annual acccounts

Company Documents Help

What are Accounts?

All limited companies whether or not they are trading, must keep accounting records and file accounts with the registrar each accounting period. Accounts must be produced to a standard that can be scanned and reproduced electronically and made available to the public.

What information is lodged in the Accounts?

Unless the subject company is claiming exemption as a medium sized, small, audit-exempt or dormant company, the accounts will include:

a directors' report, containing a business review (unless a small company) signed by a director or company secretary
a balance sheet signed by a director
a profit and loss account (income and expenditure if the company is not trading for profit)
an auditors' report signed by the auditor
notes to the accounts
group accounts (if applicable)

For more information on exemption and legal account filing requirements please see Company Filing Requirements.

Who files a company's Accounts

The company Directors are personally responsible for ensuring the accounts are prepared and delivered to Companies House. Failure to do so may result in a criminal conviction and record for the director(s) and will result in financial penalties for the company.

Changes to Annual Accounts

(for companies with accounting periods starting on or after 6th April 2008)

The delivery time for accounts has been reduced by one month (for both private & public limited companies). Private companies have reduced from 10 months to 9 months, and public companies from 7 months to 6 months. Full calendar months for filing periods have also been introduced. Where the accounting period ends on a month end, the accounts filing period will end on a month end, except for the first accounting period.

The accounts balance sheet and director’s report will be required to refer to the Companies Act 2006 statements.

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