Risk of investigation in case of a UK company strike off for not filing accounts

[5K1PP3R]

Can anybody comment what happens if a UK LTD doesn't file accounts for 2-3 years and is gets struck off?
Asking for a friend They tried to file late accounts but it was rejected in spite of a promise to extend the waiting period.
So now they are considering to apply to restore the LTD or forget about it and make a new one.

 

[Sols]

The company is automatically prosecuted and wins by default, at which point a debt is incurred which grows and grows until the statute of limitation is reached. It usually goes nowhere unless the debt is significant and worth pursuing.

The directors may face troubles with any new companies they get involved with, either with the HMRC or with anyone doing basic background checks on the new company. It's a permanent public record available for anyone to see.

 

[5K1PP3R]

thanks. How does HMRC know the amount of debt? If the accounts were never filed?

 

[Sols]

They don't, so they start you off with a standard fine and it grows from there. As I said, nothing happens in most cases.

 

[jezza101]

Speaking from decades of experience, nothing *ever* happens. Just forget it. Don't restore the company, that's very expensive and pointless.

 

[InnocuousNomad]

Have started up a few UK companies in the past which resulted in totally failed projects. They get struck off automatically after the first year if no accounts or confirmation statements are filed so not sure how your "friend" has gone 2-3 years LOL. Have never known of any fines or legal consequences, and as previous poster said it's really not worth the hassle, time and cost of restoring the company if you ever decide to go back to it.

 

[bountymounty]

Have had many UK Ltd 's in the past, never did anything with them while I left them to never look back.

Nothing has ever arrived on my house.

 

[5K1PP3R]

this is mind blowing tbh...

 

[wellington]

Interesting you are all referring to previously.

Records are kept public now (even 20yr old deceased companies are public record now).

Further databases are linked and beneficial information tags across linked databases, and this in return is linked to all that lovely CRS.

Further the Government has invested great deals of funds this year into clearing up companies house, and going after companies.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

I don’t even remember all the UK companies I abandoned, I would need to search for myself in the Companies House Nothing ever happened and I still own a few companies that I use and are in good standing.