The CRO Annual Return (Form B1) in Ireland: First Return, Deadlines and Late Fees
Staxo Team, 2026-09-16
Every company registered in Ireland must file an annual return with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), whether or not it has traded. The form is called the B1. It is a short filing, but it comes with a fixed calendar, a fixed fee and a late fee that grows every day. Directors who miss it can also lose the audit exemption, which turns a 20 euro filing into a bill for a full audit.
This guide explains the first annual return, the annual return date (ARD), the 56 day filing window, the fees, the financial statements a small company attaches, and how to change the ARD if the default date does not suit you.
What the annual return is
The B1 is a snapshot of the company on a given date. It lists the registered office, the directors and secretary, the shareholders and the share capital. From the second return onwards, the company's financial statements are attached. The CRO publishes the return, so anyone can look up who runs the company and, after the first year, how it is doing.
Filing the B1 is separate from your tax filings with Revenue. Filing the CT1 on time does not cover it.
The first annual return: six months after incorporation
The CRO sets every new company's first ARD at six months after the date of incorporation. A company incorporated on 10 March has a first ARD of 10 September. The first B1 is made up to that date and must be filed within 56 days of it.
No financial statements are attached to the first return. The CRO's guidance is clear on this: a new company is exempt from annexing financial statements to its first annual return. Because there are no financial statements, the company cannot claim the audit exemption on the first return either. That claim is made on the second return.
This first return is the one most often missed, because it arrives while the founders are still opening bank accounts. Put the date in your calendar on the day the certificate of incorporation arrives.
The second return and every return after it
After the first return, the ARD falls on the same date every year. The second B1 is made up to a date no later than 18 months after incorporation and must have financial statements attached. Those financial statements cover the company's first financial year, which usually runs from incorporation to a year end chosen by the directors.
There is one timing rule that catches people: the financial year end must be no more than nine months before the ARD. If your year end is 31 December, your ARD must be no later than 30 September. If it is not, you will need to move the ARD or the year end.
The 56 day window
The CRO's rule is that the annual return must be filed within 56 days of the date to which it is made up. The B1 is filed online through CORE, and the signature page or ROS-signed return, together with the financial statements, must be delivered within the same 56 days.
The 56 days include weekends and public holidays.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| B1 annual return filed online | 20 euro |
| Late filing fee on the day after the deadline | 100 euro |
| Daily fee after that | 3 euro per day |
| Maximum late fee per return | 1,200 euro |
| Form B1B73 to extend the ARD | 20 euro |
The late fee is in addition to the 20 euro filing fee and reaches the 1,200 euro cap after roughly a year.
Late filing and the audit exemption
The late fee is the smaller problem. The bigger one is the audit exemption. A small company that files its financial statements late can lose the right to claim the audit exemption, and then must have its financial statements audited for the following two years.
The rule changed in 2025. Under section 22 of the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024, which came into effect on 16 July 2025, a company no longer loses the audit exemption on a first late filing in a five year period. It loses it if it files late more than once within five years. The late fee still applies to every late return, first or not.
The CRO can also prosecute the company and its directors for persistent non-filing, and can strike a company off the register.
What "financial statements" means for a small company
A company must prepare full financial statements for its members every year. What it files with the CRO can be shorter. A company qualifies as small if it meets two of the following three conditions in the current and preceding financial year:
- balance sheet total not more than 7.5 million euro
- turnover not more than 15 million euro
- not more than 50 employees
A small company can file abridged financial statements. The CRO lists what abridged statements contain: the balance sheet with the small company exemption statement, the notes to the financial statements, and the auditor's report where an audit was carried out. The profit and loss account is not filed, so competitors and customers cannot see turnover or margin.
A small company that also meets the audit exemption conditions files unaudited abridged statements. Most new LTDs in Ireland fall into this category. Micro companies, a subset of small companies, have even shorter formats.
How to change the ARD (Form B73)
You can move the ARD to a later date by filing a Form B1B73. The CRO's conditions are:
- It must be filed electronically, with a 20 euro fee.
- It cannot be used with the company's first annual return.
- It must be delivered within 56 days of the existing ARD. Filed later, it is ineffective.
- It can be used once in every five years.
- The new ARD cannot be more than six months after the existing one.
The usual reason to use it is to line up the ARD with the financial year end so that financial statements are ready in time. A company can also bring its ARD forward, which needs no special form: it files a B1 made up to the earlier date and can choose to keep that date for future years.
Annual return checklist
- Note the first ARD (six months after incorporation) and the 56 day deadline on the day the company is formed.
- Check the ARD on CORE before each return. Do not rely on memory.
- Confirm the financial year end is no more than nine months before the ARD.
- Have the financial statements approved and signed by the directors before the return is filed.
- File the B1 online on CORE and pay the 20 euro fee.
- Deliver the signed signature page or ROS signature within the 56 days.
- Keep the CRO acknowledgement with the company's records.
- Update the Register of Beneficial Ownership separately if ownership has changed.
Frequently asked questions
My company has not traded. Do I still file a B1?
Yes. The annual return is due whether the company traded or not. A dormant company still files, and its financial statements will simply show no activity.
Can I file the B1 before the ARD?
Yes. A return can be made up to a date earlier than the ARD. If you do this, the CRO may treat the earlier date as your new ARD unless you elect to keep the original one.
What if I miss the deadline by one day?
The 100 euro late fee applies from the first day. Under the rules in force since 16 July 2025, a single late filing in a five year period does not by itself cost you the audit exemption, but a second one does.
Do I need an accountant to file the B1?
Not by law. The return itself is simple. The financial statements attached from the second return onward must follow the Companies Act formats, and most companies have a qualified accountant prepare them.
Sources
- CRO: Annual Return Date
- CRO: Extending the Annual Return Date
- CRO: Missed Deadlines
- CRO: Audit Exemption and small company thresholds
- CRO: Financial Statements Requirements
Staxo forms Irish limited companies online for 199 euro ex VAT and then keeps the books in order, so the financial statements for your second B1 are built on tidy records rather than a shoebox. Form your company with Staxo.