Company Accounts Deadlines

Your company year end accounts need to be filed with Companies House within ten months of your company’s year end.

Strict fines are in place for any slight infringement: the fines can be up to £5,000. If you are a new company, and you have applied for a first year extension, the following periods do not apply.

A company can ‘appeal’ if their accounts are delivered late only if exceptional circumstances are responsible for the delay. For example, this may include a tragedy within a sole-traders family or an accident at the workplace that has destroyed important accounting documents.

Situations that cannot be classed as exceptional are (for example) your accounts were lost in the post, you relied on the accountant to send them, your company is in financial difficulties, you are not familiar with the routine…Companies house will not give you sympathy!

If you believe you have been affected by exceptional circumstances, you can appeal by writing in person to the case manager – the address will be on the front of the penalty notice which you would receive.