The status field on a company record looks like a single word. It carries more weight than almost anything else on the page, and the words are not interchangeable.
The values you will actually meet
Active means the company has not been struck off, wound up or dissolved. It does not mean the company is trading, solvent, or up to date with its filings. Plenty of active companies have filed nothing for four years.
Dormant is a status a company applies for under section 455 when it has no significant accounting transactions. It is a deliberate choice, not a failure. A dormant company is still a legal person and can be revived quickly.
Strike off / struck off means the Registrar removed the company from the register, usually for not filing. The company has ceased to exist. Contracts signed with it after that date are on very thin ice.
Under liquidation means insolvency proceedings are running. Your claim joins a queue governed by section 53 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, and operational creditors sit near the bottom of it.
Amalgamated means the business moved into another company. The obligations usually moved with it, but you need the scheme of arrangement to know for certain.
Why this matters commercially
| Status | Can it contract? | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Yes | Normal diligence |
| Dormant | Yes | Ask why, and for how long |
| Struck off | No | Stop. Do not transact |
| Under liquidation | Only through the resolution professional | Talk to the RP, not the directors |
| Amalgamated | Through the successor | Get the scheme, identify the successor |
A struck-off company cannot sue you and cannot be sued in the ordinary way. That cuts both directions, and usually against whoever is owed money.
The trap
Status is a snapshot. A company that was active when you ran a check in March can be struck off by September, and nobody tells you. If you have ongoing exposure to a counterparty, the check has to repeat. That is what a watchlist is for.