How to Appeal a Late Filing Penalty from Companies House

If your company has been charged a late filing penalty (up to £1,500 for accounts more than 6 months late), you can appeal in writing to Companies House. However, the bar is higher than most directors expect. Appeals are only upheld where there is a 'reasonable excuse' — circumstances genuinely beyond your control that made it impossible, not merely difficult, to file on time.

What counts as a reasonable excuse: (1) A serious illness or medical emergency that directly prevented filing — hospitalisation, major surgery, or the death of an immediate family member around the filing deadline. Medical evidence or a death certificate is required. (2) A documented failure of Companies House's own filing portal on the due date — if the system was down and your submission failed. (3) A natural disaster or other truly exceptional event. These are the grounds Companies House accepts. They are genuinely narrow.

What does NOT count as a reasonable excuse — and these are the most common appeals lodged and the most reliably refused: (1) Not knowing about the obligation — ignorance of the law is not a defence. (2) Relying on an accountant or agent who failed to file — you remain responsible as director. (3) Being abroad or in another time zone. (4) The accounts not being ready. (5) Financial difficulties. (6) Language barriers. If any of these is your primary reason, an appeal is very unlikely to succeed.

How to appeal: write to Companies House within 28 days of the penalty notice date. Address it to the late filing penalties team (address on your penalty notice, or Crown Way, Cardiff CF14 3UZ). Include: your company name and number, the penalty amount and date, the specific reasonable excuse and supporting evidence. Be factual and specific — 'I was hospitalised from 14 to 28 March with documented emergency surgery, which prevented me from dealing with any business matters during the filing window' is much stronger than a general plea.

Even where a full appeal fails, a well-written mitigating letter may result in a partial reduction. But in practice, the best outcome after most late filings is simply to pay the penalty, file everything outstanding, and enrol in a compliance service that tracks deadlines going forward. Fileminder drafts penalty appeal letters as part of the rescue service where grounds exist — we know which arguments carry weight and how to frame them for the best outcome.