Companies House Late Filing Penalties: Complete Guide to Avoiding Fines in 2026

Companies House issues over 200,000 late filing penalties every year. If you're a UK company director who files your own accounts, you're one missed deadline away from a £150 fine — or £1,500 if you let it slide beyond six months.

This guide covers the exact penalty amounts, how doubling works for repeat offenders, why 5–7% of filings get rejected near deadlines, and the practical steps that actually prevent penalties.

Exact Penalty Amounts for Late Filing

Penalties are automatic. Companies House does not send warnings — the fine is issued the day after your deadline passes.

Private companies and LLPs:

How late	Penalty
Up to 1 month	£150
1–3 months	£375
3–6 months	£750
Over 6 months	£1,500

Public companies (PLCs):

How late	Penalty
Up to 1 month	£750
1–3 months	£1,500
3–6 months	£3,000
Over 6 months	£7,500

These amounts come directly from Companies House's official penalty schedule. The penalty applies to annual accounts only — confirmation statements carry different consequences (covered below).

How Doubling Works for Repeat Offenders

File late two years in a row and every penalty in the table above doubles. A one-month delay that cost £150 last year becomes £300 this year. The maximum jumps from £1,500 to £3,000 for private companies.

About 25% of companies penalised for late filing are caught again the following year. That repeat rate suggests the problem isn't ignorance — it's a lack of systems. Calendar reminders and Companies House's single email notification are not enough for directors juggling other responsibilities.

The doubling rule applies to accounts filed late in two successive financial years beginning on or after 6 April 2008. It resets if you file on time for a year — but by then, you've already paid the higher penalty.

Your Filing Deadlines

The deadline depends on your company type and whether you're filing for the first time:

Annual accounts:

• First accounts after incorporation: 21 months from the date of incorporation, or 3 months after the accounting reference date (ARD) — whichever is later
• Subsequent accounts: 9 months after the ARD for private companies, 6 months for PLCs

Confirmation statement:

• Due at least once every 12 months from incorporation (or from the date the last confirmation statement was made to)
• You have 14 days after the review period ends to file
• Filing fee: £50 online, £110 by paper (as of February 2026)

Your specific deadlines are on your company's page at Companies House. Search for your company number to see exactly when each filing is due.

Why Late Filing Happens (Even to Careful Directors)

Most penalties aren't caused by negligence. Three patterns account for the majority:

1. Technical rejections near the deadline

Between 5% and 7% of Companies House filings are rejected for technical errors — wrong accounting reference date, mismatched company name, incorrect authentication code. If your filing is rejected a day before the deadline, you may not have time to correct and resubmit before the penalty clock starts.

The fix: file at least two weeks before your deadline. This gives you time to correct rejections without crossing into penalty territory.

2. Confusion about which deadline applies

Directors with a new company often don't realise their first filing deadline differs from subsequent years. A company incorporated on 1 March 2025 with a 31 March ARD has until 31 December 2026 to file its first accounts — but the next year's deadline is 31 December 2027 (9 months after the 31 March 2027 ARD). Miss that shift and you're late.

3. Dormant company oversight

Dormant companies still need to file annual accounts (simplified dormant accounts) and a confirmation statement each year. Directors with SPV structures or holding companies often assume dormant means no obligations. It doesn't — the same penalty schedule applies.

What Happens If You Don't File at All

The consequences escalate beyond penalties:

• Company struck off: Companies House can start proceedings to strike your company off the register if you persistently fail to file. You'll receive a warning letter (a "First Gazette" notice), then a second notice, then dissolution. The process takes about 3 months.
• Personal liability: Directors can face prosecution for failing to file. Companies House has increased prosecutions in recent years, with convictions leading to fines and criminal records.
• Credit impact: Outstanding filings and penalties appear on your company's public record. Credit reference agencies pick up on late filings, which can affect your ability to get business credit, open accounts, or win contracts.

How to Appeal a Late Filing Penalty

You can appeal, but success rates are low. Companies House only accepts appeals based on circumstances genuinely beyond your control — and the bar is high.

Appeals that almost never succeed:

• "My accountant didn't file on time" — the director is legally responsible, not the accountant
• "The company is dormant" — dormant companies have the same filing obligations
• "I didn't know the deadline" — ignorance is not accepted as a reason
• "I couldn't afford an accountant" — financial difficulty doesn't waive filing requirements
• "I was abroad" — overseas residence doesn't change UK filing deadlines

Appeals that may succeed:

• A serious medical emergency immediately before the deadline (with evidence)
• Natural disaster or fire that destroyed records days before filing was due
• Postal strike or Companies House system outage on the deadline date (with evidence)

You have 28 days from the date the penalty was issued to appeal. Appeals go to Companies House first, then to the Senior Casework Unit if rejected. An Independent Adjudicator can review the process but cannot override the registrar's decision.

Details on how to appeal are on the GOV.UK late filing penalties page.

Five Steps to Avoid Late Filing Penalties

1. Know your exact deadlines. Check your company's filing deadlines at Companies House right now. Write them down. If you have multiple companies, list every deadline for every entity.

2. File at least two weeks early. This is the single most effective step. Filing early gives you a buffer for technical rejections, authentication code problems, and unexpected errors. There is no penalty for filing early. If you're already running short on time, you may be able to extend your deadline before it passes.

3. Use Companies House WebFiling. Online filing is faster, cheaper (£50 vs £110 for confirmation statements), and gives you an immediate confirmation receipt. Paper filings can get lost in the post.

4. Set multiple reminders. Don't rely on the single Companies House email reminder. Set calendar alerts at 60, 30, 14, and 7 days before each deadline. If you have multiple companies, you need reminders for each one. Use our free filing deadline countdown tool to see all your upcoming deadlines in one place.

5. Check your authentication code. You need a valid authentication code to file online. If you've lost it or it's expired, request a new one well before your deadline — Companies House posts it by letter, which takes 5–7 working days.

What About Confirmation Statements?

Confirmation statements don't carry the same automatic financial penalties as annual accounts. However, failure to file a confirmation statement can lead to:

• Your company being struck off the register
• Directors facing prosecution
• Your company's public record showing overdue filings

The deadline is firm: 14 days after your review period ends. The review period runs for 12 months from incorporation or from the date you last filed a confirmation statement. For a full breakdown, see our guide on what happens if your confirmation statement is overdue.

Use our free late filing penalty calculator to see exactly what your penalty would cost based on your deadline date.

Key Takeaways

• Penalties start at £150 and reach £1,500 for private companies (£7,500 for PLCs)
• Doubling kicks in if you file late two years running — a one-month delay becomes £300
• File at least two weeks before your deadline to allow for technical rejection corrections
• Dormant companies face the same penalties — there is no exemption
• Appeals rarely succeed unless the circumstances were genuinely beyond your control
• Check your deadlines at Companies House now — don't wait for the reminder email

Sources

• Late filing penalties — GOV.UK
• Companies House company search