File Company
Speak to an accountant

Guides

Abridged Accounts: What They Are & the 2028 Removal

Published 10 Jun 2026 · Updated 10 Jun 2026

Heads up: abridged accounts are being removed from April 2028. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, the option to file abridged accounts disappears, and small companies and micro-entities will have to file a profit and loss account. The format still exists today — here's what it is, and what to plan for instead.

Abridged accounts are a reduced-disclosure version of small company accounts — a way for a company that qualifies as small to prepare and file accounts with less detail than the full small-companies format. They've been a popular way to keep financial detail off the public register. That window is closing, so the sensible question now is less "how do I file abridged accounts?" and more "what should I be doing from here?"

What are abridged accounts?

A small company can prepare abridged accounts — a balance sheet and profit and loss account with reduced detail (for example, a less itemised breakdown than the full format). Fewer line items end up prepared and published, which is why small companies have used the option.

Abridged accounts are not the same thing as:

  • Micro-entity accounts — a separate regime for the smallest companies, with its own minimal format. Micro-entity vs abridged compares the two.
  • "Filleted" accounts — the practitioner term for filing without the P&L, which is a filing choice rather than a preparation format. A small company has been able to do both: prepare abridged, then file without the P&L.

What's changing, and when?

From April 2028, confirmed under ECCTA:

  • The option to file abridged accounts is removed.
  • Small companies and micro-entities must file a profit and loss account. Small companies will file a balance sheet, directors' report, auditor's report (unless exempt) and the P&L.
  • An opt-out from publishing the P&L on the public register is confirmed — the mechanism isn't yet.
  • All accounts must be filed by software — WebFiling and paper close for accounts.

The date is worth anchoring: the changes were confirmed for April 2028 by the Government's announcement of 9 June 2026 (which moved the timeline back from a previously indicated 2027 — anything still citing 2027 is out of date).

What should you do instead?

Nothing needs to change today — abridged accounts remain valid until the April 2028 commencement. Between now and then:

  1. If you qualify as a micro-entity (turnover £1m or less, balance sheet £500,000 or less, 10 or fewer employees — two of three), the micro-entity regime remains the simplest format, before and after 2028.
  2. If you're small but not micro, plan for the post-2028 format: P&L filed, with the publish opt-out if the mechanism allows. Your accountant or software will handle the format change; the real decision is whether the opt-out matters to you.
  3. Check your software path. From April 2028 accounts can only be filed by software, so if you currently use WebFiling, that route closes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still file abridged accounts now? Yes — the option remains until April 2028.

Why are abridged accounts being removed? It's part of the ECCTA transparency reforms: more financial information on the register (the mandatory P&L) and identity/filing integrity changes across Companies House.

Will my company's profit be public after 2028? Small companies and micro-entities must file a P&L, but an opt-out from publishing it on the register is confirmed — how the opt-out will work in practice hasn't been finalised.

Are abridged accounts the same as micro-entity accounts? No — different regimes. Micro-entity vs abridged sets them side by side.

I'm a sole trader — does this apply to me? No. Sole traders file nothing with Companies House — see sole trader accounts.

Want a clear plan for the 2028 changes — formats, opt-outs and software — sorted well before the deadline? See how we help →