Annual Returns filings

Annual Returns filings

July 23, 2019

The Annual Returns of a company can be defined as a yearly statement that gives essential information about a company’s activities, composition and financial position and which must be filed by every registered company/business with the appropriate authority.

In Nigeria, filing annual returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is a mandatory statutory requirement for every registered business, this includes Limited liability companies (private or public), sole proprietorships/Business Names and incorporated Trustees. A company’s first Annual Returns is due for filing not later than 18 months after its inception, subsequently it should be filed annually as the name implies not later than 30th June. The filing dates could differ for each company depending on their financial year end but must be filed not later than 42 days after its Annual General Meeting.

In order for a company to file its returns yearly, it needs to attach to the completed prescribed CAC Form, its statement of Affairs if it is yet to commence operations or its Audited Financial Statement where it has commenced operations. This attachment is not necessary for Sole Proprietorships/Business Names.

Filing returns annually enables the CAC to keep up to date records of registered companies which shows that a company is operative and not dormant. It is not only mandatory but also a statutory requirement for companies registered with the commission to file returns as at when due as the law empowers the CAC to strike off the name of a business from the Register of Companies where there are reasonable basis to believe the company is not in operation and the failure to file annual returns is one of the major criteria relied on by the commission to determine the status of a company.

The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, no information contained in this post should be construed as legal advise, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or professional advise from the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer.

This post is protected by intellectual property law and regulations. It may however be shared using appropriate sharing tools provided that our authorship is always acknowledged and this Disclaimer Notice attached.

Efe Ugoboro

Team 618Bees

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Frequently Asked

  • When are Annual Returns due for filing?

    A company’s first Annual Returns are due for filing after 18 months of its inception, subsequently it should be filed annually as the name implies. The filing dates could differ for each company depending on their financial year end but must be filed not later than 42 days after its Annual General Meeting.

    The Annual Returns for Business Names is due not later than the 30th of June each year except in the year the business was registered.
  • Must my Company Secretary be a Lawyer?

    Although it’s ideal to have a lawyer as a company secretary, it is not compulsory for small private businesses.
  • What is an execution clause in a contract?

    This is the section in which the parties sign the contract or agreement.
  • Do I have to physically drop off my product sample at NAFDAC office?

    No, you can choose to have it sent to NAFDAC office
  • What is personal data?

    This is any information that can be used to identify an identifiable human person such passport photograph.
  • What is the difference between licensing and assigning a patent?

    Licensing a patent means granting permission to another individual or organisation to make, use as well as sell the creation that has been protected by patent.

    A patent assignment on the other hand, is a finished exchange of patent rights starting with one individual then onto another person.
  • Is there a penalty for late renewal of registration of products with NAFDAC?

    Yes, there is a late renewal fee, which is dependent on the category of the product.
  • How many shareholders do I need to start a company?

    A minimum of one (1) adult shareholder is required to form a company.
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    Trademark is valid for seven years from the date of application but you may renew the application for the trademark for an additional period of 14years.
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