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View Full Version : Help - Ceased trading fined for not doing tax returns - need to close firm ASAP


jordan656
29th July 2010, 21:54
Hi,

I stupidly set up a limited company in 2008 for an online venture. There was no real need for it to be a limited, but I was trying to give it credibility and becoming an ltd seemed a good idea at the time.

The venture failed, it built about £500 of profit in the first few months, but then made about £1500 in losses. At this point I just shut off the website.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with it, so I just left it for a while.

Then, the bank started calling in its overdraft, and the firm got a CCJ from a creditor. I arranged a payment plan on the CCJ, paid a few hundred quid back to the creditor (from my own pocket), then realized the firm really wasn't worth the hassle, so I properly ceased trading, sent letters to all creditors explaining there was no money or assets, and waited for Companies House to strike the firm off (on the informal free advice of a business insolvency firm).

Almost a year later the firm is still not struck off - they keep sending me letters saying within 3 months, but it doesn't happen. The webcheck service shows - application to strike off.

I completed the 2009 - 2010 accounts (nil) but not the 2008 - 2009 accounts. Today the firm was fined £100 for late filing. I looked into the costs of doing the accounts, and its going to be a few hundred in accountants fees.

I don't want to pay for that myself - I'm starting university soon and don't have a lot of cash to spare. Obviously the firm has no money --- how do I go about getting HMRC off my back, and the firm shut down for good as quickly and cheaply as possible? I have done zero book keeping, and don't know how to do it, although all payments were received electronically so if I do have to trawl through all the data I can pull it all together - I prefer to avoid this if at all possible...

(NB - when I wrote to the creditors explaining there was no money and no assets they stopped chasing me. The guy with the CCJ tried to tell me I had to pay personally, but I told him no way...)

OldWelshGuy
29th July 2010, 21:57
Tell HM<RC that the company has ceased trading and that you are waiting for it to be struck off, and they will confirm it with cohse and that will be that.

tell the joke with the CCJ to go whistle, and that if he threatens you again trying to get you to personally pay it, you will report him to the authorities.

elainec100@cheapaccounting
30th July 2010, 07:21
if it is showing 'application to strike off' it is a matter of time to show strike off. Unless someone objects it takes several months due to the administration of the process.

A lesson to a lot of people I think ..

Alan R Price
4th August 2010, 15:00
I don't think you were stupid to start up the limited company. If you hadn't you would now be personally liable for the debts of the business! You do not have to pay the CCJ debt or HMRC; and you do not have to fund personally the accounts being prepared.

As elainec100 says, if there is an application to strike off it should just be a matter of time before it happens unless somebody lodges an objection. Alternatively you could commence striking-off procedures yourself at minimal cost - the process is explained on the Companies House website - although there seems to be little point unless the Registrar of Companies' application appears to have "stalled".