*Urgent pls advise * filing dormant accounts to Companies House

*Urgent pls advise * filing dormant accounts to...

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Hi

I have a limited company which has previously traded but not for the year ending 21 January 2014.  HMRC has accepted a few weeks ago that the company is dormant and the only activity on the business bank account is £5 per month bank charges between Aug 2013 and Jan 2014.

Companies House has advised that I still need to file some sort of dormant accounting statement but that I cannot use form AA02 because the companies has at one time, traded.  

If the financial details prepared for the previous accounting period are as follows, how can I do this myself?  I need to have this filed by Tues 21st which means I need to send the paper forms by special delivery tomorrow (Mon 20th).

The called up share capital remains £100 / 100 shares, the profit and loss account remains £2,735 from the previous year giving a balance sheet total of £2,835.

Thanks.

Dan

Replies (16)

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By mrme89
19th Oct 2014 20:05

Posting a question at 19:29pm on Sunday that you need an answer for the following day, do you not think you have, I don't know, left it last minute?

 

Perhaps if you had engaged an accountant a while ago, you could have avoided the situation you are now in.

 

 

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By pawncob
19th Oct 2014 20:25

Do it online.

You've got the figures, just enter them on the pro forma at C.H.

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By johngroganjga
19th Oct 2014 21:14

Agree with the above, but the figures are plainly wrong as the bank charges have been left on the balance sheet.

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By User deleted
19th Oct 2014 21:44

Change the year end ...

... online, this will give you three months minimum to sort it out!

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By ey143
19th Oct 2014 21:53

Hi

The matter was sorted with HMRC many months ago, as I explained, it was a mistake on my part to not inform Companies House of the same, I didn't realise I had to do twice (we do make mistakes don't we?).

 

Companies House said I cannot use the online form AA02 template - hence why I am confused. The have told me I can ignore the bank charges because it is not material and because the business has not "traded",  this will count as dormant.  They won't accept it online either, it has to be a paper format I need to send in.

 

Would really appreciate the guidance here at the 11th hour, I work in finance but just not an accountant.

 

Thanks.

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By tonyh
19th Oct 2014 22:01

May I suggest

That you take 10 quid or whatever the bank charges are of the retained profit figure and copy last years. You will ofcourse have to reduce the bank balance by same amount.If you have not got a copy you can download for a £1.

Don't worry about whether they balance or not companies house will not bother as long as you get the statement on the bottom of the balance sheet exactly right and use the right size type !!!

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By johngroganjga
19th Oct 2014 22:56

So your profit and loss account should include the bank charges.

Why did you sack your previous accountant without replacing them?

I suggest you close the bank account - removing the money in it as a dividend - then apply to have the company struck off. That will remove the need to file accounts, and expunge any penalty for not having done so.

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By ey143
19th Oct 2014 23:39

Hi

Are you saying if I strike the company off tomorrow, then I still do not need to file the accounts for the previous financial year ending 21 Jan 2014? Why is that?

If the company is struck off, then how would I handle the issue about the 1 computer that was purchased for the company as an asset?

If the co is struck off, can it be opened up in the same name again at a later stage, because we do plan to trade at a later date and would want to use the name.  My preference is just to keep the company going but if I wanted to do so, is there a template form I can use for the P&L account and balance sheet? 

Many thanks for your help.

Dan

PS I never fired my previous accountant, he just told me to use him as and when as he was retired and the business activity during the one year was hardly that busy and I mistakenly thought I had this in order.

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By User deleted
19th Oct 2014 23:56

Like I say ....

... change the year end and buy yourself 3 months to sort this out.

My personal view is that the act of paying creditors provided in the previous year (presumably) would not make a company active!

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By ey143
20th Oct 2014 00:04

I think i have changed the accounting year date once before from a 12 month accounts to an 18 months account, in the first year of trading.  Will they allow me to do it again?

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By ey143
20th Oct 2014 08:45

Hi

 

If I did close it, would any dividend have to paid out in accordance with the shareholding e.g. I own 90% and my wife 10% of the company.  Can the dividend be paid 100% to her?

 

I appreciate all the comments, thank you.

 

 

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By johngroganjga
20th Oct 2014 08:56

Yes you would have to take dividends in accordance with your shareholdings.

By the way, you don't need to apply for the company to be struck off today, just as soon as reasonably possible.  You must at all costs close down the bank account first anyway.

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By dnicholson
20th Oct 2014 10:26

Wonderful
What a wonderful set of helpful answers for a Sunday evening!

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By petersaxton
20th Oct 2014 11:14

Dormant

The company is not dormant for Companies House purposed because of the bank charges. Paying creditors would also mean it wasn't dormant.

Change the ARD by one day earlier - per OGA - would give you time to sort this out.

 

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By ey143
24th Oct 2014 13:08

Thank you all for the helpful answers here.

I managed to ask my previous accountant to take a quick look and he submitted a set of accounts very quickly.

Thx again.

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