The government has announced an important change to the Companies House accounts reforms planned for April 2028. The requirement for small companies and micro-entities to file profit and loss accounts with Companies House has been paused, while the move to mandatory software filing remains on track.
What has changed?
Following recommendations from the Small Business Regulatory Taskforce, the government has paused the planned requirement for small companies and micro-entities to file profit and loss (P&L) accounts with Companies House from April 2028.
Companies will continue to be able to file abridged accounts. Smaller companies will also retain the option to file accounts with Companies House without including P&L information after 1 April 2028.
The government will use the pause to explore options for streamlining Companies House and HMRC filing processes as part of its ‘Tell Government Once’ ambition, which aims to reduce the need for businesses to provide the same information to different parts of government.
Software-only filing is still going ahead
While the P&L requirement has been paused, businesses and their advisers should be aware that the wider move to mandatory software filing from April 2028 is still going ahead as planned.
From April 2028, all UK-registered companies will be required to file their accounts in Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (iXBRL) format using commercial software. This applies whether a company files its own accounts or uses an accountant or other third-party agent.
Companies House has also confirmed that its web and paper-based systems will close for accounts filings from that date. Its web filing services will remain available for non-accounts filings, including confirmation statements and updates to director details.
What else is changing in April 2028?
Other planned accounts filing reforms remain on track, including:
- a strengthened eligibility statement for companies claiming an audit exemption;
- a requirement to file component parts of accounts and reports together; and
- a limit on how many times a company can shorten its accounting reference period.
What does this mean for businesses and advisers?
Although the pause to the P&L filing requirement represents a significant change, April 2028 remains an important date for companies, accountants and professional advisers.
Businesses should not interpret the announcement as a postponement of the wider Companies House accounts reforms. In particular, those currently using web or paper-based accounts filing will need to prepare for the transition to mandatory software filing.
Keeping you updated
The government has described the change as a pause to the P&L filing requirement, while it considers how Companies House and HMRC filing processes could be streamlined.
At FCLS, we’ll continue to monitor the Companies House reforms and provide updates as further details emerge, helping businesses, accountants and professional advisers understand what the changes mean in practice.
