By
August 30, 2026
When Are a New UK Company’s First Annual Accounts Due?
A new private UK limited company will normally need to file its first annual accounts with Companies House within 21 months of its incorporation date.
The precise deadline depends on the company’s accounting reference date and the period covered by its first accounts. Public limited companies have a shorter filing period.
Companies House displays the exact accounts deadline on the company’s public record. Directors should check this date carefully because late accounts usually result in an automatic financial penalty.
For a new private limited company, the first accounts are normally due:
Most new private companies follow the 21-month rule because their first accounting period usually runs from the incorporation date to the final day of the incorporation anniversary month.
HMRC summarises the standard deadline in its guidance on accounts and tax returns for private limited companies.
Suppose a private company is incorporated on 15 March 2026.
Its first accounting reference date will normally be 31 March 2027. Its first accounts will cover the period from 15 March 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Because that period is longer than 12 months, the company will normally have until 15 December 2027—21 months after incorporation—to deliver its first accounts to Companies House.
The filing deadline is calculated to the exact date. It is not automatically the end of the relevant month.
The accounting reference date is the end of the company’s financial year.
When a company is incorporated, Companies House normally sets its first accounting reference date as the final day of the month in which the first anniversary of incorporation falls.
Examples include:
Future financial years will normally end on the same day and month unless the company changes its accounting reference date.
A company’s first financial period begins on its incorporation date but usually ends on the last day of its incorporation anniversary month.
As a result, the first accounts frequently cover slightly more than one year.
For example, a company incorporated on 10 June 2026 will usually have an accounting reference date of 30 June 2027. Its first accounts would cover approximately 12 months and three weeks.
This is normal and does not mean the company has missed a deadline.
If a private company’s first accounts cover more than 12 months, they must generally be delivered by the later of:
For a public limited company, the corresponding deadline is normally the later of:
These special rules matter if the company has changed its accounting reference date or created an unusually long first financial period.
Yes.
A new public limited company generally has less time to file its first accounts than a private company.
Where the first accounts cover more than 12 months, a public company normally files by the later of:
After the first year, a public company usually has six months from its accounting reference date to file annual accounts. A private company normally has nine months.
Yes. A company must normally file accounts even if it has:
A company that has been dormant since incorporation may qualify to file dormant company accounts. These are generally simpler than trading company accounts, but they must still be filed by the deadline.
Dormancy does not remove the company’s obligation to submit:
The Companies House accounts will normally cover the entire financial period from incorporation to the accounting reference date, including any initial dormant period.
The Corporation Tax return may cover a different period.
For example, a company could:
The accounts and tax return may therefore have different starting dates during the company’s first year.
No. Annual accounts and the Company Tax Return are separate submissions.
Annual accounts are filed with Companies House and report the company’s financial position and performance.
The Company Tax Return is filed with HMRC and calculates the company’s taxable profit and Corporation Tax liability.
The deadlines are also different:
A company may therefore have to pay Corporation Tax before its Company Tax Return or first Companies House accounts are due.
A Corporation Tax accounting period cannot normally be longer than 12 months.
If the first annual accounts cover more than 12 months and the company traded throughout the entire period, it may need to file two Company Tax Returns:
Each tax period can also have its own Corporation Tax payment deadline.
If the company remained dormant for part of its first financial year, its tax periods may be treated differently. HMRC explains this in its guidance on first company accounts and Company Tax Returns.
The precise contents depend on the company’s size, activities and eligibility for available reporting exemptions.
A trading company’s first statutory accounts will normally include:
Small companies and micro-entities may qualify for simplified reporting requirements. However, simplified accounts must still comply with the Companies Act and the applicable accounting standards.
No. Many small private companies qualify for audit exemption.
Whether an audit is required depends on factors such as:
Audit exemption does not mean that the company is exempt from preparing or filing annual accounts.
Yes. A company can change its accounting reference date by notifying Companies House.
It can normally:
The change must normally be made before the existing filing deadline. An overdue accounting reference period cannot usually be changed.
Changing the year-end can also change the accounts deadline and Corporation Tax periods. Directors should calculate the new dates before submitting the change.
Official guidance is available on changing a company’s financial year-end.
Not necessarily.
Changing an accounting reference date affects the period covered by the accounts, but special rules prevent companies from obtaining an unlimited filing extension.
If the first accounts cover more than 12 months, the deadline is normally the later of 21 months after incorporation or three months after the new accounting reference date for a private company.
A change can sometimes shorten the available filing period or create an immediate late filing problem. The company should confirm the new deadline before making the change.
The directors are legally responsible for ensuring that accurate accounts are prepared and delivered on time.
An accountant or filing agent can prepare and submit the accounts, but responsibility remains with the directors.
Directors should therefore:
Sending records to an accountant does not count as filing the accounts.
The available filing method depends on the type of accounts and company.
Companies may file using:
The accounts must meet the required format and contain the necessary statements. Companies House can reject accounts that are incomplete, incorrectly signed or otherwise non-compliant.
The accounts are treated as filed only when acceptable documents have been received.
The company must still meet the displayed filing deadline.
A weekend or bank holiday does not automatically move the deadline to the next working day. Directors should file in advance rather than wait until the final day.
This is particularly important when filing paper accounts because delivery time must be allowed. Posting the accounts before the deadline is insufficient if Companies House receives them late.
Companies House normally imposes an automatic financial penalty when annual accounts are delivered after the deadline.
The penalty increases according to how late the accounts are. Larger penalties apply to public companies, and the penalty can be doubled if accounts are filed late in two consecutive financial years.
Additional consequences may include:
Late accounts should be submitted as soon as possible. Waiting after the deadline usually increases the penalty.
A company may apply for more time if an unexpected event outside its control will prevent it from filing on time.
Any application should be made before the original deadline and should explain:
An extension is not guaranteed. A company should continue preparing its accounts while waiting for a decision.
A new company should maintain records from its incorporation date, including:
Records should be kept even if a director initially pays company expenses personally.
Good bookkeeping throughout the year makes it easier to prepare accurate accounts and identify Corporation Tax liabilities.
A new company should:
That is the usual deadline for a private company whose first accounts cover more than 12 months. Different rules can apply if the accounting period is 12 months or shorter or the year-end has been changed.
Yes. The filing obligation applies even when the same person is the sole director and sole shareholder.
Yes. It may qualify to file dormant accounts, but it cannot simply ignore the deadline.
Yes. Annual accounts, Corporation Tax payments and Company Tax Returns have separate deadlines.
Yes. A company can file as soon as the accounts have been prepared, approved and signed.
No. Directors remain legally responsible, even when an accountant prepares and files the accounts.
The accounts due date appears on the company’s public Companies House record.
A new private UK company’s first annual accounts are normally due 21 months after its incorporation date.
For example, a company incorporated on 15 March 2026 would normally have to file its first accounts by 15 December 2027.
The precise deadline can change if the company shortens or extends its financial year. Dormant companies must also file accounts, and Corporation Tax returns have separate deadlines. Directors should therefore check the exact date displayed on the Companies House register and begin preparing well in advance.
