On 9 June 2026, Companies House confirmed how it will implement the accounts filing reforms set out in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act 2023. If you registered an email address with Companies House, you’ll likely have received its update directly. But with the original 2027 start date now pushed back, and a significant concession on what gets published, it’s worth setting out clearly what’s actually changing and when.
The reforms will now take effect from 1 April 2028, a year later than originally planned, giving companies a full accounting year plus nine months to prepare.
Why this is happening
These reforms have been on the agenda for some time. The aim is to improve the accuracy and reliability of the data held on the public register, support better-informed business decisions, bring UK practice closer in line with other countries, and make it harder to use the register to facilitate economic crime.
The original timetable for these changes was paused last year following concerns from business groups, accountants, and company directors particularly around the prospect of small and micro businesses being required to publish detailed profit and loss data. Companies House has spent the intervening period engaging with stakeholders, and the result is a revised package that proceeds with the core reforms but softens some of the detail.
What’s changing
1. Profit and loss filing becomes mandatory for small companies and micro-entities
Small companies and micro-entities will be required to file a full profit and loss account with Companies House, bringing them into line with larger companies. Historically, many smaller businesses have been able to file abbreviated accounts that don’t disclose trading performance – that exemption is going.
The concession: small and micro-entities will be able to opt out of having their profit and loss account published on the public register. The accounts will still need to be filed and will remain accessible to Companies House, HMRC, and law enforcement to support efforts against fraud and tax evasion. They just won’t be visible to competitors, suppliers, or the public. Companies House has said further detail on how to opt out will be confirmed in due course.
2. All accounts must be filed using commercial software
From 1 April 2028, every UK-registered company will need to file its annual accounts using commercial software, in Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (iXBRL) format. This applies whether a company files its own accounts or uses an accountant or agent.
Companies House’s existing web and paper filing routes for accounts will close on that date. These routes will remain open for other statutory filings, such as confirmation statements and changes to director details – it’s accounts filing specifically that’s moving to software only.
3. Abridged accounts are being phased out
The option for smaller companies to file abridged accounts, a reduced-disclosure version of the balance sheet, is being removed increasing the level of financial detail that ends up on the public record.
4. Tighter rules on audit exemption and filing
- Audit exemption statements: companies claiming an audit exemption will need to make a strengthened, more explicit eligibility statement, intended to help Companies House identify businesses incorrectly claiming the exemption.
- Single filing package: the different component parts of a company’s annual accounts and reports will need to be submitted together as one filing, rather than piecemeal.
- Shortening the accounting reference period: there will be a limit on how many times a company can shorten its accounting reference period, a mechanism sometimes used to extend a filing deadline.
What you need to do
If your accounts are already filed through software, or via an accountant or agent who files on your behalf, you may not need to take any action yourself, but it’s worth confirming this with your accountant rather than assuming it. If you currently file directly with Companies House by paper or through its web filing service, you’ll need a plan in place well before April 2028. In outline, that means:
- Establishing what type of accounts your company should be filing under the new rules – an accountant can confirm this for you.
- Making sure you have your company authentication code to hand.
- Applying for a presenter account with Companies House if you intend to file through software directly.
- Choosing and setting up a commercial software package compatible with iXBRL filing.
- Deciding, if you’re a small company or micro-entity, whether you’ll opt out of publishing your profit and loss account once the mechanism for doing so is confirmed.
Twenty-one months sounds like a long runway, but accounts filing changes have a habit of becoming urgent faster than expected, particularly for companies that have relied on simplified, paper-based, or web filing routes for years. The earlier the right software and process are in place, the smoother the transition.
Need a hand getting ready for 2028?
At Cloudit Bookkeeping, we already file accounts digitally for our clients, so the move to software-only filing won’t mean a last-minute scramble. If you’d like a clear, no-obligation review of how these reforms affect your company, including whether the profit and loss opt-out is right for you, get in touch with our team today. We’ll help you get ahead of the April 2028 deadline, not just react to it.
