Companies House is the agency responsible for the incorporation and dissolution of companies, for the registration of companies, and for making company information available to the public in the interest of transparency.
Office, out – online, in
Earlier this year, Companies House confirmed that it was going fully digital, with online services available 24 hours a day and seven days a week, following the closure of its London office.
Public support counters in Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh have also been closed, though offices still operate in these locations to enable people to hand deliver documents.
To improve security features and reassure users concerned about transitioning to a wholly online system, the following changes have been introduced:
- Multi-Factor Authentication
- The ability to link your company to your WebFiling account, to give you more control over your filings
- Being able to digitally authorise people to file on your behalf on WebFiling, and, equally, to revoke authorisation
- To view who is digitally authorised to file on behalf of your company
- An option to sign up for emails, to aid you in the running of your company
WebFiling is an online service that Companies House provides, designed to make the submission of official paperwork easier and, wherever possible, ‘paper-free’.
As early as March 2022, Companies House had also announced some other key changes to filing requirements for small businesses, as part of its wider reform.
Are you due to file accounts at the end of December?
With December now upon us, there are companies who will need to have filed their accounts by the end of the month.
The advice issued by Companies House is to ‘file early’ and ‘file online’, to avoid incurring any penalties.
Whilst an accountant may file on your behalf, it is ultimately the company director’s responsibility to ensure that accounts are prepared properly and that any filing deadlines are met.
Dormant companies must still file accounts
It is a mistake to assume that dormant companies are exempt from filing accounts with Companies House.
Whether trading or not, all limited companies must file accounts and a confirmation statement, annually, to ensure the accuracy of information on the public register.
Worth bearing in mind is that ‘dormant’ companies are treated slightly differently for the purposes of Corporation Tax and associated Company Tax Returns, so your obligations to HMRC and Companies House are not identical.
Need support to fulfil your statutory obligations as the director of a limited company?
Our experts in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, can assist you with the preparation of your annual accounts to ensure you comply with the relevant accounting regulations and to give you accurate financial information to use in your business all year round.
To find out more about how we can support you to fulfil your statutory obligations, as the director of a limited company, contact us today.