Filing your UK company accounts just one day after the deadline can trigger an automatic late filing penalty. For a private limited company, the penalty is £150, even if the accounts arrive only 24 hours late. Companies House does not generally provide a grace period for companies that miss the

Yes. You can apply to Companies House to extend your UK company accounts filing deadline, but an extension is not automatic. You must show that an unexpected event outside your control has prevented you from filing on time, and you must submit your application before your existing filing deadline. Companies

Yes. A UK company can change its accounting reference date (ARD), which is effectively the date used to determine when its financial year ends for Companies House purposes. A company can usually change its ARD to shorten or lengthen its current financial year or, in certain circumstances, change the immediately

Your company's accounting reference date (ARD) is one of the most important dates on its Companies House record. It determines when the company's financial year ends and helps establish when its annual accounts must be filed. Yet many new directors are unsure where to find it,

If you have recently incorporated a UK limited company, you may be surprised to discover that your first company accounts can cover more than 12 months. This is normal. For most newly incorporated UK private limited companies, the first accounting period begins on the date of incorporation and ends on

If you have recently incorporated a UK limited company, one of the first deadlines you need to understand is the date your first company accounts are due at Companies House. For most private limited companies, the first accounts are due within 21 months of incorporation when the first accounts cover

If you want to close a UK limited company, you may come across two terms that sound interchangeable: dissolution and liquidation. They are not the same. Dissolution is the legal process by which a company ceases to exist and is removed from the Companies House register. For a straightforward solvent

Compulsory strike-off and voluntary strike-off both remove a UK limited company from the Companies House register, but they happen for very different reasons. A voluntary strike-off is initiated by the company's directors because they want to close a company that is no longer needed and meets the legal

Applying to dissolve a UK limited company through voluntary strike-off is usually straightforward until someone objects. An objection can stop the process from moving forward and leave directors wondering what to do next. The important point is that an objection is not necessarily the end of your company's

If you have applied to strike off a UK limited company and suddenly receive an objection, it can be worrying. You may have believed the company was inactive, had finished its business, and was ready to be dissolved. So why is someone trying to stop it? The short answer is

Yes. Companies House can refuse, reject, delay or prevent a company's voluntary dissolution if the application is incorrect, the company is not eligible for strike-off, or there is a valid reason why the company should remain on the register. For most solvent companies, dissolution means voluntary strike-off. The

Yes. A dormant UK company can usually be dissolved by voluntary strike-off if it meets the legal conditions for striking off. In fact, dissolution is often a sensible option when a company has been incorporated but is no longer needed. A dormant company that has never traded, has no outstanding

Closing a UK limited company does not automatically close its PAYE scheme. If the company employs staff, pays directors through payroll, or otherwise operates a PAYE scheme, the employer has to formally tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that it has stopped employing people. This involves running the final payroll,

Closing a UK limited company does not automatically end its VAT obligations. If a company is registered for VAT and stops trading, it will normally need to cancel its VAT registration with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), submit a final VAT Return and deal with any VAT due on remaining

Yes. If you are closing a UK limited company, you need to deal with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) before the company is dissolved. Closing a company at Companies House does not automatically close its tax affairs. Depending on how the company is being closed and what taxes it is

Yes, but there is an important distinction between filing final accounts with HMRC and filing them with Companies House. If you are closing a UK limited company through voluntary strike off, you must prepare final statutory accounts and a final Company Tax Return for HMRC. However, you do not normally

When a UK limited company is dissolved, any money or other assets still legally owned by the company do not simply disappear and they do not automatically become the property of the former directors or shareholders. In most cases, assets left behind at dissolution become bona vacantia, meaning ownerless property

If you are planning to close a UK limited company through voluntary strike off, dealing with the company’s assets is one of the most important steps to get right. You cannot simply leave money in the company bank account, keep valuable equipment in the company’s name, or assume

Yes, but you should not simply dissolve a UK company while money is still sitting in its bank account. Before a company is struck off, its remaining cash should normally be dealt with properly usually by paying outstanding liabilities and distributing any legitimate surplus to shareholders. If money is still

You should not use voluntary strike off to escape an outstanding Bounce Back Loan. A UK company may eventually be dissolved after dealing properly with its Bounce Back Loan, but simply submitting a DS01 application while the loan remains unpaid can create serious problems. A Bounce Back Loan was a

Generally, you should not dissolve a UK company while it has an unresolved Corporation Tax liability. Before a solvent company is struck off, its tax affairs should be brought up to date and outstanding Corporation Tax and other tax liabilities should be dealt with. However, there is an important distinction

Yes, a UK company can have unpaid bills when it closes, but that does not mean it can simply be dissolved to avoid paying its creditors. The crucial question is whether the company is still able to pay its debts when they fall due and whether it meets the legal

Yes. A non-resident director or shareholder can generally close an eligible UK limited company without travelling to the UK. The usual route is voluntary strike off through Companies House, provided the company meets the legal conditions for strike off and its affairs are properly dealt with first. For international founders,

Closing a UK limited company can cost as little as £13 in Companies House fees if the company is straightforward, solvent and eligible for voluntary strike off. In practice, however, the total cost can be considerably higher once accounting, tax, professional and asset-disposal costs are included. As of February 2026,

For a straightforward, solvent UK limited company, voluntary strike off can take a little over two months once Companies House has accepted the application and published the first Gazette notice. That does not necessarily mean the entire closure process takes two months. Preparing the company for dissolution can take considerably