Guide · UK limited companies · MicroBiz365
Companies House deadlines: stay on track with free filing reminders
If you run a limited company, two dates tend to matter most on the public register: your confirmation statement and your annual accounts. This page walks through what those are, what they can cost if you file on time or miss a deadline, and how MicroBiz365’s free filing reminders tool sends email nudges before they creep up on you.
· MicroBiz365 · About 8 min read
This is general information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Always confirm your own dates on GOV.UK and with a qualified adviser if you are unsure.
What Companies House usually expects
Most UK private limited companies must keep the register up to date. In day-to-day language, directors usually care about two recurring jobs:
- Confirmation statement — a yearly check that key details still match what Companies House holds. Official guidance: file a confirmation statement.
- Annual accounts — your accounts filed after each accounting reference period. Official guidance: prepare and file annual accounts.
Letting these drift can mean fines, stress, and in serious cases strike-off action. Even when you can fix things later, the scramble is rarely worth it.
Tax is separate. HMRC runs Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE, Self Assessment, and so on — different letters, different timetables. Companies House dates and tax dates both matter; they are just not the same system.
Filing fees on time — and penalties if you are late
Money is a good reason to keep these jobs on the radar. Figures below are the Companies House picture for many private limited companies; always check GOV.UK for the exact rules and current fees that apply when you file.
Confirmation statement (filing fee)
When you file your confirmation statement, Companies House charges a statutory fee. The amount depends how you file (online vs paper) and when you file — Companies House fees (GOV.UK) were revised from 1 February 2026, so use the official fee list or the filing screens for the figure that applies to you. For many companies filing online after that date, the confirmation statement fee is £50 (paper filing is higher).
If the confirmation statement is late, there is not the same simple “tariff table” as for late accounts, but the company can lose good standing and Companies House can take enforcement (including prosecution in serious cases). Treat the due date as seriously as the fee.
Annual accounts (filing cost vs late penalties)
For many small companies, filing annual accounts online with Companies House does not add a separate Companies House filing fee — you still prepare accounts (your own time, software, or accountant), but delivering them digitally is usually free at the register. Paper or specialist routes can differ; again, confirm on GOV.UK when you file.
If accounts are filed late, Companies House applies automatic civil penalties to private limited companies. The amounts below are the standard scale — see Penalties for late filing (GOV.UK) for full detail, how “late” is measured from your accounting reference date, and how to appeal if something genuinely outside your control caused the delay.
| How late | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Not more than 1 month | £150 |
| More than 1 month but not more than 3 months | £375 |
| More than 3 months but not more than 6 months | £750 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 |
If accounts are late two years in a row, the penalty can be doubled — so repeated slips get expensive fast. That is on top of any accountant clean-up, reputational hassle, or strike-off risk if matters drift.
HMRC: late tax returns and late payment (separate from Companies House)
Tax has its own clocks. If you miss HMRC deadlines you may face late-filing penalties, late-payment penalties, and interest — the exact rules depend on the tax (for example Corporation Tax, VAT, or Self Assessment) and your circumstances. HMRC’s guides explain what applies:
- Company Tax Returns: penalties for late filing — for many limited companies this covers late Corporation Tax returns; penalties escalate the longer you are late, and there are extra consequences if you are late repeatedly.
- Self Assessment tax returns: penalties — if you (or your business) file or pay late under Self Assessment, penalties can build from an initial fixed amount through daily charges and further percentages of tax due.
- VAT: late returns and payment — includes the points-based system for late submissions and how late-payment charges work.
Because every business is different, this page does not try to quote your personal tax penalty — use HMRC’s pages, your software, or your accountant for the dates and amounts that apply to you.
Dormant companies: being dormant at Companies House (for example filing dormant accounts) is not the same as being treated as dormant for Corporation Tax by HMRC. Many limited companies still have to file a Company Tax Return until HMRC agrees the company is dormant for tax or another rule applies — and missing that return can trigger late-filing penalties in the same way as for an active trade. Read dormant for Corporation Tax (GOV.UK) and, when it applies, tell HMRC your company is dormant for Corporation Tax. If you have a return or payment date, add it to the tool’s optional tax fields so you get a reminder before the deadline.
