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25,000 companies receive penalties for the late filing of accounts in just one month
03 October 2019

The latest data from Companies House shows that thousands of penalties were handed out for the late filing of company accounts, with more than 25,000 companies missing a deadline on 30 September.

This date marks a common deadline for companies, according to Companies House, with a further 643 companies narrowly avoiding a penalty by filing their accounts in the final hours.

The penalties issued in September are on top of the 223,640 late filing penalties issued in 2018 (the most recent year for which data is held). This includes all corporate bodies to which late filing penalties apply, such as private limited companies and limited liability partnerships.

Limited companies are required to file annual statutory accounts with Companies House. The deadline for this filing depends on when a company incorporated. A company will automatically be assigned a date for the company’s ‘end of financial year’ and this date is the last day in the month that the limited company was incorporated.

Companies House Senior Enforcement Manager, Ian Gronland said: “September can be a busy time for many people. However, if you are a company director you should be aware of your responsibilities to file annual accounts with Companies House on time. Failure to do so will result in a late filing penalty.

“Filing electronically is easier and faster, and our digital services have in-built checks to ensure that any necessary information is provided before accounts can be submitted.”

Link: Thousands of companies missed crucial accounts deadline last year