What You Need to File a B1 Annual Return

Quick answer

To file a B1 you need the company's details as they stand on its annual return date, financial statements made up to a date no more than nine months before that date and signed by a director, and the B1 itself signed by a director and the company secretary. A first annual return normally doesn't need accounts.

2 min read · Prepared by the AnnualReturns.ie team and reviewed by a qualified accountant (FCCA or ACCA)

The checklist

  • The company's name and CRO number.
  • Its directors, secretary, registered office and shareholders as at the annual return date.
  • Financial statements made up to a date no more than nine months before the annual return date, signed by a director. Small and micro companies can usually file abridged accounts.
  • The B1 signed by a director and the company secretary.

What causes delays

  • Changes that were never notified, such as a director who left. They need their own forms, filed first.
  • Accounts made up to the wrong date, more than nine months before the annual return date.
  • Waiting for signatures in the last few days before the deadline.
Let us prepare it

We check the CRO record, prepare the B1 and file it. €119.99 + VAT plus the €20 CRO fee.

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First annual returns

A new company's first annual return date is six months after incorporation. That first return is filed within 56 days and normally doesn't need accounts.

Sources

Last checked 14 November 2026 against the Companies Act 2014 and CRO guidance on annual returns. This is general information, not legal or tax advice for your company.