The rationale behind the Act was to relieve companies of some of the administrative burden they faced and allow them instead to focus on continuing to operate throughout the pandemic.
As we slowly tip toe back to the "new normal", the filing extension that many UK companies have benefitted from in respect of documents such as accounts and confirmation statements, will come to an end on 5 April 2021.
For confirmation statement, accounts and event-driven filings (such as a change in director, PSC (people with significant control) or membership details) after 5 April 2021, there will no longer be automatic extensions. In addition, any mortgage charges that require to be registered at Companies House, will not benefit from the additional 10 day period they were afforded under the Act in which to file the charge. Normal filing periods will resume as we start to edge back to business as usual and any charges created from 5 April 2021 will need to be filed in the usual way at Companies House within 21 days from the date the charge was created.
It is worth highlighting that it is possible for eligible companies to apply for a three month extension to file their accounts where their filing deadline falls after 5 April 2021. Applications must be made in advance of the filing deadline, so companies shouldn’t leave it too late or they may risk a late filing penalty. There are restrictions on the maximum filing period for accounts so if a company has already had their accounts deadline extended they may not be eligible.
