Legal

Thousands of company directors face penalties as enforcement actions resume

Certain penalties and disqualifications and were paused during the pandemic but now firms that failed to file annual returns can be involuntarily struck off the register by the Companies Registration Office

Directors of companies which are involuntarily struck off, and which have outstanding debts, can be banned from acting as a company director by the Corporate Enforcement Authority

Thousands of company directors face being hit with penalties or the prospect of disqualification when enforcement actions which have been paused since the pandemic resumes in the coming weeks, lawyers and accountants have warned.

The Companies Registration Office (CRO) paused enforcement action in March 2020, at the outset of the public health crisis. But it will shortly resume this work, meaning companies that have failed to file annual returns can be involuntarily struck off the ...