Companies House mandates electronic filing by 2013
Companies House seems likely to stick with XBRL as the format that companies can use to file their accounts electronically
Companies House seems likely to stick with XBRL as the format that companies can use to file their accounts electronically
ELECTRONIC ACCOUNTS will be mandatory from 2013, according to Companies House.
The corporate filing repository also wants annual returns, incorporations and company changes to be filed electronically.
More than 98% of companies on the register, representing standard company types, should be ready to file electronically by March 2013.
Companies House announced in 2009 that it would join HM Revenue & Customs in accepting certain filings in the iXBRL format, and the latest announcement seems to give further weight to its plans to keep along the same track as the taxman.
The move should be a relief to advisers, who had been concerned that CH would mandate electronic filing in a different format to that of HMRC, creating uncertainty and an extra workload.
The change is subject to consultation with government and other stakeholders.
“For accounts we have e-enabled filing using XBRL & iXBRL, and we’ve agreed a consistent approach with HMRC. We are continuing to develop our services, and will be consulting on our plans later in the year,” said a Companies House spokeswoman.
For the small number of remaining company types and transactions CH will continue developing electronic services but a paper option for these will remain at the moment.