More than 17,000 UK transport and storage companies have missed the deadline for filing their accounts at Companies House, making the sector the worst-performing industry for late submissions.
According to research from Buzz Accounting, using figures from Companies House, as of 1 November 2026, 17,212 of the 154,105 companies whose main activity is transport and storage had overdue accounts.
This represents 11.2% of all businesses in the sector – almost double the UK average of 5.9%, equivalent to 317,404 companies across the country.
The figures are based on the Companies House register of all live companies and place transport and storage at the top of the 117 industry categories for the proportion of businesses failing to file their accounts on time.
The Hospitality sector came in second behind Transport and Storage firms, with 31,577 firms out of a total of 287,354 having overdue accounts, representing 11%, while the construction sector claimed third place, with 44,080 construction firms out of a total of 556,149 missing the deadline, amounting to 7.9%.
Private companies face financial penalties depending on how late their accounts are filed.
These range from £150 for submissions up to one month late, rising to £375 for one to three months, £750 for three to six months and £1,500 for more than six months.
The penalties double if a company files its accounts late for two consecutive financial years, taking the maximum fine to £3,000 for a delay of between three and six months and £7,500 for accounts more than six months overdue.
A private company’s first accounts must be filed within 21 months of registration with Companies House. Subsequent accounts are due nine months after the end of each financial year.
Buzz Accounting has put together a full breakdown of late filings across all 117 UK postcode areas and industry sectors.
Andy Jackson, Buzz Accounting co-founder, said around three-quarters of the transport companies with overdue accounts had already been notified that Companies House intended to strike them off the register.
He said: “Three in four of these companies have already been given notice that Companies House plans to strike them off.
“For the rest, a private company pays a penalty of £150 to £1,500 when it files, and the penalty doubles if it is late two years running.
“Bookkeeping kept up every month means the year-end accounts can be done soon after the year ends.”
