UK corporate crime weekly: sanctions consolidation, AML reforms, Online Safety revocations, environmental and H&S actions, SFO disclosure issues, FCA anti-fraud, FTPF and greenwashing, insolvency fraud—16 October 2025

In this issue: Criminal procedure and evidence Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Cybercrime and data protection offences Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Insolvency offences and Companies Act offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Criminal procedure and evidence Email caution offers a rare glimpse into SFO record-keeping. Disclosures show a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) official urged investigators to avoid setting out case concerns in emails, highlighting how grinding disclosure disputes shaped the agency’s approach while it was under intense scrutiny over its evidence practices. See News Analysis: Email warning provides rare sight into SFO record-keeping... Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls FCDO issues guidance on consolidating UK sanctions lists by January...

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View the related Practice Notes about Fraudulent trading

PRACTICE NOTES
Fraudulent trading under section 993 Companies Act 2006: offence elements (two limbs), dishonesty (Ivey), R v Hunter guidance, corporate liability (ECCTA 2023), sentencing and ancillary orders

This Practice Note sets out the constituent parts of the offence of fraudulent trading in section 993 of the Companies Act 2006, and, drawing on case law, shows how the courts construe those parts. It covers the sanctions for fraudulent trading and potential sentences, reflecting any pertinent considerations and aggravating aspects. It also addresses ancillary orders available on conviction... Fraudulent trading A company commits the offence of fraudulent trading contrary to section 993 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). Section 9 of the Fraud Act 2006 (FrA 2006) criminalises fraudulent trading by sole traders, partnerships, trusts and other non-corporate entities. See Practice Note: Fraudulent trading under the Fraud Act 2006. The CA 2006, s 993 offence is triable either in the magistrates' court or in the Crown Court... Elements of CA 2006 offence of fraudulent trading The offence comprises two limbs: carrying on a company's business with intent to defraud creditors of the company or the creditors of any other person, which...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Corporate separate personality: Salomon principle, veil piercing versus circumvention (concealment/evasion), and statutory routes to personal liability in insolvency, company, crime, pensions and employment contexts

This Practice Note explores the doctrine of separate legal personality for a registered company, and surveys the relevant case law addressing the narrow situations in which the corporate veil might be pierced. It also separates true piercing or lifting of the veil from the more routine instances in which the veil is sidestepped by reliance on another legal or equitable entitlement. The analysis underscores the limited nature of this intervention and the authorities that define it. Corporate legal personality—the Salomon principle A duly incorporated company is a person distinct from its members, holding its own rights and bearing its own liabilities as an independent legal subject. This rule, often called the corporate veil or the Salomon principle, was most famously articulated by Lord MacNaghten in Salomon v Salomon: the company, at law, is wholly separate from the subscribers to the memorandum; even if, after incorporation, the undertaking remains exactly as before, with the same individuals managing it and the same people receiving the profits, the company is not...

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PRACTICE NOTES
A-Z glossary of UK corporate restructuring and insolvency: key terms, procedures, enforcement and cross-border issues

This glossary sets out numerous expressions frequently encountered in the restructuring arena. Words appearing in the definitions in bold are explained in other entries in this glossary. For further banking terminology, see the principal Banking & Finance Glossary. Restructuring glossary—A Acceleration: Acceleration means the agent, acting on directions from the majority lenders after an event of default, takes formal action, for example calling for early repayment of the facility. Ad-hoc committee: A temporary creditors’ group (often contrasted with a formal committee) that lacks any entitlement to official recognition. Administration: A process under the IA 1986 in which a financially distressed company is operated by an administrator as a going concern before longer-term outcomes, such as break-up and sale, are pursued. Administrator: An Insolvency Practitioner named by the court, a Qualifying floating charge holder, the directors or the company, to take control and fulfil one of the purposes in IA 1986, Sch B1. Administrative receivership: Arises when a company breaches the terms of...

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View the related Precedents about Fraudulent trading

PRECEDENTS
Fraud risk management and ethics: organisational code, procedures and reporting under the UK Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 failure to prevent fraud offence

[ Insert organisation name ] is proud of how we conduct our business. Our Code of ethics sets out the standards and policies that govern our operations and applies to everyone. Please read the Code carefully, make sure you understand it, and use it to guide your work. If you have any queries about the Code or its application, please speak with [ insert contact details ]. 1 What is fraud? 1.1 In broad terms, fraud is a criminal act involving deception or theft to secure an advantage. 1.2 The failure to prevent fraud offence under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023) covers a wide range of fraud offences carried out for the benefit of our organisation, including: fraud by false representation fraud by failing to disclose information fraud by abuse of position obtaining services dishonestly participation in a fraudulent business false statements by company directors false accounting fraudulent trading cheating the...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent order: fraudulent trading declarations and contribution to company assets under sections 213 and 246ZA Insolvency Act 1986 (England and Wales)

CASE NO: [ insert case number ] In the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, Insolvency and Companies List (ChD); or In the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts in [ insert location ], Insolvency and Companies List (ChD); or In the County Court at [ insert location ], Business and Property Work Before [Deputy] Insolvency and Companies Court Judge............................. The Honourable [Mr/Mrs] Justice.......................... [Deputy] District Judge............................. [His/Her] Honour Judge.......................... ...

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PRECEDENTS
Liquidator's witness statement precedent for fraudulent trading claim (Insolvency Act 1986, s 213), England and Wales

Although both liquidators and administrators may now pursue fraudulent trading actions under sections 213 and 246ZA of the Insolvency Act 1986 respectively, this Precedent is prepared from the standpoint of a liquidator pursuing such a claim...

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View the related UK Parliament Acts about Fraudulent trading

UK PARLIAMENT ACTS
213 Fraudulent trading

(1)     If in the course of the winding up of a company it appears that any business of the company has been carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person, or for any fraudulent purpose, the following has effect.(2)     The court, on the application of the liquidator may declare that any persons who were knowingly parties to the carrying on of the business in the manner above-mentioned are to be liable to make such contributions (if any) to the company's assets as the court thinks proper.

UK PARLIAMENT ACTS
[246ZA Fraudulent trading: administration]

[(1)     If while a company is in administration it appears that any business of the company has been carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person, or for any fraudulent purpose, the following has effect.(2)     The court, on the application of the administrator, may declare that any persons who were knowingly parties to the carrying on of the business in the manner mentioned in subsection (1) are to be liable to make such contributions (if any) to the company's assets as the court

UK PARLIAMENT ACTS
993 Offence of fraudulent trading

993  Offence of fraudulent trading(1)     If any business of a company is carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person, or for any fraudulent purpose, every person who is knowingly a party to the carrying on of the business in that manner commits an offence.(2)     This applies whether or not the company has been, or is in the course of being, wound up.(3)     A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—(a)     on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not