Penalty suspension for late filed accounts has ended

Companies House has updated its Covid-19 guidance for its customers and has ended payment breaks for late filing penalties

UK registered private companies, public companies, and limited liability partnerships (LLP) will once again be given an automatic penalty when they file their accounts later than the deadline.

Over the last 18 months, Companies House has introduced multiple measures to help businesses file their accounts including developing a service for businesses to upload their accounts direct to Companies House instead of sending paper documents.

The government body updated its guidance in April 2020 with a change to strike-off penalties which allowed companies extra time to send their accounts to Companies House and would not impose an automatic penalty if businesses filed the accounts late.

The level of the penalty has returned to what it originally was before the Covid-19 pandemic and depends on how late the accounts reach Companies House and differs whether the business is an LLP, private company, or public company.

The fines range from £150 to £1,500 for a private company or LLP and £750 to £7,500 for a public company. If accounts are filed late in two successive financial years, then the penalty will be doubled.

Companies House states that businesses are still able to appeal a fine and that each appeal is treated on a case-by-case basis, and it will take into consideration cases relating to Covid-19.

In March 2021, Companies House announced that it would resume its strike off processes after a temporary pause due to Covid-19. The automatic extension granted by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act has also come to an end.

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