File your company accounts with Companies House

Every limited company registered in the UK must file annual accounts with Companies House. This is a legal requirement under the Companies Act 2006, regardless of whether your company is trading, dormant, or making a loss.

As a director, you are personally responsible for ensuring accounts are filed on time. Late filing results in automatic penalties, and persistent failure to file can lead to the company being struck off and you being disqualified as a director.

Who must file accounts

All UK limited companies must file accounts, including:

• Private limited companies (Ltd)
• Public limited companies (PLC)
• Community interest companies (CIC)
• Dormant companies with no trading activity
• Newly incorporated companies that have not yet traded

Sole traders and partnerships do not file accounts with Companies House - they report to HMRC through Self Assessment instead.

Filing deadlines

Your filing deadline depends on whether your company is private or public, and whether it is your first accounting period.

Your company's financial year ends on its accounting reference date (ARD). This is normally the last day of the month in which the anniversary of incorporation falls. For example, if your company was incorporated on 15 March 2024, your ARD is 31 March.

You can change your accounting reference date by notifying Companies House, but you cannot extend your accounting period to more than 18 months, and you can only extend once every 5 years (unless aligning with a parent company or in administration).

First accounting period

Your first accounting period runs from incorporation until your first ARD. This can be up to 18 months. For your first accounts, private companies have 21 months from incorporation to file, while public companies have 18 months.

Example: A private company incorporated on 15 June 2024 with an ARD of 30 June 2025 must file its first accounts by 15 March 2026 (21 months from incorporation).

Company size classification

Your company's size determines what type of accounts you can file and whether you need an audit. Size is determined by meeting 2 of 3 threshold criteria for 2 consecutive years.

Audit exemption

Most small companies are exempt from the requirement to have their accounts audited. To claim the exemption, you must include specific statements on the balance sheet.

Companies that cannot claim audit exemption

Even if your company is small, you cannot claim audit exemption if it is:

• A public company (PLC)
• An authorised insurance company, banking company, or e-money issuer
• A MiFID investment firm or UCITS management company
• A company carrying on insurance market activity
• Part of a group that requires audit (unless subsidiary exemption applies)

Members' right to require audit

Even if your company qualifies for audit exemption, members (shareholders) holding at least 10% of issued share capital can require an audit. They must make this request at least one month before the end of the financial year.

Audit exemption statements

To claim audit exemption, you must include statements on the balance sheet confirming:

• The company qualifies for exemption
• No members have required an audit under section 476
• Directors acknowledge their responsibility for keeping adequate accounting records and preparing accounts

Dormant company accounts

A company is dormant if it has had no significant accounting transactions during the period. Dormant companies still need to file accounts, but can use simplified dormant company accounts.

Transactions that do not count (you can ignore these and still be dormant):

• Shares taken by subscribers on formation
• Fees paid to Companies House (filing fees, penalties)
• Late filing penalties
• Payment for company name change or re-registration

If you have any other transactions - including bank interest, rent payments, or trading income - your company is not dormant and must file trading accounts.

Filing dormant accounts

Dormant companies that have never traded can file accounts using Companies House WebFiling for free. If your company has previously traded, you will need to use software filing or the Company Accounts and Tax Online (CATO) service.

Late filing penalties

If you file your accounts late, Companies House will automatically impose a civil penalty. These penalties are fixed amounts that increase the later you file.

Public company penalties are higher

Public companies (PLCs) face higher late filing penalties:

• Up to 1 month late - £750
• 1 to 3 months late - £1,500
• 3 to 6 months late - £3,000
• Over 6 months late - £7,500

Penalties double if you file late two years in succession.

Consequences of not filing

Beyond the financial penalty, persistent failure to file accounts has serious consequences:

• Criminal offence: Directors can be prosecuted under section 451 of the Companies Act 2006. The maximum penalty is an unlimited fine.
• Company strike-off: Companies House may strike off the company, dissolving it and transferring its assets to the Crown.
• Director disqualification: Persistent failure to file can lead to disqualification under section 3 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

Late filing penalties are not tax-deductible - your company cannot claim them as a business expense.

How to file your accounts

There are several ways to file your accounts with Companies House:

1. WebFiling

Companies House's free online service. Suitable for micro-entities and small companies filing simplified accounts. You will need your company authentication code (sent by post when you set up a Companies House account).

2. Software filing

Most accounting software can generate accounts in the correct format (iXBRL from April 2028) and file directly with Companies House. This is the most efficient option for companies using accounting software.

3. Using an accountant

Your accountant can prepare and file accounts on your behalf. They can also advise on which exemptions you qualify for and ensure your accounts meet legal requirements.

From April 2028: All accounts must be filed in iXBRL (inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language) format. PDF filing will no longer be accepted. Most accounting software will generate iXBRL automatically.