With the end of the 2024 calendar year accounting period, companies must focus on key obligations associated with it. This overview, prepared by the law firm Eversheds Sutherland, summarizes the most important deadlines and obligations related to financial statements, the annual report, the related parties report, and the filing of the corporate income tax return. Proper and timely fulfillment of these obligations is essential to comply with legal requirements.
A summary of the most important deadlines for 2025:
Financial statements:
- Review within six months from the balance sheet date (usually by 30 June 2025)
- Filing (together with the annual report) in the collection of documents within 30 days of their approval (usually by 30 July 2025), but no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date (usually by 31 December 2025)
Related parties report
- Preparation by 31 March 2025
- Filing in the collection of documents within 30 days of its approval, but no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date (usually by 31 December 2025)
Corporate income tax return
- Filing by 2 May 2025 with a possible extension until 1 July 2025
- Financial statements
Preparation of financial statements
The preparation of the company's financial statements must be arranged by its statutory body. The financial statements are prepared as on the balance sheet date when the company accounting books of the company are closed. The balance sheet date for most companies is 31 December 2024.
Review and approval of the financial statements
The General Meeting or the sole shareholder reviews the regular financial statements within six months from the last day of the previous accounting period. If the company's accounting period is a calendar year, the last possible date for the review and approval of the financial statements for 2024 is 30 June 2025.
If the company has its financial statements audited by an auditor, we recommend that the decision to approve the financial statements should include the appointment of an auditor for the next financial year. The auditor may be appointed for more than one year.
Publication of the financial statements on the company's website
Joint stock companies and European Companies (SEs) are required to publish their financial statements on their websites for at least 30 days before the date of the General Meeting and for 30 days after the approval or disapproval of the financial statements.
Together with the financial statements, the annual report, or report on business activities and the state of its assets, and the related parties report with the opinion of the supervisory body, are also published.
Filing of financial statements in the collection of documents of the commercial register
The financial statements must be filed in the collection of documents within 30 days of their approval by the General Meeting or the sole shareholder and verification of an auditor (if required), but no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date. This twelve-month period applies regardless of whether financial statements have been audited or approved.
If the company's accounting period is a calendar year, the last possible date for the filing of the financial statements for 2024 in the collection of documents is 31 December 2025.
- Related parties report and annual report
Preparation of the related parties report
If the company is controlled person (i.e. it is controlled by another person or entity, typically by its majority shareholder, or it is part of a group of companies or a concern), the statutory body also prepares a report on relations between related parties within three months of the end of the financial year. The related parties report is usually part of the annual report.
If the company has a supervisory body (e.g. a supervisory board), this body reviews the related parties report and then informs the General Meeting about the findings. If the controlling person/entity is the sole shareholder, no review is required.
The related parties report must be filed in the collection of documents of the commercial register within 30 days of its approval by the General Meeting or the sole shareholder and verification by the auditor (if required), but no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date. The twelve-month period applies regardless of whether it has been verified by the auditor or approved. If the company's accounting period is a calendar year, the last possible date for filing the 2024 related parties report in the collection of documents is 31 December 2025.
Preparation of the annual report
Companies that are required to have their financial statements audited are also required to prepare an annual report. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive, balanced and integrated view of their performance, activities and current economic position of the company. In the case of joint stock companies that are not required to have their financial statements audited, a report on business activities and the state of its assets is required.
Financial statements, including the annual report, or report on business activities and the state of its assets, after they have been verified by an auditor and approved by the competent body, the company publishes within 30 days of both of these conditions being met, but no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date of the financial statements. This twelve-month period applies regardless of whether these documents have been approved. If the company's accounting period is a calendar year, than the last possible date for filing the annual report for 2024 in the collection of documents is 31 December 2025.
- Taxes
Corporate income tax
The corporate income tax return in “paper form” must be filed within three months from the end of the tax period, which means by 1 April 2025.
However, the deadline for filing the returns is extended in the following situations:
- to four months after the end of the tax period (until 2 May 2025), if the return has not been filed within the three-month period and is subsequently filed electronically
- to six months after the end of the tax period (until 1 July 2025), if the financial statements must be audited or if the tax return is not filed within the three-month period and is subsequently filed by a tax advisor.
If the entity has a data box that is established by law or has a statutory obligation to have its financial statements verified by an auditor, it is obliged to file its corporate income tax return electronically or via a tax adviser, i.e. by 2 May 2025 or 1 July 2025.
By Michal Ruzicka, Principal Associate, and Simon Holicky, Trainee, Eversheds Sutherland
