Part 15

Accounts and reports
Chapter 10

Filing of accounts and reports

Filing obligations of different descriptions of company

Filing obligations of unquoted companies
446
1
The directors of an unquoted company must deliver to the registrar for each financial year of the company a copy of—
a
the company's annual accounts, . . .
aa
the strategic report,
b
the directors' report , ... and
ba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
c
any separate corporate governance statement.
2
The directors must also deliver to the registrar a copy of the auditor's report on those accounts (and the strategic report (where this is covered by the auditor’s report), the directors' report ... and any separate corporate governance statement).
This does not apply if the company is exempt from audit and the directors have taken advantage of that exemption.
3
The copies of the balance sheet , strategic report , directors' report ... and any separate corporate governance statement delivered to the registrar under this section must state the name of the person who signed it on behalf of the board.
4
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.
4A
If more than one person is appointed as auditor, the reference in subsection (4)(a) to the name of the auditor is to be read as a reference to the names of all the auditors.
5
This section does not apply to companies within—
a
section 444 (filing obligations of companies subject to the small companies regime), . . .
aa
section 444A (filing obligations of companies entitled to small companies exemption in relation to directors' report), or
b
section 445 (filing obligations of medium-sized companies).
5
This section does not apply to companies within—
a
section 443A (filing obligations of micro-entities),
b
section 444 (filing obligations of small companies other than micro-entities), or
c
section 445 (filing obligations of medium-sized companies).
S. 446 wholly in force at 6.4.2008; s. 446 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 1300; s. 446 in force at 6.4.2008 by S.I. 2007/3495, art. 3(1)(d) (with savings in arts. 7, 12 and subject to transitional adaptations in Sch. 1 para. 8 (as amended (temp. from 27.6.2009) by Companies Act 2006 (Accounts, Reports and Audit) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1581), reg. 3(4)(5) (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3))) and with savings in Sch. 4 paras. 6-8)
Ss. 441-448 applied (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2005/1788, reg. 29 (as substituted by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 242(4) (with arts. 6, 11, 12))
Word in s. 446(5) omitted (6.4.2008) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment) (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/393), reg. 6(9)
S. 446(5)(aa) inserted (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment) (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/393), reg. 6(9)(a)
Pt. 15 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2008) by The Bank Accounts Directive (Miscellaneous Banks) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/567), reg. 4, Sch. para. 1 (with Sch. para. 11)
Pt. 15 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2008) by The Partnerships (Accounts) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/569), regs. 4, 7, Sch. Pt. 1
Word following s. 446(1)(a) omitted (27.6.2009) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Accounts, Reports and Audit) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1581), reg. 3(2) (with application as stated in reg. 1(3))
S. 446(1)(c) and preceding word inserted (27.6.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Accounts, Reports and Audit) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1581), reg. 3(2) (with application as stated in reg. 1(3))
Words in s. 446(3) substituted (27.6.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Accounts, Reports and Audit) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1581), reg. 3(6) (with application as stated in reg. 1(3))
Words in s. 446(2) inserted (27.6.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Accounts, Reports and Audit) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1581), reg. 3(3) (with application as stated in reg. 1(3))
Pt. 15 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 16 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)
Pts. 1-39 (except for Pt. 7 and ss. 662-669), 45-47 extended (12.5.2011) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1265), art. 5(1), Sch. 1 para. 2
Pts. 1-39 modified (31.12.2020) by Regulation (EC) No. 2157/2001, Art. AAA1(3) (as inserted by The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1298), regs. 1, 97 (with regs. 140-145) (as amended by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 5(a)-(f)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))
S. 446(1)(aa) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1970), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 10(a)
Words in s. 446(2) omitted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by virtue of The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 8(b)
S. 446(4A) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Statutory Auditors Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1164), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. 1 para. 11 (with reg. 2(6)(7))
Word in s. 446(1) inserted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 8(a)(i)
S. 446(5) substituted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), ss. 55(6), 219(1)(2)(b)
Pt. 15 applied (with modifications) (8.12.2017) by The Risk Transformation Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1212), regs. 1(2), 162, 163 (with reg. 189)
Word in s. 446(1)(b) omitted (10.6.2019) by virtue of The Companies (Directors Remuneration Policy and Directors Remuneration Report) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/970), regs. 1, 22(a)(i)
Words in s. 446(3) omitted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by virtue of The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 8(b)
Words in s. 446(3) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1970), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 10(c)
S. 446(1)(ba) and word omitted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by virtue of The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 8(a)(ii)
S. 446 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2008) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1911), reg. 19 (as amended (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Limited Liability Partnerships, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/575), regs. 2(1), 14; (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(5)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Statutory Auditors Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1164), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. 3 para. 7 (with reg. 2(6)(7)); (1.4.2019) by The Companies (Directors Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1155), regs. 2, 18; and (with effect for financial years beginning on or after 6.4.2021) by The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation and Limited Liability Partnerships etc. (Revocations and Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/153), regs. 1, 12)
Words in s. 446(2) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1970), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 10(b)
Ss. 441-469 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 10 (with reg. 7, Sch. 2) (as amended (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Unregistered Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1972), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(a))