All limited and unlimited companies, whether or not they are trading, must keep accounting records.

There are three variations on filing accounts and these impact on the amount of information available in a credit report.

Note:

Private Limited companies must file accounts within twenty-two months of incorporation.
Public Limited companies must file accounts within nineteen months of incorporation.

 

Small Company Filing Requirements

A small company is one that meets at least two of the following three criteria:
Annual turnover must not be more £5,600,000;
The balance sheet total must not exceed £2,800,000;
The average number of employees must not be more than 50.

Small companies must deliver the following filings to Companies House:
Abbreviated balance sheet and notes
Special auditor’s report (if required).

The filing period is exactly the same as for a full set of accounts.

 

Medium Company Filing Requirements

A medium sized company must meet two of the following three criteria:
Annual turnover must not be more than £22,800,000;
The balance sheet total must not exceed £11,400,000;
The average number of employees must not be more than 250.

Please note the balance sheet total is the total of fixed and current assets.
Medium companies must deliver the following filings to Companies House:
Full balance sheet
Abbreviated profit and loss account (no turnover disclosed)
Special auditors’ report
Directors’ report
Notes to the Accounts
The filing period is exactly the same as for a full set of accounts

 

Full Company Filing Requirements

A full filing company must deliver the following filings to Companies House:
A profit and loss account
A balance sheet signed by a director
An auditors report signed by an auditor
A directors’ report signed by a director or the secretary of the company
Notes to the Accounts
And, if appropriate, group accounts

N.B. These exemptions are not available to public companies, banking, insurance or shipping companies and any of their subsidiaries regardless of size.