Guides
Companies House Filing Deadlines: When Are Accounts Due?
Published 18 Jul 2026 · Updated 18 Jul 2026
Your annual accounts go to Companies House 9 months after your financial year end if you're a private company (6 months for a public company). Your very first accounts get longer — 21 months after the date you registered. Those are the deadlines that matter; miss one and Companies House charges an automatic late filing penalty. This guide covers when accounts are due, how the exact date lands from your year end, and what a late filing costs.
Your accounts and your Company Tax Return (CT600) are two separate filings — the accounts go to Companies House, the CT600 goes to HMRC — with different deadlines. This page is about the accounts. For who must file and the types of accounts you can file, see the company accounts guide.
When are company accounts due?
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Private company / LLP — annual accounts | 9 months after your financial year end |
| Public company — annual accounts | 6 months after your financial year end |
| Your first accounts (private company) | 21 months after the date you registered |
Your first accounts get the longer window because a first accounting period often runs over 12 months, from the date of incorporation to your accounting reference date.
The deadline is only met when Companies House actually receives acceptable accounts — not when you post or submit them. A filing that's rejected (wrong format or errors) counts as not delivered, and weekends and bank holidays don't extend the date, so it's worth being early.
How your year end sets the filing date
A "9 months after" deadline lands on the corresponding date nine months later: a 31 March year end gives accounts due 31 December; a 30 September year end gives 30 June.
There's one edge that works in your favour. If your year end is the last day of a month, your deadline is the last day of the target month — even where that's a day later than the strict corresponding date. So a 30 April year end gives accounts due 31 January (not 30 January); a 30 June year end gives 31 March; a 30 November year end gives 31 August. That's a day of real filing headroom, and it's the date Companies House sets on the public register.
Changing your company's year end changes this calculation. In particular, shortening the financial year moves the accounting reference date earlier and can bring the accounts deadline forward. You can only change the current financial year or the one immediately before it, you cannot change it once the accounts are overdue, and you must also update HMRC's Corporation Tax accounting-period dates. Check the recalculated Companies House deadline before shortening a period — if the new deadline has already passed, a late-filing penalty can apply.
Want your exact dates worked out from your year end? Use the company deadline checker — one date in, and your accounts, Corporation Tax and Company Tax Return dates come out.
Late filing penalties
Companies House charges an automatic late filing penalty based on how late the accounts are. The band you land in sets the whole penalty — the bands don't add together.
| How late | Private company / LLP | Public company |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than 1 month | £150 | £750 |
| 1 to 3 months | £375 | £1,500 |
| 3 to 6 months | £750 | £3,000 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 | £7,500 |
So a private company four months late pays £750 (the 3-to-6-month band) — not £150 + £375 + £750 added up. The penalty is doubled if you file late in two successive financial years.
This is a flat penalty rather than a daily charge, but it's automatic and Companies House rarely waives it. The reliable fix is a calendar: the date is knowable the moment your year end passes.
Rather hand the filing over so the dates are never your problem? Speak to an accountant →
Can you extend your Companies House filing deadline?
Sometimes. Companies House can give you more time to file your annual accounts — but only if something outside your control has stopped you filing on time, and only if you ask before your deadline.
When you can apply. You can apply for more time if an event outside your control means you cannot file on time. Companies House gives two examples: an unexpected illness, or a fire destroying your records a few days before the deadline. It's for genuine, one-off situations you couldn't have planned around — not for being behind on the bookkeeping. You explain what happened; you can attach documents to back it up, but they're optional — the written explanation is what's required. Companies House reviews each request and decides, so an extension is not automatic — keep working towards your original deadline while you wait to hear back.
The rule that catches people out: apply before the deadline. You have to apply before your normal filing deadline. Once it's passed, it's too late — an overdue deadline can't be extended, and you get a late filing penalty instead. If you can already see you're going to struggle, apply early rather than hoping to file just in time.
How to apply. There's an online service — "Apply to extend your accounts filing deadline" — on the Companies House website (about 15 minutes). You'll need your company number, an email address (they email you the decision), a short explanation of why you need more time, and any documents that back it up. You can also apply by post.
A few things worth knowing:
- There's a cap. The law only allows a maximum filing period of 12 months, so any extension sits inside that limit.
- It's a one-off. An extension applies to that set of accounts only — it doesn't change your deadlines in future years.
- It only covers Companies House. This extends your accounts deadline. It doesn't move your separate Company Tax Return (CT600) deadline with HMRC, which runs to its own timetable.
- Already used a lever this year? You may not be eligible if you've already extended this deadline or shortened your accounting period.
Changing your year end (accounting reference date) is a different thing — lengthening your accounting period moves your filing deadline as a side effect, but it has its own rules, and if you already had an extension, changing your year end can cancel it. If you're not sure which route fits, get it checked before you touch either.
Frequently asked questions
When are my company accounts due? 9 months after your financial year end for a private company (6 months for a public company). Your first accounts are due 21 months after the date you registered.
What's the deadline for my first accounts? 21 months after the date you registered with Companies House — a longer window because a first period of account often runs over 12 months.
How is my accounts filing deadline worked out? It's 9 months after your year end, landing on the corresponding date. If your year end is the last day of a month, the deadline is the last day of the target month — a little headroom (a 30 April year end gives a 31 January deadline).
What's the penalty for filing accounts late? For a private company: £150 (up to 1 month late) rising in bands to £1,500 (more than 6 months). It's a single banded penalty, and it's doubled if you file late two financial years running.
Do dormant companies have to file accounts? Yes. A dormant company still files (simplified) dormant accounts to the same deadline as any other company.
I'm a sole trader, CIC or charity — does this apply to me? This page covers limited companies filing accounts at Companies House. Sole traders file nothing with Companies House; a CIC files company accounts (plus a CIC34); charities report to the Charity Commission. See other organisation types for your situation.
Rather not track the dates yourself? See how we file company accounts for you →