What late accounts cost across a client portfolio
One missed month on private-company accounts is £150. Across 40 clients, or a second successive late year (doubled), the spreadsheet doesn’t show the pounds until the letter.
Companies House imposes an automatic late filing penalty when accounts arrive late. The amount depends on how late they are. If accounts are late in two successive financial years, the penalty doubles.
This page is for UK bookkeepers and sole practitioners who keep ~30–120 companies in a sheet or reminder inbox. It is not legal advice. Always check the latest rules on GOV.UK late filing penalties.
Free Companies House email reminders still help. Register for email reminders. Other tools (FastUK, CHWatch, CoHoWatch) also track deadlines — see /compare. Dueboard’s angle is portfolio £ exposure when you import company numbers — see /tracker.
Official bands (private companies and LLPs)
From GOV.UK — length of period from the date the accounts were due:
| How late | Penalty (private / LLP) | If doubled (late two successive years) |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than 1 month | £150 | £300 |
| More than 1 month but not more than 3 months | £375 | £750 |
| More than 3 months but not more than 6 months | £750 | £1,500 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 | £3,000 |
Public companies: £750 / £1,500 / £3,000 / £7,500 (also doubled). Most bookkeeping clients are private/LLP. Source: GOV.UK late filing penalties, guidance updated 16 January 2026.
Illustrative portfolio calculator
Enter how many private companies / LLPs fall in each lateness band. Toggle doubling if every company in the counts is in a second successive late year.
Estimated exposure
£0
Illustrative automatic accounts late-filing exposure — not a Companies House assessment. Confirm due dates and file dates on GOV.UK / your filings. Not legal advice.
Confirmation statements are separate
The automatic £150–£1,500 ladder applies to accounts, not CS01. Overdue CS01 is serious but not the automatic accounts ladder. Do not invent automatic CS01 fines on this scale.
Worked examples (illustrative, not legal advice)
- A — due 30 June, filed 15 July, ≤1 month: £150.
- B — second successive late year, same band: £300.
- C — 40 clients each ≤1 month (teaching worst case): £6,000; if all second successive: £12,000.
- D — 5×£150 + 2×£375 + 1×£1,500 = £3,000; doubled £6,000.
Import your company numbers. See every accounts and confirmation-statement deadline — and the Companies House late-accounts penalty in pounds — before you get the letter. Also see /tracker and /compare.
Import your company numbers