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1. What are late filing penalties?
Late filing penalties were introduced in 1992 to encourage directors of limited companies to file their accounts on time because they must provide this statutory information for the public record. Section 242A of the Companies Act 1985 says that penalties will be imposed on any company that delivers its accounts to Companies House after the period allowed for filing. ('Statutory' means by law.)
2. How much are the penalties?
That depends on how late the accounts reach the Registrar, as shown in this table:
Length of delay, measured from
the date the accounts are due |
Private
company |
Public
company |
| 3 months or less |
£100 |
£500 |
| 3 months and one day to 6 months |
£250 |
£1,000 |
| 6 months and one day to 12 months |
£500 |
£2,000 |
| More than 12 months |
£1,000 |
£5,000 |
3. How long do I have to file my company's first accounts?
If you are filing your company's first accounts and they cover a period of more than 12 months, they must be delivered to the Registrar within 22 months of the date of incorporation for private companies and 19 months for public companies. The definition in the box below of a period of months in connection with filing the accounts also applies to the first accounts. For example, a private company incorporated on 1 January with an accounting reference date (ARD) of 31 January has until midnight on 1 November (22 months from the date of incorporation) to deliver its accounts, not 30 November.
4. How long do I normally have to file my accounts?
Unless you are filing your company's first accounts (see question 3 ) the time normally allowed for delivering accounts to Companies House is:
- 10 months from the end of the relevant accounting period for private companies;
- 7 months from the end of the relevant period for public companies.
- If the accounting reference date (ARD) has been shortened, the time allowed for filing the accounts is the longer of:
- for a private company 10 months (or for a public company 7 months) from the ARD; or
- 3 months from the date of the notice (Form 225).
The table below shows the dates by which the accounts must normally be delivered. It does not apply to a company's first accounts, if the accounting period is longer than 12 months (see question 3).
End of relevant accounting period
(accounting reference date) |
Deadline for delivery: |
| Private companies |
Public companies |
| Jan 31 |
Nov 30 |
Aug 31 |
| Feb 28 |
Dec 28 |
Sept 28 |
| Mar 31 |
Jan 31 |
Oct 31 |
| Apr 30 |
Feb 28/29 |
Nov 30 |
| May 31 |
Mar 31 |
Dec 31 |
| Jun 30 |
Apr 30 |
Jan 30 |
| July 31 |
May 31 |
Feb 28/29 |
| Aug 31 |
June 30 |
Mar 31 |
| Sept 30 |
July 30 |
Apr 30 |
| Oct 31 |
Aug 31 |
May 31 |
| Nov 30 |
Sept 30 |
June 30 |
| Dec 31 |
Oct 31 |
July 31 |
If your company's accounting period does not end on the last day of a month, then each period ends on the corresponding date in the appropriate month. For example, a private company with an accounting reference date (ARD) of 10 September has until 10 July the following year to deliver its accounts.
Please be aware of the definition of a period of months in connection with filing accounts and the calculation of penalty bands:
| • A period of months after a given date always ends on the corresponding date in the appropriate month. For example a private company with an ARD of 30 September has until midnight on 30 July of the following year to deliver its accounts, not 31 July. |
| • If there is no corresponding date, the last day of the month will apply. For example, a private company with an ARD of 30 April has until midnight on 28/29 February the following year to deliver its accounts. |
Important: if you have any doubts about the deadline for your company's accounts - contact Companies House on 0870 33 33 636 and ask Companies House to confirm when your accounts should be filed.
Remember: it is the date of delivery to the Registrar which is important - not the date of posting.
| Please note: if a filing deadline expires on a Sunday or Bank Holiday the law still requires accounts to be filed by that date. So you should ensure that they are posted in time to arrive before such a deadline. |
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