File Companies House accounts early and online to avoid delays
If you’re due to file accounts with Companies House by the end of December, use our online services where possible and allow plenty of time before your deadline.
December is always a busy time with many companies due to file accounts with Companies House before the end of the month.
We’re continuing to follow government guidance for working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19). This means it could take longer than usual to process paper documents sent by post.
Our online services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - and there are inbuilt checks to help you avoid mistakes.
It can take as little as 15 minutes from start to finish and you’ll know your accounts have been delivered on time. We’ll send you an email to confirm we’ve received your accounts, and another email when we’ve registered them.
To file online, you’ll need your company authentication code. If you need to request a new code, you should allow up to 5 days for this to arrive at the company’s registered office.
You can also use third party software to file your accounts.
You should only send paper accounts if your company cannot file online. Accounts filed on paper need to be manually checked and processed by our teams during office opening hours.
If you need to file your accounts on paper, you should send them to us well before the deadline. This will give you plenty of time to correct your accounts and resend them if they are rejected. You should also consider using a guaranteed next day delivery, but we cannot accept postal delays as an excuse for filing late.
It’s the directors’ responsibility to file a company’s accounts. You could get a criminal record, a fine and disqualification if you do not deliver your accounts on time.
You must file accounts even if your company is dormant or not trading.
Guidance and support
Register for email reminders to know when your accounts are due. You can also check your filing deadline on our Find and update company information service.
Watch recordings of our directors’ responsibilities webinars and register for future Companies House webinars.
Watch our YouTube videos for guidance on how to use our online services.
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Published 1 December 2021Last updated 29 December 2021 + show all updates
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