SimpleReturns

Companies House rejected your accounts: what to do next

Reviewed by Lee Jones, Founder · Updated 17 July 2026
The short answer

A rejection is common and fixable, and it is not a fine or a black mark. It usually means one required detail was missing, most often a signature, a printed name, a required statement, or accounts made up to the wrong date. But a rejection does not move your deadline, so fix and refile promptly.

Official source. This guide is a plain-English summary of official GOV.UK guidance, not advice. The authoritative source is Life of a company: accounts on gov.uk. Always rely on that over our summary.

Why do Companies House reject accounts?

Companies House checks every set of accounts against a list of legal requirements, and it will reject accounts that do not meet them. The requirements that most often catch small companies out are simple, human things, not clever accounting:

  • No director's signature on the balance sheet. A director must sign it on behalf of the board.
  • The signing director's name is not printed on it. The signature alone is not enough; the name has to be there in print too.
  • A required statement is missing. Micro-entity accounts must say they were prepared under the micro-entity provisions. Small-company accounts and audit-exemption claims each need their own set wording as well. Miss the statement and the accounts bounce.
  • The accounts are made up to the wrong date. Your accounts must run to your company's official year-end date, or a date up to 7 days either side of it. A different date does not match the record Companies House holds.
  • An audit report without the auditor's name. Only relevant if your company is audited, but it is on the same checklist.

None of these mean your numbers are wrong. Companies House is not judging your figures; it is checking the paperwork around them.

Does a rejection move my deadline?

No, and this is the part that catches people. Your private company's accounts are due 9 months after its year end (first accounts get longer: 21 months from the day the company was formed). Companies House records the date it receives acceptable accounts, meaning accounts that meet the legal requirements. A rejected filing does not count as delivered at all.

So if your accounts were rejected and your fixed version arrives after the due date, the company gets an automatic late filing penalty, even though you sent something in time. Companies House says this in plain terms: accounts returned for a missing signature that come back corrected after the deadline still get a penalty.

The penalties for a private company rise the longer it takes:

  • Up to 1 month late: £150
  • 1 to 3 months late: £375
  • 3 to 6 months late: £750
  • More than 6 months late: £1,500

And if your accounts are late 2 years in a row, the penalty is doubled. You can appeal a penalty, but appeals only succeed in genuinely exceptional situations; being let down by an accountant or not knowing the rules does not count. Our guide on Companies House late accounts penalties covers the detail.

How do I fix and refile?

  1. Read the rejection message properly. Companies House tells you what failed. Match it against the list above before you change anything.
  2. Fix that one thing. Add the missing signature and printed name, add the missing statement, or redo the accounts to the correct year-end date. Resist the urge to change anything else while you are in there.
  3. Refile straight away. Speed matters because only the arrival of acceptable accounts stops the penalty clock. If you file online you will need your company's code from Companies House; if you cannot find it, our guide on the Companies House authentication code shows you how to get a replacement.
  4. Check it was accepted, not just sent. Look for the confirmation from Companies House and check your company's public record shows the new accounts. Delivered means accepted, not posted.

If your deadline has already passed while you were fixing things, do not freeze: file the acceptable version now, because the penalty grows with every band you slip into. Our guide your company accounts are overdue: what now walks you through that situation step by step.

Common questions

Is a rejection a fine?

No. The rejection itself costs nothing. The only money at stake is the late filing penalty, and that only applies if acceptable accounts arrive after the due date.

I filed weeks early and got rejected. Am I safe?

This is exactly why filing early is smart. If your fixed accounts get back in before the deadline, there is no penalty at all. The date that counts is the day acceptable accounts arrive.

Will Companies House give me extra time because my first try was rejected?

No allowance is made for a rejected first attempt. If the corrected accounts arrive late, the automatic penalty applies. Appeals exist, but the registrar's discretion is very limited and only exceptional circumstances succeed.

Do I also need to fix anything with HMRC?

Your company sends accounts to Companies House and, separately, accounts with its tax return to HMRC. A Companies House rejection is between you and Companies House; sort the refiling there first, then make sure the accounts in both places end up telling the same story.

Want the next filing to go through first time?

The usual rejection causes are exactly the things software should never let you miss. With SimpleReturns your accounts are generated in the digital format Companies House requires, with the required statements built in, from your bank statement and a few plain-English questions. You check the figures, then we file both the accounts and the tax return. It is free to start, no card needed, and filing costs £99 flat for both.

Start your return

And if you are mid-rejection right now, fix and refile the current one first; the £99 covers your next filing, not a rescue of a filing made elsewhere.

General guidance, not advice. This guide explains how the rules generally work for small UK limited companies. It isn't tax advice for your specific situation, if you're unsure, check with us or an accountant.