Most company directors know HMRC chases late tax returns. Fewer realise that Companies House runs its own set of deadlines, completely separate from HMRC, with automatic penalties that land whether or not your company owes any tax. If you run a UK limited company, here is what you need to file, when it is due, and what happens if you miss it.
Every UK limited company has two regular filings with Companies House: its annual accounts and its confirmation statement. On top of that, you need to report changes as they happen, such as a new director, a director leaving, a new registered office address or a change in who controls the company.
None of this replaces your Corporation Tax return. The CT600 goes to HMRC, and your accounts go to both. Missing one deadline does not excuse the other, and each organisation issues its own penalties.
A private limited company must file its accounts with Companies House within 9 months of its accounting reference date, which is usually the last day of its financial year. Public companies get 6 months.
So if your year end is 31 March 2026, your accounts are due by 31 December 2026. The deadline falls on the matching day of the month, so it is worth checking the exact date on the Companies House register rather than counting it in your head.
First accounts work differently. For a new private company, they are due 21 months after the date of incorporation, or 3 months after the accounting reference date, whichever is later. This catches a lot of first time directors out, because the first period can be longer than 12 months.
At least once every 12 months you must file a confirmation statement. It confirms that the information Companies House holds about your company is up to date: directors, shareholders, registered office, SIC codes and people with significant control.
You have 14 days after the end of your review period to file it. There is no automatic fine like there is for accounts, but failing to file is a criminal offence, and Companies House can start the process of striking the company off the register. A struck off company cannot trade, and its bank account is frozen.
Directors and people with significant control also now need to verify their identity with Companies House. If you have not done this yet, check where you stand, as it is being tied into the confirmation statement process.
Late accounts trigger an automatic penalty on the company. For a private company the amounts are:
If your accounts are late two years in a row, the penalty is doubled for the second year. Public companies face much higher amounts, starting at £750 and going up to £7,500.
Appeals are only accepted in genuinely exceptional circumstances. Being busy, waiting on your accountant or not knowing the deadline are not accepted as reasons. If something serious does happen before the deadline, such as an accident or a fire at your premises, you can apply for an extension, but you must do it before the deadline passes, not after.
Day to day changes have their own deadlines, usually 14 days from the change. These include:
Leaving these until the confirmation statement is a common habit, but it means the public register is wrong in the meantime, and banks, lenders and customers do check it.
A few simple habits keep most companies out of trouble:
Companies House is also moving towards software only filing for accounts over the next couple of years, so if you still file through the online form, it is worth knowing that option is on its way out.
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