Step-by-step guide to form SD1

  • Explains what to write in each box on the form
  • Clear and easy to understand
  • Get it right first time and avoid problems later

This step-by-step guide to form SD1 helps you through the process of filling in the official statutory demand form SD1. It is the form to use if you are owed £750 or more by a company.

Completing the SD1 statutory demand form is the first step towards winding up the company that owes you money. It is the right form to use if the debt in question is owed by a company and is payable immediately or already overdue.

Statutory demands can be very useful to show that you are serious about collecting the money that you are owed, and that you are prepared to escalate the situation if you have to.

Once you have filled in your SD1 form, do not just post it. There are specific rules you must follow to make sure that the recipient gets it, and that you can prove they got it, even if they deny receipt which is fairly common. See Dealing with late payments without going to court for how to send your completed statutory demand to a company.

If you have a court order for the amount you are owed, you need Form SD4.

You can also purchase this guide as part of the Debt collection toolkit.

Q&A

  • When should I use this document?

    Use this step-by-step guide to form SD1 to assist you in filling in the SD1 form properly.

    The SD1 form is appropriate for use if you are owed money by a company. They must owe you £750 or more for you to be able to use the SD1 form to threaten to wind up their company if they do not pay what you are owed. See Dealing with late payments without going to court for further guidance.

    Even if you are not sure whether you want to pursue the matter further by actually trying to wind up the company if they do not pay you, the risk of it can prompt payment if your chasing letters were not enough.

  • What does this document cover?

    This document is a step-by-step guide to properly filling in the statutory demand form SD1.

    It leads you through the whole form, explaining in a straightforward way which boxes to write in and what to put, depending on your circumstances.

  • Why do I need this document?

    It is important to complete form SD1 properly. This step-by-step guide to filling it in helps you to get it right first time.

    If you later want to take the next step and start trying the wind up the company that owes you money, errors on your statutory demand can mean unnecessary delays and expense. At worst, it could mean having to pay any legal costs that your debtor has incurred in pointing out your errors, and then having to start the whole process again with a properly completed SD1 form.

    It is far better to take care the first time round so there can be no excuses.

  • Where can I find out more?

    For more information about statutory demands, when they are appropriate and how to send one, see Dealing with late payments without going to court.

    For the other statutory demand forms, each of which covers a different type of debtor, see:

Related Documents

Related Toolkits

Small claims toolkit

This small claims toolkit guides you through the right process to follow if you want to make a straightforward small claim against someone, and contains a pack of all of the template documents you are likely to need. Use the small claims process to get back money you are owed for amounts less than £10,000 (for example, if a supplier has not sent you the right goods or you have not received payment from a customer). Documents provided in this small claims toolkit include: letter before action (also known as a letter of claim), which must be sent to someone before you sue them to set out what you are claiming; witness statement, which provides a template for any witness statements you are providing to ensure they are legally compliant; and letter of non-attendance for small claims hearing (if you want the court to judge your case on paper evidence rather than you attending a hearing). By using this small claims toolkit you can avoid the need to use a lawyer and maximise your chances of getting back money you are owed. It helps you avoid common mistakes that can reduce your chance of a successful claim.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Small claims toolkit
  • Letter before action
  • Witness statement
  • Letter of non-attendance for small claims hearing

Debt collection toolkit

This debt collection toolkit contains the documents and guidance you need to strengthen your business's approach to debt collection. It is important to have a clear and consistent process to get payments in. This toolkit will help you to remind and encourage late payers to deal with your bill, and gradually increase the pressure on them if appropriate. The essential documents in this toolkit include: a practical how-to guide to lead you through your debt collection options; template invoices; three chasing letters to escalate matters a step at a time; and detailed guides to help you fill in the right statutory demand form properly. Maximise your chances of recovering overdue payments and keep your cash flow running smoothly.
Find out more
  • How to guide: Debt collection toolkit
  • Debt collection timeline
  • First letter chasing payment
  • Second letter chasing payment
  • Final letter chasing payment
  • VAT invoice
  • Non-VAT invoice
  • Step-by-step guide to form SD1
  • Step-by-step guide to form SD2
  • Step-by-step guide to form SD3

Redundancy toolkit

This redundancy toolkit guides you through the key steps you need to take to make an employee redundant, and provides a pack of the relevant template documents you are likely to need. You will find guidance and a pack of 9 supporting documents, including letters, notices and agendas, for each step of the redundancy process: Initial steps (considering alternatives and reasons for redundancies); Creating a redundancy pool, applying selection criteria and notifying employees; Carrying out a consultation process; and Making a final decision, calculating payments and terminating employment. It also includes a template letter to offer alternative employment to employees who are at risk of being made redundant. By using this redundancy toolkit, you will ensure that your redundancy process is fair and legally compliant, which reduces the chance of any employees suing you. The guidance in this redundancy toolkit also helps you to ensure you do not make redundancies in a discriminatory way. Use this redundancy toolkit to ensure you are legally compliant without the need for a lawyer.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Redundancy toolkit
  • Redundancy - Letter warning of proposed redundancies
  • Redundancy - Selection criteria form
  • Redundancy - Provisional selection for redundancy letter
  • Redundancy - First individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Outcome of individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Invitation to final individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Final individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Notice of termination of employment
  • Redundancy - Offer of alternative employment

Starting an online business toolkit

This toolkit to start an online business includes all the legal documentation and know-how you need to set up a website and change your business to online sales. It comprises 9 key documents, including: separate cookie and privacy policies, and terms of use for your website; a customisable set of terms and conditions to cover you for the supply or goods or services or both; template invoices (VAT and non-VAT) and cancellation form; and a quick guide to customer rights, which are much broader for online sales than face-to-face transactions. Our helpful how-to guide will take you step-by-step through how to use the documents included in this pack, whether you are starting a new business or changing an existing business model to set up your own website and start selling online. Note that if you provide online services in the EEA, you will also need to ensure that you follow the rules of each EEA country you operate in. If you are not sure how this applies to you, you can access a specialist lawyer in a few simple steps using our Ask a Lawyer service.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Starting an online business toolkit
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Website terms of use
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cancellation form
  • VAT invoice
  • Non-VAT invoice
  • Quick guide to customer rights in online sales
  • Checklist of information to include to ensure your website is legally compliant
See all Toolkits