How alerts work

How PenaltyProof checks deadlines, when alert emails are sent, and how duplicates are prevented.

The daily check

Every morning at around 07:00 UK time, PenaltyProof fetches the latest filing status for every company on your list from the Companies House public API. The check runs for every company, every day — not just on deadline dates.

When we send an alert

Alert emails fire when a filing deadline enters your advance-warning window. On paid plans (Starter and above) the windows are 30 days, 14 days, and 7 days before the deadline, plus on the day itself. Free accounts receive overdue alerts only — a single email once a deadline has passed with no filing recorded.

How deduplication works

Each alert is stored in our database before it is sent. If the same alert type fires twice for the same company and deadline date — for example, because the daily job ran twice due to a retry — the second attempt is silently skipped. You will never receive the same alert twice for the same deadline.

Mark as filed

Once you or a client files the relevant return, you can mark it as filed in PenaltyProof. This suppresses any remaining advance-warning alerts for that deadline. It does not affect HMRC or Companies House — it is a local flag to keep your dashboard tidy.

HMRC obligation alerts

Alerts for HMRC obligations (VAT, Corporation Tax, RTI, P11D, Self Assessment, MTD ITSA, CIS, pensions) are sent for every company on paid plans where the relevant obligation is configured at /manage. Each obligation has its own alert cadence; see the individual regime articles for thresholds.

Common questions

Why did I not receive a 30-day alert?

The most likely causes are: the company was added to your list after the 30-day window had already opened; the obligation was not configured at /manage by the time the alert fired; or the email landed in spam. Check your spam folder and the company's obligation settings at /manage.

Can I change the alert timing?

Alert timing (30/14/7 days) is fixed at the plan level and is not configurable per company. The timing is chosen to give enough lead time across a typical workload.

Do alerts fire on weekends and bank holidays?

The daily check runs every morning including weekends and bank holidays. If a deadline falls on a non-working day, the alert fires on the day regardless — the legal deadline does not move unless HMRC or Companies House publishes specific guidance.

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