Companies House: Bizarre excuses for filing company accounts late

28 Sep 2018 02:29 PM

We've received some questionable late filing appeals over the last 12 months.

Each year we receive unusual excuses from directors who fail to file their company accounts on time.

Some of the most outrageous reasons given include:

• “goats ate my accounts”
• “I found my wife in the bath with my accountant”
• “pirates stole my accounts”
• “we delivered the accounts to the betting office next door to Companies House”
• “a volcano erupted and prevented me from filing”
• “slugs ate my accounts”
• “it was Valentine’s Day”
• “my company was more successful than I thought it would be, so I was too busy to file”

The companies which gave these excuses received a late filing penalty and their appeals were unsuccessful. Penalties increase depending on how late the accounts are filed and the status of the company.

Senior Enforcement Manager, Nick Parker, said:

Companies and directors must be aware of their responsibility to file accounts with Companies House. Companies can sign up to receive e-mail reminders, which can be sent to up to four e-mail addresses.

There will always be unforeseen events that mean a company is unable to file accounts on time. In exceptional circumstances, companies can request an extension to the filing deadline, however these requests must be received before the filing deadline.

Most companies can file accounts electronically – it’s faster and easier. The Companies House WebFiling service has in-built checks to ensure that all the relevant information is provided before a customer can submit. It also provides filers with automatic e-mail confirmation that accounts have been received and once they have been accepted for filing.

To send us accounts electronically, you must register for our online filing services. When you register, we’ll send an authentication code in the post to your company’s registered office.

The authentication code can take 5 working days to arrive. 

Read our guidance for general help and advice on filing company accounts.

You can email enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk or call our contact centre on 0303 1234 500. We’re open 8.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

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