Reporting deadlines for AIM companies extended

3rd February 2021

On 27 January 2021 the London Stock Exchange (LSE) confirmed that the temporary measures that it announced in 2020 for reporting deadlines in relation to the publication of audited annual results and half-yearly reports remain available for AIM companies until further notice.

Following the original announcement, any company quoted on AIM is able to apply to AIM Regulation for a three-month extension to the reporting deadline for the publication of its annual audited accounts pursuant to AIM Rule 19. The request for the extension must be made by the company’s nominated adviser and submitted prior to the current AIM Rules reporting deadline.

In addition, temporary measures are in place in relation to an AIM company’s obligation to notify half-yearly reports in accordance with the AIM Rules. AIM companies that need extra time to prepare their half-yearly report are given one additional month in which to notify them. A company must notify its intention to use the extra one-month period via an RIS prior to its reporting deadline under AIM Rule 18. The company’s nominated adviser must separately inform AIM Regulation.

The LSE have said that it will keep these relaxations under constant review and will reinstate AIM Rules 18 and 19 at the appropriate time.

WM Comment

In addition to these temporary measures, AIM companies should continue to refer to guidance published by Companies House in respect of the temporary changes to UK filing requirements and any updated regulations published pursuant to the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020. At the moment the automatic three month extension for filing accounts ends for any filing deadlines that fall on 6 April 2021 or later. Thereafter, an application to extend a filing deadline will need to be made to Companies House.