UK companies · checked 29 October 2026

Companies House late filing penalty: amounts and how to appeal

A private company that files its accounts late gets an automatic penalty from £150 to £1,500, doubled if it was also late the year before. You can appeal once, online, but only a few reasons usually work.

Penalty amounts (private companies)

The penalty doubles if the accounts are late two years in a row. Public companies have a different, higher scale.

Reasons that can work

• Unexpected events close to the deadline, such as serious illness or a death, with evidence and dates.
• A Companies House error.

Reasons that usually fail

• The company is dormant.
• You can't afford to pay.
• Your accountant was late. Filing is the director's responsibility.
• These were your first accounts.

How to appeal

1. Use the Companies House online appeal service on GOV.UK. Have the company number and penalty reference ready.
2. Explain what happened, with dates, and upload evidence (up to 4MB per file) showing the person affected.
3. Wait for the decision. If a debt collector contacts you meanwhile, reply that you've appealed.

You can only appeal once against each penalty notice, so make it complete.

Watch for fakes

Scammers phone and email about "penalties" and give bank details to pay. Real Companies House emails end in .gov.uk. How to spot a fake penalty demand.

Check everything my company owes

Next: UK director ID verification. Sources: GOV.UK, "Appeal a late filing penalty" and "Penalties for late filing" (annual accounts). Read 29 October 2026. General information.