Cyprus Company Annual Compliance Checklist

Most filings run on fixed dates, and one runs on a date only your company has. Here is the whole calendar, a worked first 22 months, and the penalty that catches owners out.

Updated 1 November 20266 min read

Short answer

A Cyprus company files its annual return (HE32) with financial statements within 28 days of the drafting date, for EUR 20. It also confirms beneficial owners between 1 October and 31 December, pays provisional tax on 31 July and 31 December, and files its tax return by 31 January of the second following year.

Worked example: the first 22 months

The best way to see the calendar is to run one company through it. This illustrative company is incorporated on 15 March 2027. Its dates come from the Registrar's rules and PwC's summary of the tax rules from tax year 2026.

Date	What is due	Who usually does it
14 May 2027	Apply for tax registration and a tax number, 60 days from incorporation	Accountant
13 June 2027	First beneficial owner filing, 90 days from incorporation	Director or secretary. A lawyer can file only if also an officer of the company.
31 July 2027	First provisional tax instalment, on estimated profit	Accountant
1 October to 31 December 2027	Annual confirmation of beneficial owners	Director or secretary. A lawyer can file only if also an officer of the company.
31 December 2027	Second provisional tax instalment	Accountant
15 September 2028	Last day for the first financial statements, 18 months from incorporation	Accountant and auditor
16 September 2028	Annual return drafting date, the day after the 18-month period ends	Secretary
14 October 2028	Last day to file HE32 with the financial statements, 28 days later	Secretary
31 January 2029	2027 tax return and any balancing payment	Accountant

During 2028 the provisional tax and beneficial owner lines repeat. If the company is VAT registered or has staff, the recurring items below sit on top. Work out your own version from the date on your certificate of incorporation, then put it in a shared calendar on the day you incorporate.

The fixed calendar, once you are running

Most of the year repeats on set dates, whatever your incorporation date.

When	Obligation	Applies to
Monthly, by the 15th	VIES recapitulative statement for the previous month	Companies with intra-Community supplies
Monthly, by month end	Payroll contributions for the previous month	Employers
Quarterly	VAT return and payment by the 10th of the second month after the quarter	VAT-registered companies
31 January	Tax return and balancing payment for the year before last	All tax-resident companies, from tax year 2026
31 July	First provisional tax instalment	All tax-resident companies with taxable income
1 October to 31 December	Beneficial owner confirmation	All Cap. 113 companies
31 December	Second provisional tax instalment	All tax-resident companies with taxable income
Your own date	Annual return (HE32) and financial statements	All companies
Within 45 days of learning of it	Beneficial owner changes	All Cap. 113 companies

Add one line of your own: audited or reviewed accounts. A private company can choose a review instead of an audit only if turnover stays within EUR 300,000 and assets within EUR 500,000 for at least two consecutive years, and companies in a consolidating group cannot. Either way, book the auditor months before your HE32 date. Our VAT guide covers the return dates in more detail.

How does the annual return date work?

Your first date is set by incorporation, and you can move it within limits. After the first return, a company files at least once every calendar year. You file HE32 within 28 days of the drafting date, with the financial statements attached, for a fee of EUR 20.

If the audit is running late, you can extend the drafting date by giving notice before it expires. The extension is up to three months, and it cannot go past the end of the calendar year. The important words are "before it expires". A company that remembers the extension after the date has passed is already filing late.

What does lateness actually cost?

The annual return is cheap to miss, and the beneficial owner filing is not. Owners tend to worry about the first and overlook the second. The worked figures below use the maximum amounts, and the second row uses the fine in the Registrar's notice for the 2026 confirmation round.

Missed filing	First day	Each further day	Cap
Annual return, reference years from 2021	Up to EUR 50	EUR 1	EUR 150, plus EUR 20 additional fee
Beneficial owner confirmation	EUR 100	EUR 50	EUR 5,000

A return filed 30 days late costs up to EUR 79, plus the EUR 20 additional fee and the normal EUR 20 filing fee. The cap is reached after about 100 days, and the total late charge can never pass EUR 170. A missed beneficial owner confirmation reaches its EUR 5,000 cap on day 99. That is more than 29 times the maximum for a late annual return, and the notice says it applies regardless of any criminal liability.

Other consequences sit behind the fees. Failing to file an annual return is an offence, with a fine on conviction of up to EUR 42 for the company and responsible officers. Persistent non-filing can lead to the Registrar striking the company off the register. The details of the owner filing are in our UBO register guide.

Which changes trigger a filing during the year?

Any change to the public facts about the company. A change of director or secretary goes on form HE4, a change of registered office on HE2, and an allotment of shares on HE12. Each costs EUR 20. Tell your secretary before the change happens, so the filing and any beneficial owner update go in together. A new address also needs updating on your website and your Google listing.

Anything that changes who owns or controls the company also starts the 45-day clock on the beneficial ownership register. If you hire your first employee, you register as an employer on form YKA 01-001 before hiring. Each new hire must be notified through the ERGANI system no later than the day before they start.

Who should own this calendar?

One named person, and that should be you until you have a good reason to change it. Secretaries, accountants and auditors each cover part of the list, and things go wrong at the handovers between them. Before you sign with anyone, ask which lines of this page they will take on and which remain with you. Our formation cost guide shows how to compare those quotes.

Older companies need one more check. The EUR 350 annual levy was repealed from 2024, although arrears can still be collected. The Registrar's own annual-fee page still shows the old rule. On 30 September 2026 it announced strike-off proceedings from December for companies with unpaid fees for 2012 to 2023. If you are buying a company or taking one over, ask for proof that earlier years are clear.

If you are starting from scratch, ask your lawyer or accountant to set this calendar up from day one. Our company launch service covers the online side of a new company.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm your own position with a qualified adviser before you act.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the first annual return due for a Cyprus company?

It is drawn up to the day after the 18-month period from incorporation ends, and filed within 28 days of that date. A company incorporated on 6 January 2017 had a drafting date of 7 July 2018, according to the Registrar's example.

How much does it cost to file a Cyprus annual return?

The filing fee is EUR 20, with an optional extra EUR 20 for expedited processing. Your accountant or secretary will charge separately for preparing it and the financial statements, and those fees are the larger part of the annual cost.

What happens if I file my annual return late?

For returns dated 2021 onward, the late fee is up to EUR 50 on the first day and EUR 1 a day after that, capped at EUR 150, plus a further EUR 20. Persistent non-filing can lead to the company being struck off.

Can I extend my annual return date?

Yes. You can give notice before the date expires to extend it by up to three months, but it cannot pass the end of the calendar year. It is useful when the audit is running late, provided you act before the date.

Is there still an annual company levy in Cyprus?

No. The EUR 350 annual levy was repealed from 2024 by the Companies (Amendment) Law 2024. Arrears from earlier years can still be collected, so check any older company you buy or inherit before assuming it is clear.

Keep reading

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