Overdue Bookkeeping: A Catch-Up Plan
Late accounts can be caught up. The sooner you act, the more limited the penalties. A Viseeon chartered accountant reviews things with you, sets priorities and brings your books up to date, step by step.
- Call back within 1 business hour
- Confidential, judgement-free conversation
Which situation are you in?
Last year's accounts aren't done
The deadline for the tax package has passed or is approaching. You don't know where to start. It is the most common situation, and the easiest to handle if you start quickly.
Your accountant let you down
Retirement, a firm that no longer answers, a staff member who left: the file is at a standstill. You need to retrieve what exists and pick up from there.
Your records are in a mess
Invoices in email inboxes, unsorted statements, lost receipts. A large part of the transactions can be reconstructed from bank statements.
You have received a reminder
Formal notice from the tax office, a letter from the court registry, a reminder from URSSAF. You must reply on time and first regularise whatever costs the most.
What are you risking with overdue bookkeeping?
Penalties grow over time. Knowing them helps you set priorities, not panic.
- Tax return filed late: 10% surcharge on the tax due. It rises to 40% if the return is not filed within 30 days of a formal notice (article 1728 of the CGI, the French tax code).
- Late-payment interest of 0.20% per month (2.40% per year) on tax paid late (article 1727 of the CGI).
- Annual accounts not filed with the registry (greffe) (companies): €1,500 fine for the director, €3,000 for repeat offences. The president of the commercial court can also order filing under penalty (Service Public Entreprendre, F31214).
- No return filed: the tax authority can assess tax ex officio, on its own basis.
Good news: a voluntary regularisation, before any formal notice, keeps the surcharge at the lowest level.
What is our catch-up plan in 5 steps?
Urgent diagnosis
A call to list what is overdue: annual accounts, VAT (TVA), tax packages, filings, social declarations. We identify deadlines already missed and those coming up.
Call back within 1 business hour
Priorities and protective measures
We deal first with what costs the most: high-stake returns, replies to formal notices, a request for extra time if possible.
As soon as the engagement letter is signed
Collection and reconstruction
Bank statements, invoices, sales: we give you a precise list and a tool to upload your documents. Missing transactions are reconstructed from the bank.
Depending on the volume of documents to find
Updating accounts and returns
Bookkeeping, review, annual accounts, tax packages, corrected VAT (TVA) returns, filing of accounts.
Depending on the number of overdue financial years
Regular follow-up to avoid falling behind again
Deadline calendar, monthly collection of documents, quarterly review with your accountant.
Then, every month
Where should you start, today?
- Don't leave a letter unanswered. A formal notice opens a 30-day period: this is the most urgent point.
- Download your bank statements for the whole overdue period. They are enough to get started.
- Gather your sales invoices. Even incomplete, they serve as the basis for turnover.
- Recover your access to your professional account on impots.gouv.fr and URSSAF.
- Call an expert before filing anything on your own: a poorly done corrective return can make things worse.
My accounts are late, what is the risk?
A 10% surcharge on the tax due for late filing, raised to 40% if you don't file within 30 days of a formal notice, plus late-payment interest. Acting before the formal notice limits the penalty.
What is the risk if annual accounts are not filed with the registry (greffe)?
A €1,500 fine for the director, €3,000 for repeat offences. The president of the commercial court can also order filing under penalty.
Within what time must accounts be approved and filed?
For an SARL, EURL or SA, approval takes place within 6 months of year-end. Filing follows within one month, or within 2 months if filed online.
Can several years of bookkeeping be caught up?
Yes. We process the financial years in order, starting with the one on which the others depend. Transactions are reconstructed from bank statements and available documents.
I have lost invoices, is that serious?
Expenses without supporting documents cause problems for deductions and for VAT (TVA). We first try to obtain duplicates from suppliers. Your accountant tells you what can be accepted.
Can I obtain extra time from the tax office?
Requests for payment deferral or for a goodwill reduction of penalties can be made. They are never automatic. Your accountant assesses whether a request is worthwhile given your situation.
My former accountant kept my documents, what can I do?
Your records belong to you. We contact your former accountant, as professional rules require, to organise the handover.
How long does a catch-up take?
It depends on the number of financial years, the volume of documents and how responsive you are. We give you a precise timetable after the diagnosis.
How much does an accounting catch-up cost?
The price depends on the number of financial years and the volume of transactions. It is set by quote after the diagnosis, before any commitment.
Will you judge me?
No. Delays happen to many business owners: illness, growth, an accountant leaving. Our role is to bring you back into compliance, not to look for someone to blame.
An expert calls you back within 1 business hour
Confidential conversation. No document to prepare for this first call.