Late submission of accounts to the Companies House

Late submission of accounts to the Companies House

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One of my client was subject to HMRC investigation in March 2011 and thus all significant accounting records were picked up from their office. In the absence of material documents I am unable to carry out the audit and despite correspondences to HMRC offices by myself and the company no records have been returned todate.

Do the company have a case for late submission of accounts as matter of extenuating circumstances citing that HMRC holding material facts and figures for us to conduct the audit???

Also, what penalties will be incurred? if any. 

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Euan's picture
By Euan MacLennan
17th May 2012 09:56

Audit?

If this is a sufficiently large company to require an audit, I would have thought that it would keep its accounting records on a computer system and thus, have a copy of whatever may have been handed over to HMRC.  Surely, the company would have enough to be able to prepare accounts and for you to undertake your audit procedures.

So, I doubt that Companies House would accept that the fact that HMRC has retained (some of) the company's records as an extenuating circumstance.  However, if you apply to Companies House before the filing deadline, they may well grant an extension of the deadline, but it is probably too late if the deadline has passed.

The penalties are published in the Companies House guidance GP5.

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By alattax
17th May 2012 11:35

Are you unable to prepare accounts, or is it just that you are unable to audit because original documents are not there.

Are the original documents available for part of the period?

Have the revenue really taken records for a period which you say hasn't yet been prepared?

I haven't done an audit for some time but if the accounts can be submitted can't you just qualify the audit report to reflect that records are not available and not necessarily referring to the investigation

 

 

 

 

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