C33Part 24A company's annual return

Annotations:
Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4C5C6854C1C2C3Duty to deliver annual returns

1

Every company must deliver to the registrar successive annual returns each of which is made up to a date not later than the date that is from time to time the company's return date.

2

The company's return date is—

a

the anniversary of the company's incorporation, or

b

if the company's last return delivered in accordance with this Part was made up to a different date, the anniversary of that date.

3

Each return must—

a

contain the information required by or under the following provisions of this Part, and

b

be delivered to the registrar within 28 days after the date to which it is made up.

I1C10C11C12855C7C8C9Contents of annual return: general

1

Every annual return must state the date to which it is made up and contain the following information—

a

the address of the company's registered office;

b

the type of company it is and its principal business activities;

c

F1the required particulars (see section 855A) of—

i

the directors of the company, and

ii

in the case of a private company with a secretary or a public company, the secretary or joint secretaries;

F2d

if any company records are (in accordance with regulations under section 1136) kept at a place other than the company's registered office, the address of that place and the records that are kept there;

F12f

whether the company was a traded company at any time during the return period.

2

The information as to the company's type must be given by reference to the classification scheme prescribed for the purposes of this section.

3

The information as to the company's principal business activities may be given by reference to one or more categories of any prescribed system of classifying business activities.

F34

In this Part—

  • “return period”, in relation to an annual return, means the period beginning immediately after the date to which the last return was made up (or, in the case of the first return, with the incorporation of the company) and ending with the date to which the return is made up; and

  • “traded company” means a company any of whose shares are shares admitted to trading on a regulated market (so that “non-traded company” means a company none of whose shares are shares admitted to trading on a regulated market).

C13C14855AF10Required particulars of directors and secretaries

1

For the purposes of section 855(1)(c) the required particulars of a director are—

a

where the director is an individual, the particulars required by section 163 to be entered in the register of directors (subject to subsection (2) below); and

b

where the director is a body corporate or a firm that is a legal person under the law by which it is governed, the particulars required by section 164 to be entered in the register of directors.

2

The former name of a director who is an individual is a required particular in relation to an annual return only if the director was known by the name for business purposes during the return period.

3

For the purposes of section 855(1)(c)(ii) the required particulars of a secretary are—

a

where a secretary is an individual, the particulars required by section 277 to be entered in the register of secretaries (subject to subsection (4) below); and

b

where a secretary is a body corporate or a firm that is a legal person under the law by which it is governed, the particulars required by section 278(1) to be entered in the register of secretaries.

4

The former name of a secretary who is an individual is a required particular in relation to an annual return only if the secretary was known by the name for business purposes during the return period.

5

Where all the partners in a firm are joint secretaries, the required particulars are the particulars that would be required to be entered in the register of secretaries if the firm were a legal person and the firm had been appointed secretary.

I2C15C16C17C18C19856Contents of annual return: information about share capital F4. . .

1

The annual return of a company having a share capital must also containF13 a statement of capital

2

The statement of capital must state with respect to the company's share capital at the date to which the return is made up—

a

the total number of shares of the company,

b

the aggregate nominal value of those shares,

c

for each class of shares—

i

F5the voting rights attached to the shares,

ii

the total number of shares of that class, and

iii

the aggregate nominal value of shares of that class, and

d

the amount paid up and the amount (if any) unpaid on each share (whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium).

3

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4

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5

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6

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F11C20856AContents of annual return: information about shareholders: non-traded companies

1

The annual return of a company that was a non-traded company throughout the return period must also contain the following information.

2

The return must contain the name (as it appears in the company's register of members) of every person who was a member of the company at any time during the return period. The return must conform to the following requirements for the purpose of enabling the entries relating to any given person to be easily found—

a

the entries must be listed in alphabetical order by name; or

b

the return must have annexed to it an index that is sufficient to enable the name of the person in question to be easily found.

3

The return must also state—

a

the number of shares of each class held at the end of the date to which the return is made up by each person who was a member of the company at that time,

b

the number of shares of each class transferred during the return period by or to each person who was a member of the company at any time during that period, and

c

the dates of registration of those transfers.

4

If either of the two immediately preceding returns has given the full particulars required by subsections (2) and (3), the return need only give such particulars as relate—

a

to persons who became, or ceased to be, members during the return period, and

b

to shares transferred during that period.

F11C21856BContents of annual return: information about shareholders: traded companies

1

The annual return of a company that was a traded company at any time during the return period must also contain the following information.

2

The return must contain the name and address (as they appear in the company's register of members) of every person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at any time during the return period. The return must conform to the following requirements for the purpose of enabling the entries relating to any given person to be easily found—

a

the entries must be listed in alphabetical order by name; or

b

the return must have annexed to it an index that is sufficient to enable the name of the person in question to be easily found.

3

The return must also state—

a

the number of shares of each class held at the end of the date to which the return is made up by each person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at that time,

b

the number of shares of each class transferred during the return period by or to each person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at any time during that period, and

c

the dates of registration of those transfers.

4

If either of the two immediately preceding returns has given the full particulars required by subsections (2) and (3), the return need only give such particulars as relate—

a

to persons who came to hold, or ceased to hold, at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company during the return period, and

b

to shares transferred during that period.

I3C22C23C24C25C26857Contents of annual return: power to make further provision by regulations

1

The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision as to the information to be given in a company's annual return.

2

The regulations may—

a

amend or repeal the provisions of sections 855 and 856, and

b

provide for exceptions from the requirements of those sections as they have effect from time to time.

3

Regulations under this section are subject to negative resolution procedure.

C27C28C29C30C31C32858Failure to deliver annual return

1

If a company fails to deliver an annual return before the end of the period of 28 days after a return date, an offence is committed by—

a

the company,

b

subject to subsection (4)—

i

every director of the company, and

ii

in the case of a private company with a secretary or a public company, every secretary of the company, and

c

every other officer of the company who is in default.

F8For this purpose a shadow director is treated as a director.

2

A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale.

3

The contravention continues until such time as an annual return made up to that return date is delivered by the company to the registrar.

4

It is a defence for a director or secretary charged with an offence under subsection (1)(b) to prove that he took all reasonable steps to avoid the commission or continuation of the offence.

5

In the case of continued contravention, an offence is also committed by every officer of the company who did not commit an offence under subsection (1) in relation to the initial contravention but is in default in relation to the continued contravention.

A person guilty of an offence under this subsection is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale for each day on which the contravention continues and he is in default.

859Application of provisions to shadow directors

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