Coronavirus - Companies House Filing Update

Filing Accounts

On 25 March 2020, Companies House announced that businesses are now able to apply for a 3-month extension period to file accounts during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under normal circumstances, companies that file accounts late are issued with an automatic penalty. However, under the new measures, companies are able to apply for a 3-month extension. Those that cite issues due to the coronavirus will have the extension automatically and immediately granted.

To apply to extend your company's accounts filing deadline, visit the Companies House website. The application will take 15 minutes to complete.

The key points to note when considering applying for an extension are that:

• you must apply for the extension before your normal filing deadline
• companies that have already extended their filing deadline, or shortened their accounting reference period, may not be eligible for an extension
• if you do not apply for an extension and your accounts are filed late, an automatic penalty will be imposed
• if your extension application is successful, you must file your accounts before the new due date or the company will receive a late filing penalty. Appeals will be treated on a case-by-case basis

Strike-off Policy and Late Filing Penalties

Companies House have also announced that they will be taking a softer approach to late filings caused by the coronavirus and easing their strike-off activity. Companies are still required to file their annual accounts and confirmation statements but can notify Companies House of any delays and appeal against any late filing fees. Typically outstanding filings will result in two warning letters from the registrar, followed by a publication in the Gazette of their intention to strike-off the company. They will continue to write but will not publish the strike-off notice in the Gazette to give companies a chance to catch up on their filings.

Applications for voluntary strike-offs will also be processed differently. On receipt of the application, the registrar will publish a notice in the Gazette but will suspend any further action to remove the company from the register. The purpose of this is to protect creditors and third parties who may object to the application in the current circumstances.

Same Day Services

Due to coronavirus restrictions, Companies House has suspended all of its same day services until further notice. It is now dealing with filing applications on a first come first served basis.

If you were hoping to submit a same day application (for example, for a same day company incorporation or change of company name) as part of an ongoing or impending corporate transaction, as it stands this will not be possible. You should consider whether you need to flag this with other parties involved in the transaction.

For advice or assistance with any of the issues discussed above, please contact Richard Phillips on 07803 295 150 or Samantha Chaney on  07823 880 749 in our Corporate Law team, or complete the form below.