Company formations

How to File Accounts At Companies House

If you have a limited company or limited liability partnership you will be required to file accounts with the Registrar at Companies House. This is regardless of whether your company is trading or not.

There are deadlines by which you must file your annual accounts, and this will depend when your ‘accounting reference date’ is. If you have a new start up and have incorporated a limited company for this purpose, your financial year will start on the date that you incorporate the company at Companies House. This signals the start of your accounting reference period (ARP) and ends on the accounting reference date (ARD).

It is possible to change your ARD by sending Form 225 to Companies House and can shorten their ARPs  as frequently as they like. However there are restrictions on how much you can extend your ARP, which cannot be longer than 18 months after the start of the ARP.

If you have a new company, your first ARD is a year after the last day of the month in which you incorporated the company. A new private company’s first accounts must be filed within 22 months of the date of its incorporation. If your accounts started either on or after the 6th April 2008, this timescale is reduced to twenty one months.  Thereafter, a private limited company must file accounts within ten months of its ARD (or 9 months, if the accounts started after 6th April 2008.)

There are penalties in the event that a company fails to file accounts, or is late in so doing. However it is possible, in certain special circumstances, to write to Companies House to request an extension. Any such requests must be made in writing, explaining exactly why an extension is required and how long the extension is proposed to be. Fines for delayed accounts range from between £150 (one month late or less), to £1,500 (more than six months late.)

How To File Accounts

There are numerous documents that you will need to send to Companies House when you file your accounts. Although in practical terms this is something that is undertaken by your accountant, you would generally file: a profit and loss account; an auditors’ report (unless you are exempt by virtue of  being a small company); a directors’ report signed by a director or company secretary, including a business review, if applicable and a balance sheet that has been signed by a company director. If your company is dormant and has never traded, you will only need to submit a balance sheet (also signed by a director.)

In addition, you must ensure that your directors’ report includes the directors’ details, as well as information relating to dividends, research and development, charitable gifts given, share interests and share options.

On a practical note, because Companies House scan the documents you send to them and then upload electronic versions onto the website so as to be publicly accessible, you should avoid coloured or glossy paper, and use a clear, black type font, on good quality paper. The company registration number should also be clearly visible at the top right hand corner of the front page.

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