Every accountant monitoring client companies will compare PenaltyProof to Companies House's own free eReminders service. This guide sets out what the free service does well, where it stops, and how PenaltyProof extends it — so you can decide what combination fits your practice.
What the CH eReminders service is
Companies House operates a free email reminder service for registered companies. Once activated, it notifies up to four people per company when the company's annual accounts and confirmation statement are due. Registration requires signing in to the Companies House online filing service and selecting "Activate e reminders" from the company overview. There is also a bulk registration route via a spreadsheet submission for practices with many clients.
The service is free of charge, official, and operated by Companies House itself — the same body that holds the data and issues the penalties.
What the service covers — and does not cover
CH eReminders covers two filing types:
- Annual accounts (AA)
- Confirmation statement (CS01)
It does not cover HMRC obligations. Corporation Tax, VAT returns, Self Assessment, PAYE/RTI, CIS monthly returns, P11D, or pension auto-enrolment re-enrolment are outside its scope. It also does not cover ECCTA identity-verification or authorised-filer readiness reminders, Companies House company status alerts, or Charity Commission annual returns.
The timing of reminder emails is not published in the guidance. Based on the service's stated purpose — to help companies avoid late filing penalties — reminders are sent before the deadline, but the exact lead time and whether overdue notices are issued are not documented on gov.uk as of the checked date.
One company versus a portfolio
The eReminders service is designed for company officers and directors who need to track one company's filings. Activating it requires authentication as an authorised person for each company. For an accountant with 30 or 80 clients, that is 30 or 80 separate registrations — and the email reminders go to the registered address, not to a consolidated accountant inbox.
PenaltyProof is designed for the portfolio case: one account, one signup, multiple companies added via company number. Alerts go to the accountant's email (and a second recipient on Pro). There is no per-company authentication step.
Where Companies House eReminders is as good or better
Honest parity matters in a tool comparison. Here is where the CH service is equal or has advantages:
- Cost: Free with no usage cap. PenaltyProof's free tier covers five companies; paid plans start at £29/month for up to 50 companies.
- Officiality: Reminders come from Companies House directly. They are authoritative: if CH sends you a reminder, the due date is exactly correct.
- No signup barrier for company officers: Any officer can activate eReminders for their own company in minutes. It requires no third-party account or payment.
- Up to 4 recipients per company: The officer, the accountant, and up to two other people can all receive the same reminder on a per-company basis.
Comparison table
| Feature | PenaltyProof | CH eReminders |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free for 5 companies; from £29/month for 50 companies | Free, no cap |
| Filings covered | Annual accounts, confirmation statement + 10 obligation types (HMRC, payroll, compliance) | Annual accounts and confirmation statement only |
| HMRC deadlines | Yes — VAT, CT, RTI, CIS, P11D, SA, pension | Not covered |
| Alert cadence | 30, 14, and 7 days before (paid); overdue notices | Timing not published on gov.uk (checked 2026-06-11) |
| Portfolio view | All clients in one account, one inbox | Per-company registration; per-company officer authentication |
| Setup per client | Add company number — one step | Sign in to online filing service, activate per company |
| Overdue alerts | Yes — paid plans alert when deadline is past and unfiled | Not documented in gov.uk guidance |
| Second recipient | Yes (Pro plan) | Up to 4 addresses per company |
| ECCTA readiness reminders | Yes (readiness reminders from configured ECCTA dates) | Not covered |
Who should use Companies House eReminders
CH eReminders is the right tool for:
- Company directors or officers who want official filing reminders for their own company without involving a third party
- Accountants whose clients want to receive CH reminders directly in addition to any alerts from a monitoring tool
- Practices that need coverage only for annual accounts and confirmation statements and have fewer than five client companies
Who should use PenaltyProof
PenaltyProof is the better fit when:
- You monitor more than five companies and need all alerts in one inbox
- Your clients have HMRC obligations (CT, VAT, RTI, CIS, P11D, SA) you need to track alongside CH filings
- You want staged advance alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days — not just a single reminder near the due date
- You want overdue notices when a deadline has passed and a filing has not been detected
- Per-company registration at Companies House for each client is not practical at your portfolio size
Using both together
Many accountants use both: CH eReminders gives the company officer a direct official notification, and PenaltyProof gives the accountant portfolio-level coverage across obligations the free service does not reach. The two are complementary rather than competing for the same role.
PenaltyProof monitors Companies House and HMRC obligations across your client list and alerts you by email in advance — without a per-company registration step for each client. Try Starter (£29/month, up to 50 companies) free for 30 days with advance alerts 30 days, 14 days, and 7 days before each deadline, plus due-date and overdue alerts. Cancel any time during the trial.
Start 30-day free trial →or monitor free for up to 5 companies with Companies House monitoring (no card).
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