Your company’s annual accounts - called ‘statutory accounts’ - are prepared from the company’s financial records at the end of your company’s financial year. You must always send copies of the statutory accounts to: all shareholders people who can go to the company’s general meetings Companies House HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) as part of your Company Tax Return You have different deadlines for sending your accounts to Companies House and your tax return to HMRC , but you may be able send them at the same time. If your company is small, a micro entity or dormant , you might be able to send simpler (‘abridged’) accounts. How to put together statutory accounts Statutory accounts must include: a ‘balance sheet’, which shows the value of everything the company owns, owes and is owed on the last day of the financial year a ‘profit and loss account’, which shows the company’s sales, running costs and the profit or loss it has made over the financial year notes about the accounts a director’s report (unless you’re a ‘ micro-entity ’) You might have to include an auditor’s report - this depends on the size of your company . The balance sheet must have the name of a director printed on it and must be signed by a director. Accounting standards Your statutory accounts must meet either: International Financial Reporting Standards New UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice Search online to find out more about the standards, or ask your accountant or tax adviser. You can find an accountant accredited in the UK .

Micro-entities, small and dormant companies

You might be able to send simpler (‘abridged’) accounts to Companies House and not need to be audited. This depends on whether your company is dormant or qualifies as a small company or ‘micro-entity’. You must still send statutory accounts to your members and to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as part of your Company Tax Return if you’re a small company or micro-entity. Dormant companies Your company is called ‘dormant’ by Companies House if it’s had no ‘significant’ transactions in the financial year that you’d normally report. Significant transactions do not include: filing fees paid to Companies House penalties for late filing of accounts money paid for shares when the company was incorporated Dormant companies that qualify as ‘small’ do not need to be audited. Check if your company is also dormant for Corporation Tax . Small companies Your company will be ‘small’ if it has any 2 of the following: a turnover of £10.2 million or less £5.1 million or less on its balance sheet 50 employees or less If your company is small, you can: use the exemption so your company’s accounts do not need to be audited choose whether or not to send a copy of the director’s report and profit and loss account to Companies House send abridged accounts to Companies House Sending abridged accounts You can only send abridged accounts if all your company members agree to it. Abridged accounts must contain a simpler balance sheet, along with any notes. You can also choose to include a simpler profit and loss account and a copy of the director’s report. The balance sheet must have the name of a director printed on it and must be signed by a director. Sending abridged accounts means less information about your company will be publicly available from Companies House. Micro-entities Micro-entities are very small companies. Your company will be a micro-entity if it has any 2 of the following: a turnover of £632,000 or less £316,000 or less on its balance sheet 10 employees or less If your company is a micro-entity, you can: prepare simpler accounts that meet statutory minimum requirements send only your balance sheet with less information to Companies House benefit from the same exemptions available to small companies Find out exactly what to include in your accounts depending on your company type, for example micro-entity, small, medium or dormant.

Corrections and amendments

You can send amended accounts to Companies House: on paper through filing software , if you used it to file your annual accounts and your software allows you to submit corrected accounts Amended or corrected accounts must be for the same period as the original accounts. If you’re sending amended accounts on paper You must clearly say in your new accounts that they: replace the original accounts are now the statutory accounts are prepared as they were at the date of the original accounts Write “amended” on the front so that Companies House know your accounts are not duplicates. Your original accounts will remain on file at Companies House. If you only want to amend one part of your accounts, you need to send a note saying what’s been changed. The note must be signed by a director and filed with a copy of the original accounts.

Penalties for late filing

You’ll have to pay penalties if you do not file your accounts and tax return with Companies House and HMRC on time . Time after the deadline Penalty (for private limited companies) Up to 1 month £150 1 to 3 months £375 3 to 6 months £750 More than 6 months £1,500 Penalties for public limited companies are different. You’ll automatically receive a penalty notice if your accounts are filed after the deadline. The penalty is doubled if your accounts are late 2 years in a row. You can be fined and your company struck off the register if you do not send Companies House your accounts or confirmation statement . Appeal against a late filing penalty You can appeal a penalty you get for filing your company accounts late. If you want to appeal a penalty you must: give a specific reason for not filing your accounts on time include all relevant details, such as dates and times prove the circumstances were out of your control, for example a fire destroyed your records a few days before your accounts were due If you need help with your appeal because you have a disability or a health condition, you can contact Companies House. Wait for Companies House to contact you with their decision. Companies House will not collect the penalty while they consider your appeal. Your appeal may not be successful if: these were your first accounts your company is dormant your company is a charity or a flat management company you cannot afford to pay another director is responsible for filing the accounts it was your accountant’s (or anybody else’s) fault you did not know when or how to file your accounts your accounts were delayed or lost in the post the directors live or were travelling overseas Challenging an unsuccessful appeal If your appeal is rejected and you have additional information to support your case, you can write to the senior casework manager in the Late Filing Penalties Department at the Companies House office that deals with your account. If your appeal to the senior casework manager is unsuccessful, you can write to the independent adjudicators , and ask them to review your case. If your appeal to the independent adjudicator is unsuccessful, you can submit a final application to the Registrar of Companies at the office that deals with your account. You must follow this process, otherwise the registrar will not review your appeal. Find out more about late penalty appeals in different situations .

Prepare annual accounts for a private limited company

Overview

Your company’s annual accounts - called ‘statutory accounts’ - are prepared from the company’s financial records at the end of your company’s financial year.

You must always send copies of the statutory accounts to:

all shareholders
people who can go to the company’s general meetings
Companies House
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as part of your Company Tax Return

You have different deadlines for sending your accounts to Companies House and your tax return to HMRC, but you may be able send them at the same time.

If your company is small, a micro entity or dormant, you might be able to send simpler (‘abridged’) accounts.

How to put together statutory accounts

Statutory accounts must include:

a ‘balance sheet’, which shows the value of everything the company owns, owes and is owed on the last day of the financial year
a ‘profit and loss account’, which shows the company’s sales, running costs and the profit or loss it has made over the financial year
notes about the accounts
a director’s report (unless you’re a ‘micro-entity’)

You might have to include an auditor’s report - this depends on the size of your company.

The balance sheet must have the name of a director printed on it and must be signed by a director.

Accounting standards

Your statutory accounts must meet either:

International Financial Reporting Standards
New UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice

Search online to find out more about the standards, or ask your accountant or tax adviser. You can find an accountant accredited in the UK.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Prepare annual accounts for a private limited company

Overview

How to put together statutory accounts

Accounting standards

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Prepare annual accounts for a private limited company

Overview

How to put together statutory accounts

Accounting standards

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