Is my company late? Penalty exposure checker
Enter your accounting reference date and, if you know it, the tax due. We show every filing and payment date for that year, whether it has passed, and the penalty band you are in right now.
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QuickBooks PartnerCertified ProAdvisor100+ yearsCombined team experienceFully insuredUp to £2m indemnityCompanies House charges an automatic penalty for late accounts: £150 up to one month, £375 for one to three months, £750 for three to six months and £1,500 beyond, doubled if the previous year was also late. HMRC charges £100 for a late CT600, another £100 at three months, then tax geared penalties of 10% at six months and a further 10% at twelve.
Penalty exposure today
Enter your year end to see where you stand.
Companies House penalties are automatic
There is no discretion at the counter. The penalty is issued as soon as the deadline passes and it is based on how late the accounts are when they are finally accepted, not when you posted them. Rejected accounts do not stop the clock, so a filing that bounces on the last day is treated as late.
Appeals succeed only in genuinely exceptional circumstances, and pressure of work, an accountant who did not file, or not knowing the deadline are all specifically excluded.
The penalty doubles for a repeat year
If your accounts were also filed late for the previous financial year, every band doubles. A company three months late two years running pays £750 rather than £375. Fixing this permanently is worth far more than arguing about a single penalty.
HMRC penalties escalate differently
A late CT600 attracts £100 immediately and another £100 after three months. At six months HMRC estimates the tax due and adds a tax geared penalty of 10%, with a further 10% at twelve months. If the return is late three times in a row the fixed penalties rise to £500 each.
Late payment is separate from late filing. Interest runs from the day after the payment date, which is nine months and one day after the period end, and it is charged even when the return is not yet due.
What to do if you are already late
File first, argue afterwards. Every additional month can move you into a higher band, and the tax geared penalties at six and twelve months are usually much larger than the fixed ones. If the records are incomplete, we can prepare accounts from bank data and rebuild the year quickly.
If a strike off notice has already been published, act immediately, because a dissolved company's assets pass to the Crown and restoring it is expensive.
Common questions
How late can you file company accounts?
There is no cut off, but the penalty rises with each band and Companies House will eventually start strike off proceedings. Late accounts also stay on the public record permanently, which affects credit scoring and supplier checks.
Can I appeal a Companies House late filing penalty?
Only where something genuinely exceptional and outside your control stopped the filing, with evidence. A postal delay, an illness with medical evidence or a fire at the office can succeed. Not knowing the deadline or relying on someone else does not.
What happens if I do not pay corporation tax on time?
HMRC charges late payment interest from the day after the due date, and can move to debt collection or a distraint action. There is no separate late payment penalty for corporation tax, but the interest is not deductible and compounds while you wait.
Will HMRC estimate my tax if I do not file?
Yes. HMRC can issue a determination of the tax it believes is due, which is legally enforceable and can only be displaced by filing the actual return. Determinations are usually higher than the real liability.
Can you help me catch up on several late years?
Yes. Bringing overdue accounts, CT600s and confirmation statements up to date is regular work for us, and we deal with Companies House and HMRC on your behalf. We quote the catch up before starting.