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Section 396: Companies Act individual accounts

Companies Act 2006 · 2006 c. 46View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 15: Accounts and reports — Chapter 4: Annual accounts

Companies Act individual accounts must state—

the part of the United Kingdom in which the company is registered,
the company's registered number,
whether the company is a public or a private company and whether it is limited by shares or by guarantee,
the address of the company's registered office, and
where appropriate, the fact that the company is being wound-up.

Companies Act individual accounts must comprise—

a balance sheet as at the last day of the financial year, and
a profit and loss account.

The accounts must—

in the case of the balance sheet, give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year, and
in the case of the profit and loss account, give a true and fair view of the profit or loss of the company for the financial year.

In the case of the individual accounts of a company which qualifies as a micro-entity in relation to the financial year (see sections 384A and 384B), the micro-entity minimum accounting items included in the company's accounts for the year are presumed to give the true and fair view required by subsection (2).

The accounts must comply with provision made by the Secretary of State by regulations as to—

the form and content of the balance sheet and profit and loss account, and
additional information to be provided by way of notes to the accounts.

If compliance with the regulations, and any other provision made by or under this Act as to the matters to be included in a company's individual accounts or in notes to those accounts, would not be sufficient to give a true and fair view, the necessary additional information must be given in the accounts or in a note to them.

Subsections (4) and (5) do not apply in relation to the micro-entity minimum accounting items included in the individual accounts of a company for a financial year in relation to which the company qualifies as a micro-entity.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.