Like a number of businesses during these unprecedented times, Companies House have responded to the COVID-19 health emergency by closing their London office to the public and they have requested that all filing of accounts, confirmation statements and changes to company records be lodged online where possible. Companies House have also suspended all same day services until further notice.
However, all private companies are under a statutory obligation to lodge their accounts, reports and confirmation statements to Companies House every year which is likely to prove difficult for some companies in these challenging times, particularly with the suspension of same day filing and restricted paper filing. If a company’s accounts are filed late, the law imposes an automatic penalty. The late filing penalty fee for a private limited company which has filed its accounts more than six months’ late is £1,500.
Therefore, now more than ever, if before your company’s filing date, it becomes apparent that accounts will not be filed on time due to your company being affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19), you can make an application to extend the period allowed for filing. Companies House have confirmed that you can apply to extend your accounts deadline if you cannot send your accounts because of an event outside of your control – such as COVID-19.
An application for extension can be made online at ‘Apply to extend your accounts filing deadline’ on the Government website and successful applications will normally receive an extension for 30 days.
If you have any queries regarding extending your filing deadline or the Companies House online filing system, please do not hesitate to contact Stephen Wyer on 01562 820181 or at stephen.wyer@mfgsolicitors.com
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