Filing Annual Accounts with Companies House: Deadlines, Format & Requirements

Annual accounts, also known as statutory accounts, are a set of financial statements that every limited company registered in the UK must prepare and file with Companies House each year. They provide a snapshot of the company's financial performance and position at the end of each accounting period. The accounts are a public document, meaning anyone can view them on the Companies House website, though smaller companies can file abbreviated or micro-entity accounts that contain less detail.

For private limited companies, annual accounts must be filed within nine months of the end of the accounting reference date (the company's financial year end). For a company with a 31 March year end, the accounts must be filed by 31 December. New companies have a longer deadline for their first accounts: 21 months from the date of incorporation. Public companies have a shorter deadline of six months after the accounting period end. Companies House sends a reminder about two months before the deadline, but the responsibility rests with the directors to file on time.

• Full accounts: Required for large and medium companies. Include a profit and loss account, balance sheet, notes to the accounts, and a directors' report.
• Small company accounts: Available if you meet two of three criteria (turnover under £10.2m, balance sheet under £5.1m, fewer than 50 employees). Can file without a profit and loss account or directors' report.
• Micro-entity accounts: Available if you meet two of three criteria (turnover under £632,000, balance sheet under £316,000, fewer than 10 employees). Simplified balance sheet and minimal notes required.
• Dormant company accounts: If your company has not traded, you can file dormant accounts with a simplified balance sheet.

You can file annual accounts online through the Companies House web filing service, through third-party software, or via your accountant. Online filing is free and usually quicker than postal filing. Most accounting software packages can generate accounts in the required iXBRL format and submit them directly to Companies House. If you are filing micro-entity or dormant company accounts, the Companies House web filing tool provides simple templates that you can complete directly on the website.

It is important to understand that filing annual accounts with Companies House and filing your corporation tax return (CT600) with HMRC are separate obligations with different deadlines. Your Companies House accounts are due nine months after your year end, while your CT600 is due twelve months after. The financial information in both must be consistent, but the HMRC return includes additional tax-specific information. Both must be filed even if the company has not traded.

Companies House penalties for late filing are: £150 for up to one month late, £375 for one to three months late, £750 for three to six months late, and £1,500 for more than six months late. These are doubled for public limited companies. If a company files late in two consecutive years, the penalties are doubled again. Unlike HMRC, Companies House does not generally accept appeals against late filing penalties unless there are very exceptional circumstances, such as a serious medical emergency or postal disruption.