Last updated Mar 18, 2024 and written by Tom Richardson

Getting to know your company’s dates

When you start a company, there are many important dates that you need to keep in mind. With such a large amount of information, it can be difficult to keep track. However, using Company Formation MadeSimple makes it very easy.

So, first of all choose a package and register a limited company  – and then see your versatile account dashboard to get started.

Finding Your Company Dates – Step-by-Step

The first thing you need to do is access your account. Simply head to the Company Formation MadeSimple homepage and click the ‘Login’ button on the top right hand side:
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After this, you will arrive on your ‘Dashboard’ this is like the cockpit for all your business and filing needs. Click the ‘My Companies’ button to get to a list of the businesses you have formed – you may have just one, or you may have many, but they are all accessible here:
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After this you will see a list of your companies. Again, you may just have one or two – but you may have many. Click one to get through to your ‘Company Admin Panel’, which will allow you to explore your company dates:
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Take a look at the section under the heading ‘Company Details’ – this is where you will find all of your dates. You should be able to see ‘Incorporation Date’, ‘Accounting Reference Date’, ‘Last Accounts Made Up Date’, ‘Next Accounts Due’, ‘Last Return Made Up To’ and ‘Next Return Due’:
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There you have it. There is plenty of other information contained within the admin panel for your company. So, let’s get to know the specifics of these dates a bit better, and find out what they really mean for your company.

Company Dates – What Do They Mean For My Business?

It’s easy to look at all of the information contained within your company admin panel and gloss over the parts that don’t feel too important. But they are all essential details, and can be very significant to the company itself.

Let’s break down each date individually:

  • Incorporation Date – Remember when you formed your company with us? Well, assuming you did it on a working day between 9 and 5 that will be the date of your company’s incorporation. It’s basically your company’s birthday.
  • Accounting Reference Date – This is the last day of the month you incorporated your company. It’s important because it serves as the marker for you to file your accounts up to.
  • Last Accounts Made Up Date – This date indicates what period your company’s latest accounts are covered up to. Remember If there is no date then your company is yet to file any annual accounts.
  • Next Accounts Due – This is an important one. It lets you know when your next deadline to file your accounts is – so if it’s approaching that date then you need to start thinking about filing details on the financials of your company.
  • Last Return Made Up To – This is the date that your company’s annual return is correct up to, don’t forget – if the field is empty the limited company has not yet filed an annual return.
  • Next Return Due – This is the date that your annual return is due, you can make use of our ‘Annual Return Filing Service’ to make the process quick and easy when the time comes.

Getting to know your company dates means you’re aware of all the important obligations that are involved in running a limited company – so it’s well worth doing.

Knowing Your Company Dates For A Better Business

It’s easy to get carried away with the day-to-day running of your business and not think about your company requirements. But it’s all part of running a successful business, so choose a package and form your company now and keep aware of your company dates.

Did you find this useful? Make sure to comment and let us know. If you’d like to learn more, make sure you check out the rest of our blog – and particularly the ‘Tips from the team’ section.

Click to learn more about company formation for professionals or our Cosec company management tool.