Like most companies, Companies House has taken relevant actions to protect the welfare of their employees and is complying with the guidelines advised by Public Health England. As a result, Companies House is reporting that it may not be able to process paper filing of documents as quickly as usual.

To ensure your company’s annual accounts are filed on time, Companies House is recommending that you take appropriate measures to file your accounts online. If you do not have an online filing account with Companies House, you can register here. You will need to provide an email address and password and the registered number of the company you wish to file accounts for. An Authentication Code will then be sent by post to the company’s registered office address (it is not possible to receive the Authentication Code by email). To use the online filing service, both your password and the Authentication Code will be required.

However, if you anticipate that your accounts will be filed late due to COVID-19, and your filing date has not yet passed, you can apply for an automatic and immediate 3 month extension to file your accounts. You should cite “COVID-19” or “Health Matters” as the grounds for the application. The form must be filed prior to the deadline and failure to file your company’s accounts on time and inform Companies House that you require a 3 month extensions will result in an automatic financial penalty.