Accounts submission deadlines:
- If you are filing of company accounts with Companies House for the first time, you will have up to 21 months from the incorporation date (or 3 months following the accounting reference date if this is longer) to do so.
- In subsequent years, a private limited company has 9 months from the end of the accounting reference period in which to deliver its accounts. A public company has 6 months. However, if you change the accounting reference period the filing time may be reduced.
Penalties for Late Filing of Accounts for Companies House:
If the accounts are late a penalty is automatically imposed. The level of the penalty depends on how late the accounts reach Companies House and is shown in the following table.
| Length of period (measured from the date the accounts are due) | Penalty | Penalty |
Private company | Public company | |
| Not more than 1 month | £150 | £750 |
| More than 1 month but not more than 3 months | £375 | £1,500 |
| More than 3 months but not more than 6 months | £750 | £3,000 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 | £7,500 |
The penalties will be doubled if a company files its accounts late in 2 successive financial years.
Late Filing Penalties for Other Documents:
- If you change your company’s Articles of Association, you are obliged to notify Companies House within 15 days. Failure to do so would result in a civil penalty of £200 since 1st October 2009.
- The company is also responsible for submitting the company’s Annual Return (AR01) on time each year – typically within 28 days of the anniversary of the incorporation date. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £5,000, and the directors could even be prosecuted.
Late Filing of Company Tax Return to HMRC:
The late filing penalties of the company tax return will be as follows:
| Time after the deadline | Penalty |
| 1 day late | £100 |
| 3 months late | Another £100 |
| 6 months late | HMRC will estimate your company’s tax bill and add a penalty of 10% the unpaid tax |
| 12 months late | Another 10% of any unpaid tax |
If your returns are late 3 times in a row, the £100 penalties are increased to £500 each.