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Date of publication: January 2012

By far the most common form of trading vehicle in the UK is the private limited company (LTD).

In return for the limited liability protection that the LTD provides for its shareholders, there are a number of public filing responsibilities together with potential audit requirements.

Annual Accounts

An LTD can choose its own accounting reference date and it must file at Companies House, publicly available statutory accounts, within 9 months of the end of each accounting period.

There are financial penalties for late filing:

Penalties are doubled where a company files its accounts late for a second year. Continued non-filing of the accounts can lead to prosecution of the directors and striking-off of the company, with forfeiture of the company's assets.

Audit

Companies that exceed the size thresholds below must have an audit. These thresholds include all companies in the same corporate group, wherever they are in the world.

An audit is also required where the company, or another member of the group in which it is owned, is a public limited company or regulated by certain regulated bodies e.g. FSA, Solicitors Regulation Authority. An audit can also be forced at the decision of the members.

Consolidated accounts

Groups of companies that do not qualify as "small groups", because they exceed two of the three limits below, must prepare and file consolidated accounts.

These limits have to be met in both the current and the preceding year.

Annual Returns

In addition to filing financial information a LTD must also file an annual return detailing the directors, company secretary, shareholders and information about the shares and nature of the business.

This is filed each year on the anniversary of incorporation.

Other filing requirements

There are obligations to notify changes in directorships, or directors' personal details, changes in the company's registered address, details of new shares issued or reductions in share capital as well as any changes in the Articles of Association.

Many of the regular submissions can now be made online at www.companieshouse.co.uk.

This website also provides further information about filing requirements.