Company Formation Specialists

What are Accounting Reference Dates?

The accounting reference dates (ARD) is the financial year-end, it is also the date which states when the accounts are due for delivery to Companies House. Every company has an ARD and Companies House must be told in advance if the date is to be changed. It can be costly if you forget to tell Companies House and prepare accounts to the wrong date. If you do, the accounts will be refused registration and you will have to prepare fresh accounts to the ARD held on record at Companies House.

Preparing and filing accounts

There are deadlines by which accounts must be prepared and delivered to Companies House. If you miss the deadline an automatic penalty will be levied, without exception. So it is important that you, your accountants and your auditors are aware of the filing deadline.

Content of accounts

Companies House cannot tell you how to prepare company accounts - your accountant has specialist knowledge of this. But it will tell you what documents make up a set of accounts, what exemptions you may be able to take advantage of, and whether you will need to appoint an auditor.

What is a financial year?

Every company must prepare company accounts on an annual basis which reports on the performance and activities of the company during the year. The period reported on in the accounts is called the financial year. This starts on the day after the previous financial year ended or, in the case of a new company, on the day of incorporation.
A more precise term for a financial year is an accounting reference period, the accounting reference period ends on the accounting reference date (ARD).

How is the ARD fixed?

For a new company, the ARD is set using its date of incorporation. You can change the first accounting reference period and subsequent accounting reference periods by changing the ARD. Top Of Page

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