Companies House Late Filing Penalties — What You'll Pay and How to Avoid Them

Companies House charges automatic penalties for late filing of annual accounts. There's no warning, no grace period, and no invoice — the penalty is applied the day after your deadline. Here's what you need to know.

The penalty schedule

Penalties depend on how late your accounts are and whether your company is private or public:

Private limited companies

| How late | Penalty | |----------|---------| | Up to 1 month | £150 | | 1 to 3 months | £375 | | 3 to 6 months | £750 | | More than 6 months | £1,500 |

Public limited companies (PLCs)

| How late | Penalty | |----------|---------| | Up to 1 month | £750 | | 1 to 3 months | £1,500 | | 3 to 6 months | £3,000 | | More than 6 months | £7,500 |

These penalties are doubled if your accounts were also late the previous year. So a private company that files more than 6 months late for the second year running faces a £3,000 penalty.

How the deadline works

Your annual accounts are due:

• First accounts: 21 months after the date of incorporation
• Subsequent accounts: 9 months after the end of your accounting reference period (financial year end)

For example, if your financial year ends on 31 March 2026, your accounts are due by 31 December 2026.

The penalty clock starts the day after the deadline. If your accounts are due on 31 December and you file on 1 January, you're one day late and the £150 penalty applies.

There is no appeal for being late

Companies House is very clear about this: the penalty is automatic and they rarely cancel it. The only grounds for appeal are:

• You can demonstrate that the accounts were delivered on time but Companies House lost them
• There was an event beyond your control — like a serious illness or natural disaster
• The penalty notice was sent to the wrong address because of a Companies House error

The following are not valid reasons:

• You forgot
• Your accountant was late
• You didn't know the deadline
• You were abroad
• The company is dormant or not trading
• You didn't receive a reminder

Companies House does not send reminders (though they do send a warning letter shortly before the deadline to your registered office). But even if you didn't receive it, the penalty still applies.

What happens if you don't pay?

If you ignore the penalty:

1. Companies House sends a penalty notice to your registered office
2. If not paid, they refer the debt to a collection agency
3. If still not paid, they can take court action against the company
4. The debt remains on the company's record and can affect credit ratings
5. Directors may face personal consequences if the company is dissolved with debts

The penalty is charged to the company, not you personally as a director. But if the company can't pay, and you close or dissolve it with the debt outstanding, the matter gets more complicated.

Late filing vs confirmation statements

There is no penalty for filing a late confirmation statement. However, Companies House can start proceedings to strike your company off the register if you don't file.

| | Annual accounts | Confirmation statement | |---|---|---| | Penalty for late filing | Yes — £150 to £1,500+ | No penalty | | Consequence of not filing | Penalties + potential strike-off | Potential strike-off | | Filing fee | Free | £34 |

Both are serious, but accounts carry immediate financial penalties while confirmation statements lead to strike-off proceedings.

How to avoid late filing penalties

1. Know your deadline Your deadline is fixed and predictable. It's 9 months after your financial year end (or 21 months for first accounts). Put it in your calendar.

2. Start early Don't wait until the last month. Give your accountant at least 3 months to prepare your accounts. If you're filing dormant accounts yourself, you can do it in 10 minutes — don't leave it until the day before.

3. File dormant accounts if applicable If your company isn't trading, file dormant accounts (AA02) via WebFiling. It's free and takes 10 minutes. Don't pay a penalty because you assumed dormant companies don't need to file — they do.

4. Use filing reminders Companies House doesn't reliably remind you. Use a service that tracks your deadline and sends reminders in advance.

5. Change your accounting reference date if you need more time You can extend your financial year (once every 5 years) by filing form AA01, giving yourself up to 18 months. This must be done before the accounts deadline — you can't extend after the deadline has passed.

What about HMRC penalties?

HMRC has separate penalties for late Corporation Tax returns (CT600):

| How late | Penalty | |----------|---------| | 1 day late | £100 | | 3 months late | Another £100 | | 6 months late | 10% of unpaid tax (minimum £300) | | 12 months late | Another 10% of unpaid tax |

HMRC penalties are separate from Companies House penalties. You can be penalised by both for the same accounting period.

Key takeaways

• Penalties start at £150 and go up to £1,500 for private companies — doubled if late two years running
• The penalty is automatic — no warning, no grace period
• "I forgot" is not a valid appeal — Companies House almost never cancels penalties
• Dormant companies must file too — you'll get the same penalty if you're late
• File early, set reminders, and give your accountant plenty of time
• HMRC penalties are separate and stack on top of Companies House penalties