Annual Returns Documents from checkSURE

Annual Returns

Annual Returns are often confused with annual accounts, but in fact they are quite different. Companies House require that all companies must file with them each year an annual return, approximately six months after the annual accounts have been filed.

What is an Annual Return?

Annual returns are completed using the Companies House form 363. An annual return is a snapshot of general information about the company's directors, its principal business activities, shareholder information and its registered trading address. All companies are expected to file an annual return, and the company's directors and secretary bear the sole responsibility of making sure it gets to Companies House on time.

An annual return must contain details of:

• Company name
• Companies registered number
• Company type
• Registered office address of the company
• Main business activities of the company
• Company directors name, address, date of birth, nationality and business occupation
• Name and address of the company secretary
• Made up date of the annual return
• The nominal value of total issued share capital (if applicable)
• Names and address of shareholders and the number and type of shares they hold.

When do you file an Annual Return?

Companies House will write to every company at its registered office when the annual return is due to be filed. Companies House assign the company a made-up date. This is the date to which all the information in an annual return must be correct. It is usually the anniversary of the incorporation of the company or the made up date of the previous annual return registered at Companies House.

Companies House will send an annual return to the registered office address of all companies about two weeks before they are due. The form is called a 363s and the document is pre-printed with company information already held on public record. The form can be used to tell Companies House of any changes. The form is filled out and sent back to Companies House. It is the responsibility of the directors again to make sure that it is filled out correctly.

Another way to file this document is to use the annual return form 363a. This does not include any pre-printed information and is often completed by companies who use secretarial software packages. All the details given on this form should confirm the information that Companies House already have. If there are changes, then other statutory forms must be completed along with the document. Companies House won't register an annual return if it shows information that is different to the public record.

Companies House require information about share capital from every company that has it. This would include the name and class of each type of share, the total number of shares issued to shareholders and the total nominal value of issued shares.

As with filing of all statutory documents into Companies House, it becomes a criminal offence if the annual return is not delivered within 28 days of the date due and the company's directors can be prosecuted. Companies House encourage companies to use their web filing service for speed, accuracy, and so that the company's shareholder details can be saved for future web filings.

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