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Dormant company exemption meaning

What does Dormant company exemption mean?
An audit exemption allowing a company with no significant accounting transactions (a “dormant” company) to avoid having its individual accounts audited for a financial year. Provided by statute (UK: Companies Act 2006; Ireland: Companies Act 2014), it reduces audit cost where the company has not traded. The company’s annual accounts must be audited unless a statutory audit exemption applies because: - it has been dormant since incorporation; or - it has been dormant since the end of the previous financial year and, in the current year, it is not required to prepare group accounts (under IAS/IFRS or the Companies Acts) and either: - is entitled to prepare its individual accounts under the small companies regime; or - would be so entitled but for being a public company or a member of an ineligible group. Usage and scope are broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a similar statutory exemption in Ireland. The exemption affects only the audit requirement; the company must still prepare and file annual accounts and make other statutory filings. If the company undertakes significant accounting transactions or becomes required to prepare group accounts, the exemption is lost for that year.
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View the related Practice Notes about Dormant company exemption

PRACTICE NOTES
Dormant companies under the Companies Act 2006: definition, annual obligations, accounts preparation, filing and audit exemptions, parent undertaking guarantees, and ending dormancy

A dormant company is formed and run much like any other company. Nevertheless, the standard duties on accounts and audit that ordinarily apply to a company are relaxed for a dormant company as such. What is a dormant company? A company is dormant throughout any period in which it has had no significant accounting transaction of any kind...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Companies House filing for LLPs: UK deadlines, accounts to file and auditor’s report requirements by size (small, micro, medium and large)

Members of an LLP are required to file its accounts and reports with Companies House for every financial year, unless the LLP qualifies for the dormant subsidiaries exemption in section 448A of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). The availability of this dormant subsidiaries exemption for LLPs is the same as for companies and is set out in Practice Note: Dormant companies—accounts and audit—Dormant company exemption from the requirement to file accounts. According to the LLP’s status in the financial year concerned, the form and contents of the accounts and reports submitted will vary. For an overview of the statutory regime for LLP annual accounts and reports, see Practice Note: LLP Accounts and reports—an outline of the statutory framework. Period for filing accounts LLPs must submit their accounts and reports to Companies House within nine months after the end of the relevant accounting reference period. This is subject to the following exceptions: if the relevant accounting reference period is the LLP’s first and exceeds 12...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Companies House accounts filing (UK): deadlines, content by size, directors’ reports, extensions, unlimited company exemptions, and 2027 digital reforms under the Companies Act 2006

Company directors are obliged to submit the company’s accounts and reports for every financial year to Companies House, save for specified exemptions applying to some unlimited companies (see: Unlimited Companies) and also to dormant subsidiaries (see Practice Note: Dormant companies—accounts and audit—Dormant company exemption from the requirement to file accounts). Depending on the company’s status in the financial year, the format and substance of the accounts and reports lodged can differ, with specific requirements determining what is prepared and ultimately submitted. For a high-level summary of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) rules governing annual company accounts and reports, consult Practice Note: Accounts and reports—an outline of the statutory framework. From 1 April 2027, Companies House will bring in major changes to how company accounts are filed. These measures, aligned with the aims of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, aim to enhance financial transparency and modernise and streamline the filing process. Time limits for filing accounts and reports with Companies House ...

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View the related Q&As about Dormant company exemption

Q&As
s 480 CA 2006 audit exemption: dormant company in trading group

Dormant company—exemption from audit A dormant company can be either a public or a private company. It is also set up and operated in the same general manner as any other company. That said, the obligations concerning accounts and audit that generally apply to companies are relaxed for a dormant entity. The annual accounts of a dormant company for a financial year require an audit unless the company benefits from an exemption from audit...

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