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Part 15Accounts and reports

Chapter 10Filing of accounts and reports

Filing obligations of different descriptions of company

444Filing obligations of companies subject to small companies regime

(1)The directors of a company subject to the small companies regime—

(a)must deliver to the registrar for each financial year a copy of a balance sheet drawn up as at the last day of that year, and

(b)may also deliver to the registrar—

(i)a copy of the company’s profit and loss account for that year, and

(ii)a copy of the directors' report for that year.

(2)The directors must also deliver to the registrar a copy of the auditor’s report on those accounts (and on the directors' report).

This does not apply if the company is exempt from audit and the directors have taken advantage of that exemption.

(3)The copies of accounts and reports delivered to the registrar must be copies of the company’s annual accounts and reports, except that where the company prepares Companies Act accounts—

(a)the directors may deliver to the registrar a copy of a balance sheet drawn up in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State, and

(b)there may be omitted from the copy profit and loss account delivered to the registrar such items as may be specified by the regulations.

These are referred to in this Part as “abbreviated accounts”.

(4)If abbreviated accounts are delivered to the registrar the obligation to deliver a copy of the auditor’s report on the accounts is to deliver a copy of the special auditor’s report required by section 449.

(5)Where the directors of a company subject to the small companies regime deliver to the registrar IAS accounts, or Companies Act accounts that are not abbreviated accounts, and in accordance with this section—

(a)do not deliver to the registrar a copy of the company’s profit and loss account, or

(b)do not deliver to the registrar a copy of the directors' report,

the copy of the balance sheet delivered to the registrar must contain in a prominent position a statement that the company’s annual accounts and reports have been delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

(6)The copies of the balance sheet and any directors' report delivered to the registrar under this section must state the name of the person who signed it on behalf of the board.

(7)The copy of the auditor’s report delivered to the registrar under this section must—

(a)state the name of the auditor and (where the auditor is a firm) the name of the person who signed it as senior statutory auditor, or

(b)if the conditions in section 506 (circumstances in which names may be omitted) are met, state that a resolution has been passed and notified to the Secretary of State in accordance with that section.