Any company’s filed accounts can be viewed and downloaded free from its filing history on the Find and update company information service. What you see depends on the version the company chose to file: many small companies file filleted accounts with a balance sheet and notes but no profit and loss account, and micro entities file only a very brief balance sheet. Companies House does not check the accuracy of what is filed, and the latest accounts may cover a period that ended well over a year ago, so read them as historical evidence, not a current picture.
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Where do you find a company’s accounts?
Search for the company by name or number on the Find and update company information service. The overview page shows the registered office, company status, company type, incorporation date, nature of business and the date the last accounts were made up to. The filing history tab lists every document filed, and can be filtered by category, including accounts, charges, capital, officers and confirmation statements. Each accounts filing can be opened as a PDF.
Two points shape how much weight the documents can bear. Every page of the service carries the warning that Companies House does not check the accuracy of the information filed. And Companies House guidance confirms that all information contained in filed accounts appears on the public record, so what you are reading is exactly what the directors chose to deliver. For what the register shows about the people involved, see what Companies House shows about a director.
How old will the figures be?
Under section 442 of the Companies Act 2006 a private company has nine months after the end of its accounting reference period to file, and a public company six months, with different rules for a first period longer than twelve months. A private company with a 31 March year end can therefore file as late as 31 December, and until the next set arrives the most recent accounts on the register will describe a year that ended up to twenty one months earlier. Always note the balance sheet date before drawing conclusions, and check the overview page for any accounts shown as overdue. The deadlines and penalties are covered in Companies House accounts deadlines and penalties.
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Which type of accounts has the company filed?
For accounting periods starting on or after 6 April 2025 a company is small if it meets at least two of: turnover no more than £15 million, balance sheet total no more than £7.5 million and no more than 50 employees on average. It is a micro entity if it meets two of: turnover no more than £1 million, balance sheet total no more than £500,000 and no more than 10 employees. The size determines which versions are open to it.
| Version | How to recognise it | What is usually missing |
|---|---|---|
| Full accounts | Profit and loss account, balance sheet, notes and reports | Little; small companies may still omit the directors’ report |
| Filleted small company accounts | Balance sheet and notes, with a statement that the profit and loss account has not been delivered | Turnover, costs and profit for the year |
| Abridged accounts | Statement that all members consented to abridgement | Detail below the main balance sheet headings; turnover if a profit and loss account is filed |
| Micro entity accounts | Statement that the accounts are prepared under the micro entity provisions; very few lines | Almost all detail |
| Dormant accounts | Statement that the company was dormant throughout the period | Everything except the balance sheet |
Abridgement is governed by paragraph 1A of Schedule 1 to SI 2008/409. An abridged balance sheet shows only the items preceded by letters and roman numerals in the statutory format, so debtors appear as one figure rather than split between trade and other debtors. An abridged profit and loss account combines turnover, cost of sales, gross profit and other operating income into one line called gross profit or loss, so turnover is not shown. A micro entity’s balance sheet follows the formats in Section C of the same Schedule, which list only the main headings such as fixed assets, current assets, creditors and capital and reserves. Section 396(2A) presumes those minimum items give a true and fair view. More detail is in FRS 105 and micro entity accounts.
How do you recognise filleted accounts, and what has been left out?
Section 444 allows a small company to deliver its balance sheet without its profit and loss account or directors’ report. When it does, section 444(5) requires the balance sheet to contain, in a prominent position, a statement that the accounts have been delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime, and section 444(5A) requires it to disclose that the profit and loss account has not been delivered.
ICAEW’s guidance explains what else drops out. Notes that relate solely to the profit and loss account may be omitted, the only mandatory one under the small companies regime being exceptional items of income or expense. Notes relating to the balance sheet and other notes, in ICAEW’s view including the full accounting policies note, must be filed, and the consensus is that the average number of employees note stays in. If the company was audited but did not file its profit and loss account, it need not file the audit report, but the notes must say whether the report was qualified or unqualified, describe any qualification or emphasis of matter and name the auditor and senior statutory auditor. If it was not audited, the balance sheet will carry the audit exemption statements, citing section 477 for small companies, 480 for dormant companies or 479A for subsidiaries; see audit exemption for small companies.
What can you learn from a balance sheet alone?
More than people expect, especially once two or three years are laid side by side using the techniques in horizontal and vertical analysis.
- Net assets and reserves. The movement in the profit and loss reserve between two balance sheets is profit after tax less dividends, unless a note shows other movements. It gives a floor for profit even when the profit and loss account is withheld.
- Liquidity. Compare current assets with creditors due within one year, and watch whether debtors are growing faster than the business appears to be.
- Funding. Look at bank loans, amounts owed to directors or group companies, and creditors due after more than one year.
- Security. The charges category in the filing history shows charges registered against the company, which tells you whether lenders hold security over its assets.
- Scale. The average employees note is often the only size indicator in filleted accounts.
Illustration only. A filleted balance sheet shows the profit and loss reserve rising from £180,000 to £230,000, with no other reserve movements noted. Profit after tax was therefore at least £50,000, and higher by the amount of any dividends paid. If net current assets have fallen at the same time, the profit has gone into fixed assets, dividends or loan repayments rather than cash, and the notes on fixed assets and creditors will show which.
What warning signs should you look for?
- Accounts filed late or shown as overdue on the overview page.
- Negative net assets, which need explaining but are not on their own proof of insolvency; see negative net assets.
- A note on going concern, or a statement that the audit report was qualified or drew attention to a matter.
- Recently registered charges, or creditors due within one year growing faster than current assets.
- Large balances owed to or by directors.
- Repeated changes of accounting reference date, which make periods hard to compare.
What changes from April 2028?
Companies House announced on 9 June 2026 that accounts reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 will take effect from April 2028. Companies House updated its plans on 23 October 2026: the requirement for small companies and micro entities to file profit and loss accounts has been paused, so filleted accounts will continue to appear on the public register. Abridged accounts will stay, but from April 2028 all accounts will have to be filed through commercial software, and companies claiming audit exemption will have to give a strengthened eligibility statement.
What mistakes do people make reading filed accounts?
- Treating the register as verified information rather than what the directors delivered.
- Assuming a missing profit and loss account means the company is hiding losses; filing filleted accounts is a lawful and common choice.
- Reading old accounts as if they describe the business today.
- Treating micro entity or abridged figures as if they had the detail of full accounts.
- Confusing a parent’s own accounts with group accounts, or a subsidiary’s figures with the group’s strength.
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Related Accountapedia entries
- Small company accounts: what to file at Companies House
- Statements on a small company balance sheet
- LLP accounts: what must be filed
- Choosing between FRS 105 and FRS 102 Section 1A
- Common errors in small company accounts
- Getting alerts when a company files at Companies House
- Reading an auditor’s report section by section
Related cover: Directors and officers insurance. Ask for a quote or call 01795 841 310.
Sources
- Companies House register: Filing history
- GOV.UK: Life of a company part 1 accounts
- legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 442
- legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 444
- ICAEW: Small company filing options
- legislation.gov.uk: SI 2008/409, schedule 1
- legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 396
- GOV.UK: Companies house to bring in changes to accounts filing from april 2028
Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.