closing a limited company

[richard101]

Hi All

How long does it usually take to close a company? I paid my accountants (Nixon Williams) £180 in August 2012 to do this, but just seem to be getting problems without solutions.

Richard

[Gonzo]

You don't state all the circumstances so the answer is probably more complicated than the way you have framed the question.

Companies House will post a notice in a Gazette somewhere to advise that the application to dissolve has been received. Then they wait for three months to allow creditors to object.

Looking back through my company's records, Companies House received the application to close, posted the first Gazette notice two weeks later, then dissolved the company three and a half months after that.

My company did not owe any creditors anything so I assume that there were no objections.

You mention 'problems' so I am going to guess that your situation is a bit more 'difficult'.

[captainham]

You give none of the background to these problems might be, so I'll ask this: what has Nixon Williams said?

I'm assuming you have asked them after all as they will be the best placed to advise on this...

[Clare@InTouch]

It can take a fair while. You have to de-register for VAT and PAYE, prepare final accounts, agree them, file them, then submit a striking off application to Companies House. CH then advertise the closure for 3 months before they dissolve the company.

A delay can be caused by the time it takes HMRC to do their bit on PAYE & VAT, and your accountants have to schedule in the extra work. If they have 20 people in front of you in the 'closure' queue then it may take a while to get the work done.

Best advice - call them and ask them.

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

As Claire said, there are a number of possible delays and steps, normally I would say between 2 and 6 months, excluding the statutory waiting time in the DS01 at Companies House.

Give NW a prod...

[Martin at NixonWilliams]

Hi All

How long does it usually take to close a company? I paid my accountants (Nixon Williams) £180 in August 2012 to do this, but just seem to be getting problems without solutions.

Richard

Hi Richard,

There are a number of factors that can affect how long it takes to close the company. However, in your case the only reason for the delay is that your accounts cannot be submitted as there are issues that require your attention. Unfortunately the importance of these issues means that they cannot be ignored.

Note that although you paid us for this service in August, we were not in a position to begin work on the accounts until 10th September when your accounts for the previous period were in a position to be submitted. We began work on the closure accounts immediately after this and they were then sent to you on 13th September, we have been waiting for a full response from you ever since.

We are as keen as you are to complete the closure process and we will try to make it as smooth as possible for you. I will contact you today to advise you of your options and will remain your point of contact until the process is complete.

Martin

[captainham]

We began work on the closure accounts immediately after this and they were then sent to you on 13th September, we have been waiting for a full response from you ever since.

@OP, it's never advisable to air your dirty linen in public unless you are positive you are 100% squeaky clean, which does not appear to be the case in this instance.

I find current-day usage of a telephone to be remarkably underrated, but I wish you all the best in getting your company closed satisfactorily.