Changes for public companies
Updated 25 March 2021
© Crown copyright 2021
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporate-insolvency-and-governance-act-2020/changes-for-public-companies
The automatic extensions granted by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act will come to an end for filing deadlines that fall after 5 April 2021.
Read more in our news story Automatic filing extensions granted by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act due to come to an end.
This guidance applies to public limited companies (PLCs) and Societas Europaea (SEs) with a filing deadline between 26 March 2020 and 29 September 2020.
If your filing deadline falls between 26 March 2020 and 29 September 2020, we’ll extend your deadline to the earlier of:
- 30 September 2020
- 12 months from the end of your accounting period
The filing period for accounts cannot be more than 12 months.
If your filing deadline fell between 26 March 2020 and 26 June 2020, we’ll extend your deadline retrospectively.
1. Examples
This table explains the different scenarios for a filing deadline which is extended by the Act.
| Scenario | Action |
|---|---|
| Filing deadline between 26 March 2020 and 31 March 2020 and company has not had an extension | Filing deadline extended to 12 months |
| Filing deadline on or after 1 April 2020 and before 30 September 2020 and company has not had an extension | Filing deadline will move to 30 September 2020 |
| Filing deadline already extended prior to the Act coming into force | Filing deadline will either be extended to 12 months from the year end or 30 September 2020 - whichever is earlier |
| Filing deadline already extended to the maximum 12 months | No further extension |
Example 1 Company A has a year end (accounting reference date) of 31 October 2019 and a filing deadline of 30 April 2020 and has not already extended its filing deadline. Its filing deadline will move to 30 September 2020.
Example 2 Company B has a year end of 31 August 2019. They previously applied for an extension and their filing deadline was extended from 29 February 2020 to 31 May 2020. Its filing deadline will move to 31 August 2020.
2. If your PLC or SE is in default
If your PLC or SE had a filing deadline between 26 March 2020 and 26 June 2020 and is in default for not filing accounts, you may no longer be in default when your filing deadline is moved.
You must file your accounts by the new filing deadline, or the company will return to being in default.
3. If your PLC or SE has a late filing penalty
If your PLC or SE had a filing deadline between 26 March 2020 and 26 June 2020 and your accounts were filed late, we’ll review your late filing penalty and contact you if it’s incorrect.