What happens when a deadline has already passed

What overdue alerts look like, how the escalation stages work, and what to do once a deadline is missed.

Overdue alerts

When a deadline passes without a filing being detected, PenaltyProof sends an overdue alert. Free accounts receive overdue alerts only — there are no advance warnings on the Free plan. Paid accounts receive overdue alerts in addition to the advance-warning series (30/14/7 days and on the day).

Escalation stages

PenaltyProof does not send repeated daily overdue alerts indefinitely. An overdue alert is sent once when the deadline passes. A follow-up may be sent if the filing remains overdue after a further period — the exact timing depends on the alert type and your plan. The goal is to flag the situation without flooding your inbox.

What to do when a deadline is missed

File as soon as possible. For Companies House filings (annual accounts, confirmation statement), use the CH WebFiling service. For HMRC filings, use the relevant HMRC online service or your practice management software. The penalty is charged on the filing date — the sooner you file, the lower the potential penalty band.

Mark as filed after the fact

Once the late filing is submitted, mark it as done in PenaltyProof using the 'Mark as filed' button on the deadline row. This clears the overdue flag in your dashboard and suppresses any further overdue alerts for that deadline.

What we cannot do

PenaltyProof cannot file returns on your behalf, cannot contact Companies House or HMRC for you, and cannot reverse a penalty that has already been charged. We can only monitor and alert — the action is always yours.

Common questions

Will PenaltyProof keep sending overdue alerts every day?

No. The overdue alert fires once when the deadline passes. Further reminders depend on the specific alert type but are not sent daily — PenaltyProof is not designed to spam your inbox.

The filing was done but PenaltyProof still shows it as overdue — why?

Companies House and HMRC take time to process and publish filings — typically 24–48 hours. PenaltyProof reads from the public API, so there may be a short lag between the filing being submitted and PenaltyProof detecting it. Use the 'Mark as filed' button to clear the flag immediately without waiting for the API to update.

Related articles