Companies House question

[NeverMindOhWell]

I changed me accounting reference date last year which extended my company's financial year from Feb 21 to May 21. I have received a letter from CH saying I have been penalised for not submitting in time (by Feb 21) but aren't the accounts now due on May 21 as I changed the year end?

I have emailed my accountant but he is away at the moment and I want to make sure I allow plenty of time if I need to appeal, especially with Bank Hols etc.

Is this your first set of accounts and is it for a longer period than 12 months? If so, then your accounts put be submitted within 21 months from the date of incorporation.
Subsequently, accounts must be submitted within 9 months of the end of the accounting period, so if this is NOT your first set of accounts and your accounting period end was May 2012, then accounts should have been submitted by the end of Feb 2013
Does this help?

Thanks yes it does. i thought that they had to be submitted 12 months later, sorry. Not sure why my accountant didn't do this!

The fines get bigger quite quickly so I'd get them done asap!

I just checked with my accountant and he is adamant that although any tax due must be paid 9 months after year end, the return itself and filing with CH must be completed 12 months after year end. Is that correct? Surely he can't be wrong, he's my accountant!

Here are the deadlines after year end:

File accounts with Companies House: 9 months*
Pay corporation tax: 9 months and 1 day
File tax return with HMRC : 12 months

• Your first accounts must be filed with Companies House 21 months from the date of incorporation, which is usually earlier than 9 months from the end of your first accounting period.

Why have a year ending on the 21st of a month?