Form 363s Annual Returns

Companies House require that all companies must deliver to them each year an annual return.

So what is an annual return? 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 are responsible for ensuring it is delivered on time and that it gives an accurate picture of the company.

An annual return must contain:

• the name of company
• the registered number of the company
• the type of company, ie a private company or a public company
• the registered office address of the company
• the principal business activities of the company
• the name, address, date of birth, nationality and business occupation of the company directors
• the name and address of the company secretary
• the date to which the annual return is made-up
• the nominal value of total issued share capital (if applicable)
• the names and address of shareholders and the number and type of shares they hold.

Annual returns are completed using the Companies House form 363. There are a couple of ways to do this.

1. 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.
2. Alternatively, companies can 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 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.

Getting your annual return accurate and in on time is the responsibility of the company directors and company secretary. 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.

Once completed and filed away, these annual returns are available to purchase from checkSURE for just £4.95.

* 363s – Companies House Annual return
PDF example of 363s Annual return