Guides
What Is the CIC Report (CIC34)? What to Include
Updated 11 Jun 2026
The CIC report (form CIC34) is the annual filing unique to community interest companies — a short report on how the company benefited the community that year. Its directors must prepare one for every financial year and file it with the company's accounts at Companies House, for a £15 fee. It then sits on the public register and is passed to the Regulator of Community Interest Companies. It's the one filing a CIC does that an ordinary company doesn't.
What is the CIC34?
It's the report that goes with your accounts to show your CIC is still doing what it was set up to do — work for the benefit of the community. Companies House passes a copy to the CIC Regulator, and it's published on the register for anyone to read. Think of it as the accountability document behind the community purpose: the accounts show the money, the CIC34 shows the mission.
Every CIC files one, every year, whatever its size — there's no small-company exemption from the CIC report.
What goes in a CIC report?
The report has to cover a set list of points. For most CICs that means:
- How the company's activities benefited the community — a fair, accurate description of what you actually did and the difference it made.
- Who you consulted — what steps you took to consult people affected by your work, or a statement that you did not consult anyone. It's a required field, not an optional extra.
- Directors' remuneration — what the directors were paid (this can refer across to the figure in the accounts rather than repeat it).
If your CIC has shares and paid (or proposes to pay) a dividend, or paid performance-related interest on borrowing, the report also has to set those out and confirm they stayed within the limits that apply to CICs. There's also a line for any assets transferred for less than they were worth, because the asset lock makes those sensitive.
Simplified or detailed — which version?
The CIC34 comes in two versions, and you pick based on what your company actually did:
| Version | Who uses it |
|---|---|
| Simplified | Most CICs — particularly companies limited by guarantee, which can't pay dividends. If you have no dividends and no performance-related interest to declare, this is you |
| Detailed | CICs with more involved finances — those declaring a dividend, or paying performance-related interest on a loan. The extra sections capture those figures and confirm they're within the caps |
The majority of CICs complete the simplified report.
How much does it cost and how do you file it?
The CIC report costs £15, and it's filed together with your accounts — the two are one package, not separate jobs:
- Online, through the CIC filing service, paying the £15 by debit or credit card; or
- On paper, posting the accounts, the paper CIC34 and a £15 cheque to Companies House together.
The £15 hasn't changed with recent Companies House fee rises — those affected the cost of setting up a CIC, not the annual report. The CIC accounts page covers the full filing picture and the deadlines.
What if you don't file it?
The CIC report rides with your accounts, so a missing or incomplete CIC34 can get the whole package rejected — and a rejected filing can push you past your accounts deadline and into a late-filing penalty. Beyond that, the CIC report is how the Regulator and the public see that your company is still operating for community benefit, so consistently missing it is the kind of thing that draws regulatory attention. Filing it properly and on time is the straightforward path.
Frequently asked questions
What does CIC34 stand for? It's just the Companies House form number for the community interest company report. "CIC report" and "form CIC34" mean the same thing.
Do all CICs file a CIC report? Yes — every CIC, every year, regardless of size. There's no exemption for small or dormant CICs.
How much is the CIC34 fee? £15, paid with the accounts — by card online or by cheque on paper.
Is the CIC report public? Yes. It's published on the Companies House register alongside your accounts, and a copy goes to the Regulator of Community Interest Companies.
Do I file the CIC34 separately from my accounts? No — they go together as one filing. File the accounts without the CIC34 (or vice versa) and the submission isn't complete.
I run a charity — is there an equivalent? A charity files a trustees' annual report with the Charity Commission instead; the CIC34 is specific to community interest companies. See CIC vs charity.
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