Companies House Extends Processing Times for Account Filings
On 11 June 2026, Companies House announced that it is experiencing delays in processing account filings and has suspended same-day filing capability until further notice. This operational issue affects all UK companies filing accounts and related documents through the Companies House portal.
The suspension means that companies and accountants can no longer rely on receiving confirmation of filing within the same business day. Processing times will be longer, though Companies House has not yet specified how much longer.
Action for Ltd Company Directors and Finance Teams:
- File accounts with considerably more lead time than previously planned
- Build extra buffer into your filing calendar, especially if approaching statutory filing deadlines
- Monitor Companies House announcements for updates on when same-day processing resumes
- Contact your accountant or filing agent to discuss revised timelines
This is particularly relevant as Companies House prepares major changes to accounts filing from April 2028. From April 2028, small companies and micro-entities will be required to file their profit and loss account with Companies House (though this data won't be forced to be public). All account filings must be made via commercial software, with the existing web and paper-based filing routes being closed.
In the meantime, companies should prepare for extended processing times and plan accordingly to avoid late filing penalties.
Read more: ICAEW News