Filing Company Annual Returns

Filing Company Annual Returns in Kenya, If you do not file company annual returns in Kenya for a period of time you can be penalized and your company struck off by the Registrar of Companies.

Annual returns indicate the changes that have occurred within the company throughout the year like change of shareholding, directorships and registered office of the company.

Section 125 of the Companies Act states that every company having a share capital shall, once at least in every year, make a return, and the said return shall be in the form and shall be made up to the date of the fourteenth day after the date of the annual general meeting.

When are you required to complete the Annual Returns?

• The annual Company returns forms Kenya should be made and filed at least once every calendar year.
• The company must within that period submit to the registrar a copy of the annual return, signed both by a director and by the secretary of the company.

Once a company fails to comply with this requirement, the company and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable to a default fine as may be prescribed by the registrar.
In filing the Annual Return, the completed annual returns form is submitted at the Companies Registry Kenya with the requisite fees before acceptance.
A penalty for every year defaulted levied for late filing of annual returns

Form of annual return of a company having a share capital

• The content of the form of annual return of a company having a share capital include as follows:
• The Location of the registered office of the company and the company’s registered postal address
• If the register of members is, under the provisions of the Companies Act, kept elsewhere than at the registered office of the company, the address of the place where it is kept
• If any register of holders of debentures of the company or part of any such register is, under the provisions of the Companies Act, kept elsewhere than at the registered office of the company, the address of the place where it is kept;
• A summary, distinguishing between shares issued for cash and shares issued as fully or partly paid up otherwise than in cash, specifying the following particulars—
• The amount of the share capital of the company and the number of shares into which it is divided;
• The number of shares taken from the commencement of the company up to the date of the return;
• The amount called up on each share;
• The total amount of calls received;
• he total amount of calls unpaid;
• The total amount of the sums (if any) paid by way of commission in respect of any shares or debentures;
• The discount allowed on the issue of any shares issued at a discount or so much of that discount as has not been written off at the date on which the return is made;
• The total amount of the sums (if any) allowed by way of discount in respect of any debentures since the date of the last return;
• The total number of shares forfeited;
• The total amount of shares for which share warrants are outstanding at the date of the return and of share warrants issued and surrendered respectively since the date of the last return, and the number of shares comprised in each warrant.
• Particulars of the total amount of the indebtedness of the company as at the date of this return in relating to all mortgages and charges which are required to be registered with the registrar under the Companies Act.
  A list containing the names and postal addresses of all persons who, on the fourteenth day after the company’s annual general meeting for the year, are members of the company, and of persons who have ceased to be members since the date of the last return
• Or, in the case of the first return, since the incorporation of the company; stating the number of shares held by each of the existing members at the date of the return, specifying shares transferred since the date of the last return (or, in the case of the first return, since the incorporation of the company) by persons who are still members and have ceased to be members respectively and the dates of registration of the transfers; and
• If the names aforesaid are not arranged in alphabetical order, having annexed thereto an index sufficient to enable the name of any person therein to be easily found.

All such particulars relating to the persons who at the date of the return are the directors of the company and any person who at that date is the secretary of the company are by this Act required to be contained with respect to directors and the secretary respectively in the register of the directors and secretaries of a company.
A company is not required to make a return in the year of its incorporation.

What documents are attached to an annual return?

There shall be annexed to the annual return:

It is also important to note that a company need not make a return in the year of its incorporation
Registrar of companies Kenya cr12 document reflects the information indicated on the annual returns.
Searches related to company annual returns in Kenya are regularly done to establish the validity and existence of a Company.

Other types of Returns