Are your company records up to date?

FILING AT COMPANIES HOUSE: THE SOMETIMES-OVERLOOKED STEP IN THE RUNNING OF A CORPORATE ENTITY

Limited companies within the United Kingdom are registered at Companies House. If you are a Director of a company, you are responsible for ensuring that the company’s records are kept up to date and must arrange for the filing of the following at Companies House: –

Annual accounts

A Company’s annual accounts consist of the following:

1. a profit and loss account;
2. a balance sheet;
3. a directors’ report;
4. an auditors’ report; and
5. notes about the accounts.

However, most new companies will be considered a “Small Company” and are able to file abbreviated accounts which consists of a balance sheet and notes about the accounts.

According to the Companies Act 2006, to be classified as a Small Company, you need to satisfy two or more of the following criteria: –

1. does not have a turnover of more than £6.5million;
2. does not have a balance sheet gross assets total of more than £3.26 million;
3. does not have more than 50 employees.

Annual accounts must be filed at Companies House every year within 9 months of the company’s financial year-end.  The accounts date can be seen on a company’s record at Companies House.  You can extend an accounting period if need be in order to change your financial year end for the future.

Confirmation Statement

A confirmation statement provides you, as director of the company, the opportunity to confirm the following each year: –

1. the registered office address;
2. what the company does – including its standard industrial classification (SIC) codes
3. Directors;
4. Company secretary (if one is appointed); and
5. share capital and shareholders.

The date for this statement is usually the anniversary of the incorporation date.   You’ll receive a letter to your registered address approximately a month prior to this date reminding you to complete your return. You can be fined up to £5,000 and your company struck off if you do not file your confirmation statement at Companies House.

Changes to company details

If there are any changes to a company’s details, Companies House must be notified immediately. The only exception being changes to any shareholders – this only needs to be notified to Companies House when completing the confirmation statement in each year. Changes that must be notified within 14 days: –

1. change of registered address;
2. changes to Directors or their personal details, (e.g. their address); and
3. company secretaries (appointing a new one or ending an existing one’s appointment).

Changes to a company’s share capital or shareholders must be notified within 30 days. For example, the issuing of new shares, which would require the filing of an SH01 statutory form or a sub-division or consolidation of the shares in issue which would require the filing of an SH02 statutory form. These are merely examples and you should be aware that there are other instances when statutory forms must be filed at Companies House.

Where to get Companies House statutory forms

All statutory forms are available, free of charge from Companies House. All PDF forms available on the Companies House website must be signed and dated and sent to Companies House by post.

Companies Act 2006 gives Companies House the right to reject documents that do not meet the Registrar’s requirements for proper delivery.  If any documents are rejected, Companies House will write to you to let you know the reasons why.

How we can help

If you require any assistance or advice in relation to keeping your company’s filing up to date at Companies House or you need assistance in rectifying historic misfiling, please contact our Corporate Commercial team on 01256 320555 or mail@clarkeandson.co.uk.