Form AA02: the dormant accounts paper form, and when not to use it
AA02 covers one narrow case — never-traded companies limited by shares. What the form contains, who cannot use it, and why paper is the slow lane.
By PromptFiling · Published · Updated
What AA02 is
AA02 is the Companies House paper template for dormant company accounts, and it covers one case only: a company limited by shares that has NEVER traded since incorporation, whose only accounting transaction is the subscriber shares taken on formation, and which is not a subsidiary. Inside that boundary it is free to file and deliberately simple — a two-page form, not a set of accounts you have to design.
What the form actually contains
A balance sheet with a single asset line — 'called up share capital not paid' if the subscriber has not yet paid for their share, or cash at bank if they have — matched by the same figure under capital and reserves. Then the statutory statements: the company was entitled to audit exemption under section 480 of the Companies Act 2006, members have not required an audit under section 476, the directors acknowledge their responsibilities for accounting records and accounts, and the accounts are prepared under the small companies regime. A director signs and dates it. That is the whole document.
Who cannot use it
A company that traded at any point in its history, even years ago, cannot file AA02 — it files dormant accounts through the online or software route instead, assuming it is dormant now. Nor can a company limited by guarantee, a subsidiary, or any company with a transaction beyond the subscriber shares in its records. The form's narrowness is the point: it exists for the company that was formed and then did precisely nothing.
Paper is the slow lane
AA02 goes by post and joins a scanning and processing queue; online and software filings are typically acknowledged the same day. Near a deadline that difference is the whole game — lateness is measured to the day Companies House receives acceptable accounts, and a rejected paper form makes the round trip at postal speed. From 1 April 2028 the question retires: the paper and web accounts routes close, and software becomes the only way to file (see 'Companies House software-only filing from 1 April 2028').
The £1 example, worked
A never-traded company with one £1 subscriber share files a balance sheet reading: called up share capital not paid, £1; net assets, £1; capital and reserves — called up share capital, £1. Both sides balance at one pound and the statements above do the legal work. The same layout, produced by software instead of biro, is what passes the Companies House validator — ours does, verbatim, and the how-to guide shows the full worked example.
What the form asks for, line by line
AA02 is short because a never-traded company has almost nothing to report. Everything on it maps to a line of the balance sheet or to a statutory statement.
- Company name and company number, exactly as on the register.
- The date the balance sheet is made up to — the accounting reference date for the period.
- Called up share capital not paid: the amount the subscriber still owes for the shares (usually £1 per £1 share).
- Cash at bank and in hand: only if the subscriber actually paid for the shares and the money sits in a company account — for most never-traded companies this line is empty.
- Net assets, which equals the line above, and called up share capital under capital and reserves, the same figure again.
- The four statements: entitled to audit exemption under section 480 of the Companies Act 2006; members have not required an audit under section 476; the directors acknowledge their responsibilities for accounting records and accounts; the accounts are prepared under the small companies regime.
- The approving director's name, signature and the date of approval.
Software and WebFiling ask the same questions in the same order; the difference is that they validate the arithmetic before submission, while a paper form is validated by a person after the post arrives.
AA02 against the other routes
The form's only advantages are that it is free and needs no login; its disadvantages are speed and a narrow eligibility rule that is easy to misjudge.
| Paper AA02 | WebFiling | Software or filing service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, plus postage | Free | Varies; ours is £19.99, one-off |
| Eligible companies | Limited by shares, never traded, not a subsidiary | Any dormant company | Any dormant company |
| Needs the authentication code | No | Yes | Yes |
| Validated before Companies House sees it | No — rejected by post after the fact | Yes, at submission | Yes, at submission |
| Time to acceptance | Days (post plus processing queue) | Usually the same day | Usually the same day |
| Available after 1 April 2028 | No | No | Yes |
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to file form AA02?
Nothing — Companies House charges nothing for dormant accounts on paper or online until 1 April 2028; you pay only the postage. A penalty of £150 or more applies if the form arrives after the deadline, and paper is the slowest way to arrive.
Who can use form AA02?
A company limited by shares that has never traded since incorporation, whose only transaction is the subscriber shares and which is not a subsidiary. A company that traded in the past, or is limited by guarantee, files dormant accounts online or by software instead.
Is there an example of completed dormant company accounts?
Yes — for one £1 subscriber share: called up share capital not paid £1, net assets £1, called up share capital £1, the four statutory statements, the approval date and the director's name. That is the complete document.
What does 'called up share capital not paid' mean on form AA02?
The amount the shareholder still owes the company for the shares taken on incorporation — £1 for one unpaid £1 share. It is usually the only asset on a never-traded company's balance sheet.
Can I file AA02 online?
There is no online AA02 as such; the online equivalent is the dormant accounts option in Companies House WebFiling, which covers more companies than the paper form and is accepted the same day.
Official sources
Sources checked .
Guidance, not advice. Last updated , checked against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk sources.