--- title: "Abbreviated vs Abridged Accounts: What Can You File? | HLS | HLS Accounts" description: "Abbreviated accounts were abolished in 2016. This plain English guide explains what small limited companies can actually file at Companies House today." canonical: "https://hlsaccounting.co.uk/blog/abbreviated-accounts-vs-abridged-accounts-limited-company" --- # Abbreviated accounts vs abridged accounts: what can you actually file? ![Smiling blonde woman with long hair wearing pink blazer and black top against dark vertical panels](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhannah-1-64x74.png%3Fv%3D1773230081541&w=128&q=75&dpl=dpl_DEc4fGhEc1SCRZZutzoEsRuDy1CJ) Hannah SimpsonChartered Accountant PublishedWednesday, 4 March 2026 ![Smiling advisor in navy blazer showing 'Abbreviated Accounts' and 'Abridged Accounts' papers to two clients](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fadvisor-abbreviated-abridged-accounts.png%3Fv%3D1773228487305&w=1536&q=75&dpl=dpl_DEc4fGhEc1SCRZZutzoEsRuDy1CJ) If you have been trying to work out what your limited company needs to file at Companies House, you may have come across both abbreviated accounts and abridged accounts and wondered whether they mean the same thing. They do not. Abbreviated accounts were abolished in 2016, and what small companies can file today is abridged or filleted accounts. This guide clears it up in plain English. ## Why there are two different terms Abbreviated accounts were the option under older UK company law. Small companies could file a cut-down version of their statutory accounts at Companies House, leaving out details such as the profit and loss account, so less information appeared on the public record. In 2016 the rules [changed](https://www.gov.uk/annual-accounts/microentities-small-and-dormant-companies). Abbreviated accounts were abolished, and the options for small companies became **abridged accounts**, **filleted accounts**, and for the smallest companies the **micro-entity balance sheet**. > **Still hearing "abbreviated"?** That is habit, not law. Plenty of directors, and even some accountants, say abbreviated when they mean abridged. If you are a small company wanting to limit what appears publicly, what you are looking for under the current rules is abridged or filleted accounts. ## So what are abridged accounts? Abridged accounts are a simplified version of your [statutory accounts](https://hlsaccounting.co.uk/blog/statutory-accounts-limited-company), prepared for filing at Companies House. They contain less detail than full accounts and keep sensitive commercial information, such as a full breakdown of turnover and costs, off the public record. An abridged filing typically includes: - An abridged balance sheet, showing a simplified view of assets, liabilities and equity - Selected notes to the accounts where required - A simplified profit and loss, starting at gross profit rather than turnover There is also **filleting**: a small company can choose not to file its profit and loss account or directors' report at Companies House at all. Abridging and filleting are often used together, which is why people mix them up. Abridging simplifies what is prepared; filleting removes what is filed. The full statutory accounts are still prepared internally and for HMRC. It is only the Companies House filing that is reduced. ## Who can file abridged accounts? Your company must qualify as small under the Companies Act, meeting at least two of these three conditions: - Annual turnover of no more than £15 million - Balance sheet total of no more than £7.5 million - No more than 50 employees on average during the year > **These thresholds rose in April 2025.** For financial years starting on or after 6 April 2025, the small company limits increased by roughly 50% (previously £10.2 million turnover and £5.1 million balance sheet). If you last checked your eligibility before then, check again: companies that used to be medium-sized may now qualify as small. Current figures are always on the [Companies House guidance](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/guides/accounts/chooser). Some companies cannot use the small company exemptions regardless of size, including public companies, members of groups that do not qualify as small, and regulated entities such as banks and insurers. ## What about micro-entities? Micro-entities get an even simpler option. For financial years starting on or after 6 April 2025, your company qualifies if it meets at least two of these three: - Annual turnover of no more than £1 million - Balance sheet total of no more than £500,000 - No more than 10 employees Micro-entities can file a very stripped back balance sheet with minimal notes, so the public record shows very little about the business at all. With the threshold now at £1 million turnover, most owner managed limited companies in Cardiff and South Wales fall into this category without realising it. ## What consent do you need before filing abridged accounts? This catches companies out. You cannot simply decide to file abridged accounts on your own. The members (in most cases the shareholders) must agree to the preparation of abridged accounts before they are prepared, not just before they are filed, and the consent must be confirmed each year. For a one or two person owner managed company this is straightforward, but it needs to be properly documented. If your accountant is handling the filing, they should ask you to confirm consent before they start. ## What actually appears on Companies House? The public record is searchable by anyone: competitors, customers, suppliers and lenders. Under abridged or micro-entity filing, it typically shows: - A simplified balance sheet - Certain required notes - Director and officer information - [Confirmation statements](https://hlsaccounting.co.uk/services/confirmation-statement-filing) and filing history What it does not show, for eligible companies that choose the reduced option, is a full profit and loss account, a detailed breakdown of sales, or in most cases a directors' report. > **This is changing.** Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, Companies House is moving to software-only accounts filing from 1 April 2027 and intends to require small companies and micro-entities to file a profit and loss account, with the abridged option due to be removed. The exact requirements are still being finalised, so if keeping figures private matters to you, this is worth a conversation before your next year end. ## Do you still need full accounts even if you file reduced ones? Yes. Choosing abridged, filleted or micro-entity filing does not mean you only prepare a short version. A full set of statutory accounts is still needed for your own records, for HMRC and for your corporation tax return. The reduced version is purely about what goes on the public record. ## What is the filing deadline? Nine months after your financial year end for most private limited companies. Miss it and automatic penalties apply, starting at £150 and rising to £1,500, doubling if you are late two years running. Our guide to [statutory accounts and filing deadlines](https://hlsaccounting.co.uk/blog/statutory-accounts-limited-company) covers the penalties in full. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I still file abbreviated accounts? No. Abbreviated accounts were abolished for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2016. If a template or old guide mentions them, it is out of date. The current options for small companies are abridged accounts, filleted accounts, or the micro-entity balance sheet. ### Are abridged accounts the same as filleted accounts? No. Abridged accounts simplify what is prepared (the balance sheet and profit and loss start at less detailed lines). Filleting means choosing not to file the profit and loss or directors' report at Companies House. A small company can do either or both. ### Will my profits be visible on Companies House? Under the current rules, not if you fillet your accounts: the profit and loss stays off the public record. Be aware this is due to change when the Companies House reforms take effect, currently expected alongside software-only filing from April 2027. ### Do I need an accountant to file abridged accounts? A director can file directly, but eligibility needs confirming, shareholder consent needs documenting, and the abridged filing must be consistent with the full accounts. Getting the format wrong can mean Companies House rejects the filing, so having one accountant prepare both versions in a single process is usually the safer route. ## Want less of your business on the public record? At HLS Accounts in Cardiff, we prepare full statutory accounts and handle the reduced Companies House filing for small limited companies across South Wales. We confirm your eligibility, document the shareholder consent, choose the right option between [abridged and filleted filing](https://hlsaccounting.co.uk/services/abbreviated-accounts-filing), and file on time. [Book a free consultation](https://calendly.com/hlsaccounting/new-client-meeting) or call us on 02922 805941. 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