Late Filing of Company Accounts due to Coronavirus

The Government have just made the following announcement regarding the late filing of company accounts due to Coronavirus:

“All companies must send their accounts, reports and confirmation statements to Companies House every year. If a company’s accounts are filed late, the law imposes an automatic penalty.

Your company should take appropriate measures to ensure accounts are filed on time. You should also file your accounts online if you’re able to.

If, immediately before the filing deadline, it becomes apparent that accounts will not be filed on time due to your company being affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19), you may make an application to extend the period allowed for filing.”

Companies House have never been particularly sympathetic to such requests but it sounds like an application for an extension for the late filing of company accounts due to Coronavirus will be treated more sympathetically. What evidence they will require we do not know but remember this application has to be made before the accounts are due.