There are Late Filing Penalties which are designed to encourage companies to file their accounts and reports on time. The penalties were first introduced in 1992 and were significantly increased from February 2009. All companies, private and public, large or small, trading or non-trading must send their accounts to Companies House. The late filing penalties guide has recently been updated although there have been no changes to the penalty amounts.
The table of penalties for late submission is as follows:
| How late are the accounts delivered | Penalty – Private Company | Penalty – PLC |
| Not more than one month | £150 | £750 |
| More than one month but not more than three months | £375 | £1,500 |
| More than three months but not more than six months | £750 | £3,000 |
| More than six months | £1,500 | £7,500 |
Failure to file confirmation statements or accounts is a criminal offence, and which could see directors personally fined in the criminal courts. Late penalties which are unpaid will be referred to collection agents and may result in a County Court judgement or a Sheriff Court decree against the company.
It is possible to appeal against a penalty, but it will only be successful if the appellant is able to demonstrate that the circumstances of the late filing were exceptional.
