Companies House Change of Accounting Reference Date Form (AA01)

Simplify Your Companies House AA01 Filing with Paperform

UK companies sometimes need to change their accounting reference date (ARD) to align with seasonal business cycles, following an acquisition, or to match parent company reporting periods. The Companies House AA01 form is the official mechanism for notifying this change—and getting it right matters for statutory compliance.

This Change of Accounting Reference Date template streamlines the AA01 filing process by walking company officers and accountants through the essential information Companies House requires: company details, current and proposed accounting dates, reason codes for the change, and period adjustments. Instead of wrestling with PDFs or paper forms, you can collect everything digitally, ensure accuracy with conditional logic, and keep a clear audit trail.

Who this form is for

This template is designed for UK limited companies, accountants, company secretaries, bookkeepers, CFOs and compliance professionals who need to file or prepare an AA01 form on behalf of their organisation or clients. It's particularly useful for:

• Accountants and bookkeepers managing multiple clients with different year-end requirements
• Company secretaries and CFOs ensuring timely statutory filings
• Business owners adjusting accounting periods after incorporation or restructuring
• Finance teams aligning UK subsidiaries with group reporting calendars

What's included

The form collects all information needed for a compliant AA01 submission:

• Company registration number and legal name
• Current accounting reference date
• Proposed new accounting reference date
• Reason for the change (with standard reason codes aligned to Companies House guidance)
• Confirmation of period adjustments (shortening or extending)
• Officer or authorised signatory details
• Date of resolution or director approval

Conditional fields ensure you only see relevant questions based on whether you're shortening or extending the accounting period, helping avoid common filing errors.

Why use Paperform for Companies House filings

While this form collects the information for AA01 submission (you'll still need to file officially via Companies House WebFiling or post), Paperform gives you a faster, cleaner and more audit-friendly process:

• No more lost paperwork: All submissions are stored securely and timestamped, so you can prove when authorisation was given.
• Better client experience: If you're an accountant or company secretary, send this form to clients to gather information quickly instead of chasing emails and phone calls.
• Integrate with your workflow: Connect submissions to Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack or your practice management system using Stepper to trigger follow-up tasks, reminders or CRM updates automatically.
• eSignatures with Papersign: Need director approval documented? Use Papersign to turn the submission into a resolution for electronic signature, keeping everything linked and legally sound.

Trusted by accountants, compliance teams and business owners across the UK, this template turns a traditionally manual, error-prone process into a smooth digital workflow—so you can stay compliant without the admin headache.

Note: This form is designed to collect information for AA01 filing preparation. Official submission to Companies House must be completed via their WebFiling service or by post. Always consult your accountant or legal advisor if you're unsure about the implications of changing your accounting reference date.