Companies Act 1985

701 Oversea company's accounting reference period and date

(1) An oversea company's accounting reference periods are determined according to its accounting reference date.

(2) The company may give notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies specifying a date in the calendar year as being the date on which in each successive calendar year an accounting reference period of the company is to be treated as coming to an end ; and the date specified in the notice is then the company's accounting reference date.

(3) No such notice has effect unless it is given before the end of 6 months beginning with the date on which a place of business in Great Britain is or was established by the company ; and, failing such a notice, the company's accounting reference date is 31st March.

(4) The company's first accounting reference period is such period ending with its accounting reference date as—

(a) begins or began on a date determined by the company, but not later than that on which a place of business is or was established in Great Britain, and

(b) is a period exceeding 6 months and not exceeding 18 months.

(5) Each successive period of 12 months beginning after the end of the first accounting reference period and ending with the company's accounting reference date is also an accounting reference period of the company.

(6) Subsections (2) to (5) are subject to section 225 of this Act, under which in certain circumstances a company's accounting reference period may be altered, and which applies to oversea companies as well as to companies subject to Part VII, but omitting subsections (6) and (7).