Companies House Late Filing Penalties

Late filing penalty amounts

Companies House imposes automatic civil penalties when accounts are filed late:

How late?	Penalty (private company)
Up to 1 month	£150
1 to 3 months	£375
3 to 6 months	£750
More than 6 months	£1,500

These penalties double if accounts are late for two consecutive years. Public companies face higher penalties.

Appealing a late filing penalty

Companies House does accept appeals for genuine, exceptional reasons. These include: serious illness of the director responsible, severe fire or flood damage destroying records, postal strikes causing delivery failure, or similar truly unforeseeable circumstances.

'We forgot', 'our accountant was late', or 'we didn't know about the deadline' are not accepted grounds for appeal. The penalty notice includes appeal instructions — you have 28 days from the date of the notice to appeal.

Strike-off risk

If accounts are persistently not filed, Companies House can strike off the company. All company assets then vest in the Crown (bona vacantia). Restoration is possible but costly — typically £1,500–£3,000 in legal and court fees, plus back penalties.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get more time to file accounts?

Companies House can grant extensions in exceptional circumstances — most commonly for companies affected by COVID-related disruption (now largely expired) or genuine emergencies. Apply before the deadline, not after. Extensions are not routinely granted.

Does a late filing penalty affect my credit rating?

Not directly. However, a track record of late filings is visible on the public Companies House register and may affect how suppliers, banks, and clients view the company.