What is the annual return?

Posted on by Ceri John

All companies in the UK must submit an annual return form to Companies House each year. An Annual Return provides a snapshot of general information about your company, including details of key personnel, the registered office, share capital and shareholdings.

At the moment all incorporated companies should receive a reminder letter from Companies House approximately one month prior to the due date for the annual return. Nevertheless Companies House holds no responsibility for the failure to receive this reminder and any subsequent failure to file the annual return.

From 1st October 2009, and the full adoption of the Companies Act 2006 there is now a new filing form, Form AR01 for the annual return. This replaces the old Form 363a.

All limited companies submit Form AR01 once per year (the filing date is typically the anniversary of the company’s date of incorporation).

You are legally obliged to file an annual return as a limited company director, and will face penalties if you fail to do so, or file your return beyond 28 days of the company’s ‘made up date’. In fact, it is a criminal offence to fail to deliver your annual return on time.

How to file your Annual Return

Each year, Companies House will write to your registered address informing you of the need to submit your annual return. You can ask for a paper return, or you can file online.

Understandably Companies House is keen to promote online filing in general, which is more efficient and secure.

BIRR Legal Services can offer to file your annual return for £20 + VAT online for you if you complete the annual return yourself.

Alternatively if you wish for BIRR Legal Services to take care of remembering, completing and filing your annual return we offer a full service for as little as £60 + VAT.

BIRR Legal Services also offers a reminder service for your annual return. For £15 per year the business monitor service will not only remind you when your annual return is due but also your annual accounts and any other filing requirements. The monitor system will also guard your company from any fraudulent or error filing against your company. Check out the Business Fraud Monitor page in the Business Services section of our website – www.birr.co.uk.

The online filing option is only available to those who have subscribed to the use the ‘WebFiling’ with Companies House so if you wish to submit an annual return yourself you will have to complete the paper document and post it to Companies House along with a £30 filing fee.

What is included on an Annual Return form?

The following information is captured on an Annual Return form:

  • Company Name, as registered with Companies House

  • Company registration number

  • Company type (private, public, etc.)

  • Whether the company was a traded company at any time during the period covered by the annual return. A company is traded if its shares are listed by the UKLA.

  • Company registered address

  • Address where any company records are kept if not at registered office

  • Principal business activities

  • Company Secretary details (if you have one)

  • Company director details, including name, service address, date of birth, nationality and business occupation

  • The ‘made-up date’ (the date to which the return is made up)

  • Details on the issued share capital, such as the total number and aggregate nominal value of shares in issue.
  • Shareholder details, this includes the name of every member, their holding of shares at the return date and details of any transfer by or to each person who was a member at any time during the period since the date of the previous annual return or date of incorporation in the case of a company’s first annual return.

Categories: Annual Return

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