CAC annual returns, deadlines and penalties

Every registered company and business name files an annual return with the CAC. These articles cover the deadlines, the fees, the penalties that now reach directors too, and how to get back on the register.

All articles

How much is the CAC annual return penalty for a public company?

CAC annual return penalty for public companies: the one-off fine per late return for a PLC, how it compares with other bands, and who else is liable.

3 min read

How do you calculate your CAC annual return penalty?

How to calculate your CAC annual return penalty for multiple missed years, with a worked example and a free calculator to check your figure.

3 min read

Does CAC still charge a daily penalty for late annual returns?

Does CAC still charge a daily penalty for late annual returns? What is suspended, what still applies, and what to confirm before you relax.

2 min read

What law backs the CAC annual return penalty?

The law behind the CAC annual return penalty: CAMA 2020, the Companies Regulations 2021, and where the actual figures come from.

2 min read

How much is the CAC annual return penalty for a private company?

CAC annual return penalty for private companies that are not small: the one-off fine per late return, and why each officer owes the same amount.

3 min read

How much does CAC fine a director for a late annual return?

CAC annual return penalty for directors: the per-head figure for each late return, now published for every company type, and who counts.

3 min read

Why does CAC reject a change of directors filing?

Why CAC rejects a change of directors filing: the rule tying it to annual returns and PSC information, and what to clear before you resubmit.

3 min read

How do you clear a CAC annual return backlog?

A checklist for clearing a CAC annual return backlog: what to gather, how the penalty is confirmed, and the order to file missed years in.

3 min read

Can CAC still penalise directors after a company is struck off?

CAC penalty for directors of a struck-off company: why the debt survives, who CAC pursues next, and what it means for your other companies.

2 min read

How many years of default before CAC strikes off a company?

How many years before CAC strikes off a company for missed annual returns, and what happens to the penalty bill before that point.

2 min read

How do you restore a company that CAC struck off?

How to restore a company struck off by CAC: the general route CAMA 2020 allows, what you clear first, and why there is no fixed price to quote.

2 min read

What happens if you never file CAC annual returns?

What happens if you do not file CAC annual returns: the growing fine, blocked filings, personal liability, and eventually strike-off.

2 min read

When did CAC start enforcing annual return penalties?

When did CAC start enforcing annual return penalties? The 2023 notice, the announced date, and the later date enforcement actually began.

3 min read

Who actually pays the CAC annual return penalty?

Who pays the CAC annual return penalty, the company or its directors? What CAC's notice says, and what each side actually owes.

2 min read

What is the CAC late filing penalty for a business name?

CAC late filing penalty for business names: the one-off fine per late return on CAC's schedule, and how it adds up if you owe several years.

3 min read

How much is the CAC annual return penalty for a small company?

CAC annual return penalty for small companies: the one-off fine per late return, the same charge per officer, and the figure agents misquote.

3 min read

Does a dormant company still owe CAC annual returns?

Does a dormant company need to file CAC annual returns? What the register still expects, and what happens to the penalty while you wait.

2 min read