{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-431",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-431.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/46",
  "legislation_title": "Companies Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006",
  "path": "section/431",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "431",
  "heading": "Right of member or debenture holder to copies of accounts and reports: unquoted companies",
  "text": "(1) A member of, or holder of debentures of, an unquoted company is entitled to be provided, on demand and without charge, with a copy of—\n(a) the company's last annual accounts,\n(aa) the strategic report (if any) for the last financial year,\n(b) the last directors' report, ... and\n(ba) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(c) the auditor's report on those accounts (including the statement on that report and (where applicable) on the strategic report ...).\n(2) The entitlement under this section is to a single copy of those documents, but that is in addition to any copy to which a person may be entitled under section 423.\n(3) If a demand made under this section is not complied with within seven days of receipt by the company, an offence is committed by—\n(a) the company, and\n(b) every officer of the company who is in default.\n(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 431(1)(aa) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1970), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 431(1)(b) omitted (10.6.2019) by virtue of The Companies (Directors Remuneration Policy and Directors Remuneration Report) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/970), regs. 1, 16(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 431(1) inserted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 6(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 431(1)(ba) omitted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by virtue of The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 6(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 431(1)(c) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1970), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 4(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 431(1)(c) omitted (11.5.2025 in relation to accounts and reports for a financial year of a company beginning on or after that date) by virtue of The Companies (Directors' Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/439), regs. 1(2), 2(3), 6(4)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 430-433 applied (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2005/1788, reg. 29 (as substituted by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 242(4) (with arts. 6, 11, 12))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 431 modified (6.4.2008) by The Companies (Revision of Defective Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/373), reg. 10(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 431 modified (6.4.2008) by The Companies (Revision of Defective Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/373), reg. 11(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 431 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2008) by 1996 c. 52, Sch. 1 para. 16D (as substituted by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 202(3) (with arts. 6, 11, 12))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 431 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2008) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1911), reg. 15 (as amended: (1.4.2019) by The Companies (Directors Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1155), regs. 2, 14(3); and (with effect for financial years beginning on or after 6.4.2021) by The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation and Limited Liability Partnerships etc. (Revocations and Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/153), regs. 1, 8(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "Ss. 418-469 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 10 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "Ss. 430-438 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 10 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2 (as amended (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Unregistered Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1972), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 431 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 132(1)(2), 325; S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/431",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:40.060156+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}