22 Dec 2023Companies House has warned businesses to file their accounts by the 31 December deadline to avoid receiving an automatic £150 penalty for late filing. All limited and dormant companies, whether they trade or not, must deliver accounts to Companies House each year. Companies House also confirmed that a third of businesses still file accounts on paper despite extensive promotion of the online filing service. To file online, it is necessary to have a company authentication code. In a statement, Companies House said: 'Missing your filing deadline could affect your credit score or access to finance. There are also financial penalties and legal consequences – you could get a criminal record, a fine or disqualification. 'If you employ an accountant to file your accounts, it is still your responsibility, as a director, to make sure they are filed on time.' 'You should only send paper accounts if your company cannot file online or by software,' Companies House added. 'Accounts filed on paper need to be manually checked. We can only check them during office opening hours, and they can take over a week to process. 'If you need to file your accounts on paper, you should send them to us well before the deadline. This will give you plenty of time to correct your accounts and resend them if they are rejected.' Please contact us if you need help or advice filing accounts with Companies House.