This three month window is set by Companies House. Companies House states that a company cannot make an application for voluntary strike off unless all qualifying criteria have been met in the last three months.
The criteria is that:
- You haven’t traded or otherwise carried on business
- You haven’t changed the name
- You haven’t disposed of property or rights
The three month delay window is to establish intention of cessation of trade.
The cessation date is generally the date of the last invoice raised or expense incurred. Your company will continue to collect debts and pay creditors after it ceased to trade, but it shouldn’t raise sales invoices or incur expenses unless they relate to the period of cessation. These will be accrued in your cessation period as they relate to that period of trade.