Accounting Reference Date

Has the trick of shortening the ARD by one day disappeared?

Didn't find your answer?

I've seen on here several times that if you shorten the ARD by one day you can gain an extra 3 months extension to the filing deadline (as long as the original filing deadline has not passed). Is that still the case? I tried it with a new client and the filing deadline on the CH website has also been shortened by 1 day.

Many thanks.

Replies (11)

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RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Apr 2017 10:37

Have you made your move too early ?

It's three months from the date you file the form to shorten the deadline, not an extra three months.

You don't say when the original ARD was so we can't tell.

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Universe
By SteveOH
30th Apr 2017 11:37

Point taken lion.
It's a new client and I have not yet received all the necessary info. The filing details are:

Accounts to 31.07.16
Original filing deadline 30.04.17
Filed yesterday 29.04.17 online form to shorten ARD to 30.07.16
New filing deadline is 29.07.17 (and not 29.10.17)

I've obviously cocked up somehow but can't quite see how.

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Replying to SteveOH:
Euan's picture
By Euan MacLennan
30th Apr 2017 11:45

Quite so - the new filing deadline is 3 months after submitting the form to shorten the accounting period. Why would you expect it to be 6 months?

The trick even works with first accounting periods of new companies. The basic filing deadline is 21 months after incorporation, but if you shorten the period just before the 21 months, you postpone the filing deadline to 3 months after submitting the change of ARD - so you can get almost 24 months to file the first accounts.

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Replying to Euan MacLennan:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Apr 2017 11:46

I'd imagine Steve is feeling a little foolish at this point.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
Universe
By SteveOH
30th Apr 2017 12:26

You're quite right, lion. I'm feeling an absolute a**e at the moment. I got my months completely [***] about face. Just ignore the ramblings of an ageing accountant.

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Replying to SteveOH:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Apr 2017 17:39

Ach - we've all done it.

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Replying to SteveOH:
avatar
By ted.henderson
30th Apr 2017 18:22

Try shortening it again near the new deadline. You should get an extra 3 months.

I am wondering whether one could do this innumerable times to push the filing date far far into the future.

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Replying to ted.henderson:
By Ruddles
30th Apr 2017 18:58

ted.henderson wrote:
I am wondering whether one could do this innumerable times to push the filing date far far into the future.

The answer is no, you can't.

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Replying to ted.henderson:
Logo
By marks
01st May 2017 22:38

ted.henderson wrote:

I am wondering whether one could do this innumerable times to push the filing date far far into the future.

As others have said you cant. You can only change the ARD of the current period or the previous period.

The current period is 30 July 2017 and the previous period is 30 July 2016 so will only be able to extend up to 30 July 2017 as on 31 July, 30 July 2018 becomes the current period and 30 July 2017 the previous period so you cant do anything to change the filing date of 30 July 2016.

But you can for any period effectively extend the filing period twice and get an extra 6 months to file. We do this often for clients and charge them for the service of "applying to get a filing extension" to avoid the £150 late filing penalty and charge £60 + VAT for this service.

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Replying to marks:
By Ruddles
01st May 2017 23:23

Try this one.

On 30 Apr 17 shorten 31 Jul 16 to 30 Jul 16. New filing date 30 Jul 17. On 30 Jul 17 extend 30 Jul 16 to 31 Jan 17. On 31 Oct 17 shorten 31 Jan 17 to 31 Jul 16. New filing deadline 31 Jan 18. 9 months extension?

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RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Apr 2017 17:39

Doubled

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