This blog post was originally published in 2019. Visit our guidance page for the latest information on this topic.
It seems a very simple concept. Take some eggs, flour, sugar and margarine. Mix and pour into a baking tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and cool. Hey presto, it’s a cake. Now, whoever thought that this age-old practice could be turned into an international TV phenomenon certainly deserves credit.
Enter Love productions. Take 10 amateur bakers, a tent, some cookery experts and a couple of presenters and you have the Great British Bake Off (GBBO). Introducing us to new terms such as soggy bottoms, technical challenges and frothy peaks, the series was a major success. It ran on the BBC for 7 years until they lost the rights to Channel 4. Three years later, not only has it survived the move to a new channel, it has thrived.
Now we love cake here at Companies House and we too are not afraid to move to new platforms.
Our digital services
As part of our ongoing transformation programme, our aim is to develop all our systems and services to be digital-first, easy to use and centred entirely around our users’ needs. Our digital services are already well regarded by our customers, but we recognise the need to improve the consistency and availability across our search and filing services.
So, let me introduce to you, not the one and only Billy Shears, but filing full accounts on Companies House Service (CHS).
There are lots of benefits to filing your full accounts online. By filing your documents online, you can save your company time and money and help reduce errors and late filing penalties.
Online filing has built-in checks to help you avoid errors and rejection, and it costs less to file most documents online compared to paper. When we receive a document filed online, we’ll send you an acknowledgement almost immediately.
It also enables us to process and place the documents on the public register far more quickly than paper documents. This means you’ll know much sooner whether your accounts have been accepted via another confirmation email.
File your full accounts
You can file full accounts on CHS if:
- you don't need to include a directors' report or profit and loss account
- you don't need to change the date the accounts are made up to
- your balance sheet doesn’t have 'revaluation reserve', or 'intangible assets'
- you only need to add notes (if applicable) for 'accounting policies', 'employees', 'tangible assets', 'fixed assets investments', 'stocks', 'debtors', 'current assets investments', 'creditors - amounts falling due within one year', or 'creditors - amounts falling due after one year’.
If you’re filing for the first time, you can register online. You’ll need your email address and will be asked to create a password.
Once registered, we’ll post an authentication code to your registered office. If your company already has a code, a reminder will be sent. Allow up to 5 days for delivery of your code. For security reasons your code can’t be provided by email or over the phone.
Before you start to file your full accounts online, you'll need:
- your accounts approved by your company directors
- the email address and password you used to sign up for CHS
- your authentication code
- your company number
This is an initial release and as we continue to develop the service, further functionality and other features will be offered over the next few months.
I’m off now to practice my signature challenge, hopefully one day I’ll be a star baker. You could be a star filer by using the new service on CHS.
7 comments
Comment by HasFest posted on
What sort of company doesn't need to include a directors' report or profit and loss account??
Comment by Jonathan Moyle - Digital content manager posted on
Every company must prepare annual accounts and send these accounts to certain people involved in the company, like members or holders of debentures. Generally, these accounts must include a directors' report and profit and loss. You should seek professional advice about preparing your company's accounts.
However, companies that qualify as small or micro-entities may send an abridged copy of their accounts to Companies House. These companies can benefit from certain exemptions, such as exemption from audit and the need to file a directors' report or profit and loss at Companies House.
Any companies that do not meet the criteria for micro-entities, small or medium companies must file full accounts at Companies House.
You can find more information in our company accounts guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-of-a-company-annual-requirements
Comment by David Bird posted on
Is it still the case that CICs cannot file online?
Comment by Jonathan Moyle posted on
Hi David,
You can now use the online service to file your annual CIC report and full accounts with Companies House.
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/accounts/cic/before-you-start
Comment by Martin Levin posted on
My past experience with Companies House has been that:
1. They claim that they never received our post (others had the same experience).
2. They rejected papers that had been signed in black biro, claiming that these were photocopies.
3. If they reject items as “no signature”, how can they have the temerity to send out post that bears no signature?
4. If, as can happen recently, a keying in entry in the wrong boxes - Assets being recorded instead of Liabilities- a monstrous paperchase ensues, as there was no way to re-file online. Why not?
Comment by Rebecca posted on
Can you file LLP accounts online now?
Comment by Jonathan Moyle posted on
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for your interest in our article.
Currently, LLPs are not able to use our web services to file accounts online. But we have enabled LLP software submissions to allow users to submit iXBRL accounts.
As an organisation we're always seeking to expand our web services. But we currently have no information about any plans to extend this service.