Why it is worth typing tax deadlines into the reminder tool
MicroBiz365’s filing reminders tool cannot log into HMRC for you and it does not pull tax due dates automatically — but it does let you add up to two optional dates (for example a Corporation Tax payment deadline and a VAT return date) that you copy from HMRC letters, your accounting software, or your adviser.
That is still valuable. One email stream that reminds you before both Companies House dates and the tax dates you care about reduces the chance you “saw the letter once” and forgot. When HMRC or Companies House sends post, open the tool and update or add those dates so the next nudge arrives in your inbox, not after the penalty window has opened.
Why deadlines slip (even for careful founders)
People rarely miss Companies House work because they do not care. More often:
- The work is yearly, so it falls off the mental stack when you are hiring, selling, or chasing invoices.
- You are juggling two worlds — the public register (Companies House) and tax (HMRC) — each with its own dates.
- One person is wearing every hat, and the “compliance calendar” is a note you meant to copy somewhere… next week.
A few well-timed emails before a due date does not replace your accountant — it simply buys you calm lead time so filing is a task on your desk, not a surprise in your inbox.
What you get from the MicroBiz365 tool
Our UK company filing reminders page is deliberately simple: look up your company, see the key Companies House due dates, then opt in to reminders.
- Look up by company number, or search by name and pick the right entity from the public register (Companies House search).
- See confirmation statement and accounts due dates in one place.
- Subscribe to email reminders, with a notice window you choose so you are warned before the day itself.
- Optional tax dates: add up to two dates you type in yourself (for example Corporation Tax payment, Company Tax Return filing deadline, VAT return, or Self Assessment) from HMRC letters, online account, software, or your accountant. You get the same style of email reminder as for Companies House — so one inbox habit covers register and the tax deadlines you choose to track. We never connect to HMRC; you stay responsible for getting the dates right.
It will not suit every edge case — complex groups, overseas filings, or very recent changes may still need a professional eye. Treat it as a reliable nudge, not a filing service.
Set it up in three steps
- Find your company — company number is best; name search is there if you need it. Double-check you selected the right Ltd.
- Read the dates — if anything looks off compared to what you filed last year, cross-check on GOV.UK before you rely on reminders alone.
- Confirm your email — enter an inbox you actually read, then click the confirmation link. Reminders only start after you confirm, so we do not mail a wrong address by mistake.
Add or refresh those optional tax fields whenever HMRC or your accountant gives you a new “file by” or “pay by” — it takes a minute and can save you from a separate set of penalties from the Companies House ones above.
Small habits that make reminders useful
- Use a real inbox you open often — not an old address you check once a quarter.
- Confirm straight away; until then, nothing is scheduled.
- After a name change, year-end change, or unusual filing, peek at the tool again so your mental model matches the register.
- When HMRC or your accountant sends a date, paste the important deadline into the tool’s optional fields (you can use one slot for “return” and one for “payment” if that fits how you work).
- When a reminder lands, your next step is still to file or brief your accountant through the proper channel — the email is a prompt, not the filing itself.
Who tends to get the most from it
Solo directors, side-hustle companies with a real Ltd, and small firms where you still carry director duties yourself — even if someone else does the books. If you already have a compliance calendar you trust, you may not need this; if you are building discipline as you grow, it is a light lift.
While you are here, the tools hub lists other free calculators and planners on MicroBiz365 if you are also sorting names, plans, or bids.
More in this series
- How to set up filing reminders (step by step)
- Common mistakes and when the tool is not enough
- Side hustles and micro-businesses: staying on top of a Ltd
Next step
Open the filing reminders tool, pull your dates once, confirm your email, and let the first reminder prove whether the rhythm works for you.