annual return

A document filed with Companies House setting out the shareholders, directors and other information in respect to a company such that the management structure and share capital structure holdings are reported. It is required to be filed annually within 28 days of the anniversary of the company's incorporation and must be accompanied by the filing file, which is £30 or £15, depending upon whether the returns are filed by post or electronically. Companies House issues Form 363a for companies to complete, and also send a pre-filled out version prior to the due date (Form 363s).

The annual returns contain:

1. the company name and its number
2. the type of company, whether public or private
3. the registered address
4. the names and addresses of the directors and company secretary, along with their nationalities, occupations and dates of birth
5. where the company registers are kept, in the event that they are not kept at the registered office
6. the trading activities of the company
7. the date up to which the annual returns are made
8. where the company has share capital, the number, types and quantities of shares issued at the date the annual return is made, accompanied by the shareholders who hold them. Each third annual return must specify each and every shareholder, and for other annual returns, only list the changes to the shareholders.

Changes to information held by Companies House may only be notified by using the prescribed Form made available for the particular purpose.

Failure to file Annual Returns is the most common reason for a company to be struck off the Register of Companies.

Usage: The annual returns were not signed by a director and therefore not completed correctly.

Related Words: limited company; public company; Companies House; Registrar of Companies; Register of Companies; directors; company secretary; company accounts; statutory registers; company.